Merry Mid-Century Modern Mobile

2022 marks the 10th year that I have made mobiles out of old holiday cards to send to my ever-growing list of family and friends. Because this year's piece requires a bit more audience participation than some others, I thought I'd make a video showing how to change it from its flat state suitable for mailing into the three-dimensional, kinetic marvel it was designed to be.

But first:

The inspiration for this year's mobile was a piece of wrapping paper that surfaced during the summer of 2021 when we were cleaning out a storage room at the back of my parents' garage. I believe this paper was probably from a department store in the 1960s; my grandmother worked at The Broadway when I was very young. The shape evoke some tree ornaments we had that I always loved.

In addition, while I was doing an image search for mid-century modern decor, I came across this image from a book called Crafts Design: An Illustrated Guide, published in 1962.* Then I found a copy of the book on Etsy, so I bought it! The book is divided into sections by material (paper, clay, leather, textiles) and technique (bookbinding, weaving, mosaics, enameling). It's a fabulous resource and the images are terrific, even if they're all black and white.

Of course, my mobiles have to fit in an envelope that is no more than 1/4" thick, so part of my challenge is always how to design it so it can be flat but also keep it's shape once it's been opened up. That's why there's always a bit of "assembly required," which I actually like because it means the recipient has an important role to play. I am including instructions in the mailer, but just in case they don't make sense, here's a video showing how to do it.

I have also found it incredibly difficult to get good photos of my mobiles, so here's another video with it lying on a flat surface, to allow for some closeups.

If you're interested in knowing more about my holiday mobiles, drop me a line!

*Full publication info: Mosely, Spencer, Johnson, Pauline, and Koenig, Hazel. Crafts Design: An Illustrated Guide. 1962: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc., Belmont, CA.)