Craft Ideas: Solar System Mobile | Art & Craft for Class 8 PDF Download

Material Required

• About 2 oz of 100 percent wool roving in assorted colors
• Two 38-gauge star-point felting needles
• Felting pad or dense foam
• White fiberfill stuffing
• White paint; two paint-stirring sticks
• Drill and 3/32-inch drill bit
• White baker's twine or thin cotton yarn
• Sewing needle with a large eye
• Brass fish-eye hook
• Small brass chain

Directions to be Followed

• To make a planet, pull off a few inches of roving and roll it into a ball so it fits in your palm. Pin onto the felt pad with one needle and use the other to "felt," or to press the needle up and down repeatedly. The tiny barbs on the end of the felting needle compress the fibers into a desired shape. Turn the roving often and continue felting until it forms a semi-firm and uniform ball. Felt on a thin piece of roving in a different color if desired (to make the blue swirls on Neptune, for instance). Repeat to make additional planets.
• To make the sun, pull a 4- to 5-inch-diameter tuft of stuffing and wrap with yellow roving to cover stuffing completely.
• Paint two paint-stirring sticks and let dry. Mark five holes, spaced about 3 inches apart, on one of the paint sticks. Drill. Place the drilled stick over the other one as a template, mark holes, and drill.
• With the sticks in an "X" shape, line up the center holes; use the needle to thread the sun through the center hole. Knot to desired length. Twist in the fish-eye hook from the top to secure the paint sticks together. Secure the planets to yarn with the needle and thread up through remaining eight holes. Knot in place at desired heights.
• Add a chain to hang; felt on small amounts of wool to planets as needed to balance the mobile.