I love bicycles. And I adore Mike’s water color bikes!! They really are all works of art. As soon as I saw them I wanted to make a mobile with them. I printed them on white card stock the regular format and also in the reverse. This is critical so you have the same bike shape on both sides. I left them large so that the artistry of the pieces are fully seen.

Seriously, easiest project. You can totally make this easy peasy lemon squeasy. First rule of crafting; There’s no such thing as perfect. Don’t let Martha scare you. If you’re making something by hand it should look like it. Get something mass produced at a store if you want perfection.

What you’ll need:

– complete watercolor bikes from Caravan Shoppe printed on card stock, regular and reverse

– yes! glue (it’s my most favorite craft glue)

– sponge paint brush to apply glue (I prefer my fingers

– two hangers

– pliers and needle nose pliers

– string (I used black and white baker’s twine)

– scissors

Step 1: Make some tassels with your baker’s twin. I used this tutorial. I didn’t use cardboard, just my four fingers lined up. I wrapped them a bunch to have a plump little tassel.

They’re not necessary but add another sense of whimsy.

Step 2: Put the same bike together wrong sides together. Hold it up to the light to make sure it’s matched up.

Step 3: Cut down the extra edges, making sure to cut so that it’s easy to match up again.

Step 4: Apply glue on one bike, avoiding the bottom middle portion of the bike to pull apart later to add the tassel. You can mark where the tassel goes by setting it down while you glue. Press other bike of the same design, making sure to line it up as close as you can. Put the glued pieces under a few books to keep flat while they dry.

Step 5: Remove glued bike from under books and cut out around the bike. You don’t need to get super close. Make sure your scissors are really sharp. Mine weren’t and it was a little bit of a pain. Two layers of card stock is thick!

Step 6: pull apart the little bit of card stock in the middle at the bottom of the bike. Add more glue and put the ends of the tassels in leaving a little length of string out so it can hang down a bit.

Step 7: Trim the long flat bottom portion of the hanger with the pliers. Then use your needle nose pliers to turn the ends around and create a loop.

Step 8: Cut a LONG piece of string. Tie the top to your hook or leave a length that you can make into a loop for hanging. Go a ways down the length of string and tie it to one of the pieces of prepped hanger. Repeat with other hanger, leaving a long tail.

Step 9: Use a needle or a tiny hole punch and puncture a hole in the top center of each bike. Run strong through hole and through look on hanger end. Repeat on all hanger ends AND add a bike to the length of string at the bottom.

Step 10: Hang it up with pride! You just make a sweet bicycle mobile!

Written by Meg Ruth from Meg Ruth Photography