Munari Mobile: A Montessori-Inspired DIY Project For Baby

Are you looking for a simple and beautiful DIY project for your baby or a loved one’s baby? If so, you might want to try making the Munari Mobile. It’s a classic Montessori toy that stimulates and captivates newborn babies. In this blog post, I’m going to show you how to make your own Munari Mobile with some basic materials and tools and share with you why I love this project so much.

I made this mobile for my new baby girl, Anna, who is five weeks old as of writing this. (if you like a birth story you can read hers over here). She loves it! She spends a lot of time gazing at it and following the movements of the shapes and the sphere. It’s amazing to watch her grow more and more interested in it every day.

The Munari Mobile consists of black and white geometric shapes and a clear plastic sphere. These are the colours and shapes that newborns can see best in the first few months of life. The mobile also moves gently with the air, creating a calming and engaging effect.

I’m a big fan of the Montessori philosophy and approach to raising children. I’ve shared on my blog before how it respects children as curious and eager learners. The Munari Mobile is one of the first Montessori toys that you can introduce to your baby, as it offers them a simple and natural environment that fosters their visual and cognitive development.

Materials and Tools

If you want to make your own Munari Mobile, you’ll need some materials and tools that you can easily find online or at your local craft store. You will also need to download and print the set of shapes and templates for an assembly guide, which you can get from my subscriber library for free. Just sign up here and you will receive the password to access it.

Clear Plastic Ball

A 7 cm clear plastic ball. I got mine from Lincraft, but you can also order one online or find one at a variety store. This ball creates a reflection of light, creating beautiful prisms on the ceiling.  You could also use a glass ball, but I’d caution against it if you have a rambunctious toddler around the house.

Black and White Felt

Some tutorials use cardboard or paper, but I prefer felt because it makes the mobile look more sturdy and elegant. The weight of the felt also helps the mobile move more slowly, which is better for the baby’s focus. I made a cardboard version for my first child, but it was too light and moved too fast when there was a draft in the room. Plus, I have a toddler running around now, so I need something more durable.

Three Wooden Dowels

You can use wooden dowels from a hardware or craft shop, or you can do what I did and use some sticks that I found on our property. They work just fine, but you need to spend some extra time to adjust the balance and alignment of the mobile.

Metal Keyring and a Small Metal Screw Hook

Used for hanging the mobile. These are very easy to find at craft stores, and online shops, or you might already have some at home.

Nylon String of Clear Embroidery Thread

This is thin and invisible, which gives the mobile an ethereal appearance. It looks like the shapes and the ball are floating in the air.

Scissors, Glue, and a Needle

The total cost of the mobile I made was $5. That’s a bargain for the amount of entertainment it gives my baby. I also love how it looks as an art piece when we’re not using it. We have it hooked up high on the ceiling and it adds a touch of whimsy to the room.

Steps to Make the Mobile

Now that you have all the materials and tools ready, it’s time to make your Munari mobile. Here are the steps to follow:

Get All the Pieces of Your Munari Mobile Set Up

Cut the dowels or the wooden sticks to the right size. You’ll need one dowel of 21 cm, one of 35 cm, and one of 42 cm.

Trace the shapes onto the black and white felt sheets using the template. Cut them out and glue them together in the right order. You should have a circle, a cross, and a square.

Assemble Your Munari Mobile

Prepare the hanging strings. Use the assembly guide as a reference.

Use a needle and the nylon thread to attach the thread to the felt shapes and string through the clear plastic ball. Leave enough thread to adjust the length later.

Assemble the mobile. Lay the dowels or the sticks in the right order. Start with the smallest one and work your way up, attaching each dowel to the next one with the nylon thread. Then use the assembly guide to attach the shapes and the ball to the dowels. This will take some trial and error, as you need to balance the mobile and make sure it moves gracefully. Slide the thread up and down the dowels until everything is suspended evenly or almost evenly. I like the rustic look of mine, so I don’t mind if it’s not perfect.

Set It Up In Your Home

Tie the metal ring to the top of the mobile. Screw the hook to the ceiling where you want to hang it. Cut the nylon thread to the right length so that the mobile hangs 25 to 30 cm above your baby’s eye level when lying down.

The Munari mobile is best hung in your baby’s play space (often called the “movement area” in Montessori speak), where they can have a free range of movement and exploration. You can lay a Topponcino or a blanket underneath, and let your baby enjoy the mobile without any distractions or interruptions. This is a core component of Montessori baby care, which respects your baby’s natural curiosity and independence, and avoids using containers such as baby seats, bouncers, or jumpers that can limit their movement and development.

Benefits and Features of the Mobile

The Munari mobile is named after the Italian artist Bruno Munari, who created many artworks using high-contrast colours and geometric shapes. Unlike regular infant mobiles that have bright colours and cartoon characters that are too complex for the baby’s eyesight, the Munari mobile has simple shapes and colours that are easy for your baby to see and focus on.

The Munari mobile is designed to offer your newborn a rich and stimulating visual experience. According to Montessori sources, the black and white geometric shapes have the greatest contrast that attracts your baby’s attention and helps them focus on the mobile. The clear plastic ball reflects light and adds a sense of depth and dimension, which gives your baby another point of interest to follow. The mobile moves slowly and gently in the air, allowing your baby to track and focus on the individual elements, which can enhance their visual skills and abilities.

The Munari mobile is also beneficial for your baby’s motor development and coordination. As your baby grows, they will start to move their head, eyes, and arms to follow the mobile. This will help them develop their neck muscles, eye-hand coordination, and spatial awareness. It can also encourage your baby to reach and grasp the mobile, which will strengthen their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

The Munari Mobile is The First Mobile of a Series of Montessori Mobiles

The Munari mobile is the first of the four classic Montessori visual mobiles that you can offer to your baby. The other mobiles are the Octahedron, the Gobbi, and the Dancers mobile. These mobiles are suitable for babies from birth to 20 weeks old, each with a different purpose and appeal. They are all easy to make yourself, and I will be sharing tutorials for each one on the blog as I go along. But if DIY isn’t your thing or you’re short on time, you can find many of them on Etsy.

The Four Classic Montessori Visual Mobiles

Mobile	Age Range and Duration	Mobile Features and Components	Visual Sense
Munari Mobile	Birth to 6 weeks old	White geometric shapes that create a stark contrast against any background. A transparent plastic sphere with black lines inside reflects the light and creates shadows.	Focus their eyesight and track objects.
Octahedron Mobile	6 to 12 weeks old	Three octahedron shapes in primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. The shapes are arranged in a specific order: the lightest sphere (yellow) is at the top, the darkest sphere (blue) is at the bottom, and the medium sphere (red) is in the middle.	Helps them explore colours and depth perception.
Gobbi Mobile	12 to 16 weeks old	Five spheres in different shades of one colour, such as green, blue, or purple. The spheres are arranged in a specific order: from the lightest shade at the top to the darkest shade at the bottom.	Explore shades and visual sets.
Dancer Mobile	16 to 20 weeks old	Four abstract curvilinear figures in highly reflective material, such as shiny paper, reflective paper, or holographic paper. The shapes are arranged in a specific order: two smaller shapes at the top and two larger shapes at the bottom.  This is the final mobile of the mobile series.	Explore shapes and imagination.

Good Luck Making Your Munari Mobile!

I love that the Munari mobile is made from simple and natural materials and that it has a beautiful and elegant look. It doesn’t have bright colours or loud noises that can overwhelm or distract your baby. It’s handmade and unique, which makes it a lovely gift for a friend who is expecting a baby. And I love that it aligns with the Montessori philosophy and approach of providing your baby with a prepared environment that supports their natural development and independence.

I hope you enjoy making your own Munari mobile, and that your baby loves it as much as mine does. Please share your experience of it in the comments below.

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