Hot Air Balloon Crochet Nursery Mobile Guide
· admin
This hot air balloon crochet nursery mobile suspends four striped balloons above tiny baskets, each carrying an animal. The balloons use tapestry crochet to twist six alternating color sections around a sphere. Separate basket cords and a covered circular frame complete the hanging decoration. The source contains repeat multipliers that need correction to preserve its printed stitch totals.
Project details
| Skill level | Intermediate to advanced decorative crochet |
|---|---|
| Size | Source balloons approximately 8 cm across on a 25 cm frame. |
| Hook | 3 mm |
| Source | Hot Air Balloon Baby Mobile, supplied twelve-page PDF. |
Materials and gauge
Cotton suitable for 3 mm, fiberfill, four 8 cm foam spheres, 25 cm wooden frame, small 3 cm hanging ring, needle and scissors. Source animal colors make an elephant, giraffe, zebra and tiger. Embroidered eyes can replace the listed small beads.
Count six wedges, not twelve
The written source repeats pairs of color-A and color-B sections six times while listing totals that require only six sections altogether. That would double the stitches. For a consistent interpretation of the pictured six-stripe balloon, use three A/B pairs—six wedges—and six increases per round. This correction is identified explicitly rather than hiding the mismatch.
The opening line says six chains in a magic ring, but the following spiral and counts require six single crochets. Work six sc, then grow to twelve, eighteen and twenty-four while maintaining the six sections. Use US terms and a moving round marker.
Shape the striped balloon
Continue adding six stitches per round until round 11 reaches sixty-six. The increase positions advance slightly beyond the previous ones, creating the swirling stripe line. In rounds 12–19, hold sixty-six stitches: six sections of eleven. Carry the unused color inside the working stitches and avoid pulling it tight.
Insert the eight-centimeter sphere before closing the lower part. Round 20 reduces to sixty, then decrease by six per round through round 26 to twenty-four. Work five plain rounds at twenty-four for the narrow lower opening, with four stitches in each of the six color sections. Fasten off and compare all four balloon sizes.
Make the baskets
Begin with 6 sc and increase by six each round to thirty. The first wall round is BLO; keep thirty stitches around the wall through round 9. The openwork round alternates hdc and chain-two spaces. Cover those spaces with two sc each in the next round to return to thirty.
Make four chain-fifteen suspension cords, spaced around the basket as shown in the source. Check their physical lengths before attaching them to the balloon. Uneven cords tilt the basket even if the balloon itself is round.
Use the four animal sections
The elephant is on PDF pages 5–6, giraffe on page 7, zebra on pages 8–9 and tiger on pages 9–11. They are separate small stuffed figures. Make one completely before checking how much of its body should sit inside the basket.
The elephant head starts as a six-stitch trunk, expands through nine, twelve, eighteen and twenty-four, then tapers after four plain twenty-four-stitch rounds. Its body reaches twenty-four stitches before tapering toward the neck. Fold the two ears slightly and sew them symmetrically. Use the source close-ups for the other animals’ color changes, muzzles and stripes.
Cover the frame and assemble
The source frame sleeve begins with a chain of 210, closes into a ring and works ten rounds before joining around the frame. That count fits its stated frame and yarn; measure your own frame before closing the sleeve. Cover the small top ring with sc.
Three upper supports are formed from chain-forty-eight lengths returned with slip stitches. The balloons hang below on shorter chains, with optional varied heights. Arrange the weight evenly and secure all hanging attachments at several points.
Display as hanging decoration
This project contains hanging cords, a rigid frame and internal spheres. Display it beyond reach and keep it separate from a handled toy. Do not rely on the crochet pattern alone to establish a mounting system. Inspect the hanger and basket seams before installing the finished mobile.
Frequently asked questions
Why are the repeat multipliers corrected?
Six pairs of colors would create twelve wedges and double the printed totals. Three A/B pairs preserve the six-section photographed balloon.
Does each balloon have a separate sphere?
Yes. The source lists four eight-centimeter foam spheres, one for each balloon.
Are the animals all the same pattern?
No. Elephant, giraffe, zebra and tiger have separate head, body and detail instructions in the source pages.
Pattern and photograph credits
Hot Air Balloon Baby Mobile, supplied twelve-page PDF. Photographs show the supplied source projects. Crops, rotated photographs and editorial checklists are identified in their captions. Any stitch-count or terminology clarification is identified in the relevant section.
Open the original Hot air balloon.pdf pattern reference in Drive — Whole PDF. Keep the original pages beside this guide for the detailed diagrams and any section specifically referenced above.
Leave a Reply