Make A Fun Mobile Using Old Toys

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Wondering what to do with old toys? Recycle them to make this fun mobile for your child’s bedroom or playroom!

If you’re looking for an idea of what to do with all of those small toys your child collects, you’re in the right place.

This kids’ room toy mobile is a great way to upcycle tiny trinkets and showcase your child’s favorite treasures.

And, this upcycled mobile is very inexpensive to make. Just pick up three paddle ball toys from the dollar store, some beads, and gather up a few tiny toys.

I came up with this idea when I noticed the bottom of my son’s toy chest was filled with little cars, tiny figures, and an array of plastic stuff! Some toys were broken but most of them had just been forgotten and not played with for some time.

I was ready to scoop them all up and throw them all out (a mom reaction for sure) until I came up this idea to repurpose them.

Below are the steps I took to make this fun mobile. I recommend that an adult do the assembling, like drilling, adding hook eye screws to toys, and stringing plastic lacing cord through the paddles. Then recruit the kids to help string beads and toys to finish.

Supplies

3 Paddle Ball toy (remove the elastic and rubber ball)
20-30 small toys
Plastic lacing cord
Pony beads
Small metal picture hanging screw eyes
Scissors
A drill

How to Make a Mobile Out Of Kid’s Toys (5 easy steps)

Step 1:

Cut four strands of colorful plastic lacing cord about 6-feet in length.

Photo of four different plastic cords in yellow, green, blue and purple.

Step 2:

Drill holes in toys that don’t have a natural hole already. For some toys, it may make sense to just add a metal eye hook screw.

Three small kids toys shown with holes drilled in them and a screw eye in one. There is a dinosaur, a tiny skateboards and a plastic toy soldier with an american flag. — Drill holes or add a screw eye to 20 or so tiny toys.

Step 3:

Drill a hole into the widest part of each paddle and the handle as shown below.

Next tie a loose knot about 12-inches down on each of the 4 cords. String the widest part of your paddles (graphic-side down) onto three of the cords. Tie another loose knot about 1.5 inches above the widest part of each paddle. String the paddles (widest part) to another paddle handle as shown below.

Photo of three paddles from paddle ball toys with holes drilled in them and plastic cording strung through them. This is the first step to making a kids' toy mobile. — Drill holes and use colorful plastic cording to string paddles together.

Step 4:

With all of the paddles strung together, add a center cord (mine was yellow for this mobile and in the photo below).

Then tie all four cords together at the top (2 knots spaced about 1-inch apart). At this point, you should have four long cords hanging down.

Photo of three paddles knotted at the top to make a toy mobile. — Tie a knot to secure the plastic cording at the top.

Step 5:

String your toys and beads onto the lacing cords. Note: Tie a loose knot after each toy or set of beads to stop all the toys and beads from running together on the string.