How to Make a Bookmobile for a School Project

Teachers often assign book mobiles as school projects because such a task is generally easier than writing a book report, and it gives children the opportunity to express themselves creatively. It also gives them the task of creating a visual representation of the book, as the child must decide who the heroes and villains of the book are and pinpoint several significant moments from the book. Creating a book mobile for a school project is something the child should be able to do with minimal assistance from an adult.

Place one piece of 2-foot-long piano wire across another piece of equal length so that they make a perfect cross. Fold the top stem of the cross over and around the horizontal piece of wire, so that the top stem ends up in its original position and you have the exact same cross as before: The vertical piece is just wrapped around the horizontal piece.

Lay a third piece of 2-foot-long piano wire on top of the cross so that it makes a diagonal line through the cross, running from the northeast and southwest points. Wrap the top stem of this wire over and around the conjoined cross of wires, so that the top wire ends up in its original place. Now you should have six stems of wire twisted together at a central point.

Take an end of the 1-foot-long piece of wire and wrap 2 inches of it around the twisted center of the six-stem base. Tighten it with your pliers. Bend the top part of this wire into a hook. This is your hook, or hanging point, of the mobile.

Draw three main characters from the book, making sure that you portray them according to the book's description of their appearance, clothes and any props they might carry or own. Cut out each figure and pierce it at the top with the needle and thread, creating a hole. Tie the thread through the hole, so that it is attached to the paper figure, like a Christmas tree ornament.

Draw three significant moments from the book, moments of extreme importance. These are often moments of catastrophe or of revealing knowledge. Cut out each moment and pierce it through the top with the needle and thread, creating a hole. Tie the thread through the hole, so that it is attached to the paper figure.

Bend each stem from the base of your mobile slightly downwards and attach the string of each figure to a separate stem of the mobile. You can now hang your mobile from a high place using the hook at the top.