Martha Stewart uses butterflies from
http://www.floraltrims.com/butterflies.html

A friend in college taught me to make mobiles with fabulous movement.

1) Use thin, light dowels (can be painted or plain) for the structure

2) Use fishing line for hanging objects

3) Starting with the bottom dowel, make a tiny notch at the end of each. Use fishing line to hang objects on both ends.

4) Here's the important part: with objects hanging free, balance the dowel on the edge of a knife blade. When it's perfectly balanced, make a small notch/dent at that point on the dowel. Tie fishing line there. Use that line to tie the dowel onto the next dowel up.

5) Repeat on the other side. Now you have four objects hanging from three dowels. Be sure to cut the lengths of the dowels so the objects don't hit each other when they swing.

6) Keep layering up as you wish. It is preferable NOT to have exactly the same number of objects or layers of dowels on each side. It doesn't matter how uneven it is, as long as you balance each dowel holding everything below it on a knife edge.

I had made several of these with objects like pompoms, cocktail umbrellas, origami swans. The motion of these mobiles is always lovely. Even heavier objects will swoop and float on the slightest movement of air.

I just ordered some butterflies from http://soaringcrafts.com/ and am very happy with the purchase. They have feather and nylon butterflies there.

Oh the irony! I just finished a butterfly mobile for my daughter's room last night.
I used a metal hoop (spray painted white) and clear jewelry thread (practically fishing line).
Using a die-cut machine I punched butterflies out of vellum.
I strung the butterflies onto the thread, using a tiny clear bead to anchor the butterflies in place.
I took my inspiration from this Etsy site:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/78759577/baby-mobile-flowery-whimsy-choose-colors
It was super easy. Good luck with your project!

Michael Olaf has several beautiful mobiles, including one of butterflies:
http://michaelolaf.com/store/firstyearproducts.html

Wow! Thanks for the helpful suggestions--especially Pyewacket. That was exactly the type of info I was looking for.
-Sarah

I used a photo mobile as the structure for my daughters paper mobile, as a shortcut :)
http://hannaslifeiscool.blogspot.com/2009/08/paper-mobile.html

After ten years making mobiles I finally wrote a very simple tutorial, you are very welcome to use it! You will find it here:
http://del4yo.squarespace.com/non-dairy-diary/2011/8/25/mobile-tutorial.html

great tutorial del4yo! I like the pictures along with it, simple and easy to follow, I can't wait to give it a try!

mum used to print/colour photocopy butterfly photos onto clear plastic sheets (the type used for old overhead projectors) then cut them out. The light shone through the colours and they really popped.

i saw this awesome looking tutorial for how to make slightly light-catching butterflies using empty (and cleaned) milk jugs. here's the link: alphamom milk jug butterflies

hope this helps!

Delphine, I love your blog! thanks so much for the tutorial. I am all over that! I can't wait to get started.
-Sarah