For the Motion Swap I wanted to do something completely different and challenging. @Sleepless-Ghost said she was up for whatever so I took her at her word and decided to make a balance toy based on art that she’d pinned.
I said I wanted a challenge, I definitely got one. There were several times I was almost ready to give up in despair and make something else. Things just weren’t working. But I persisted and I’m super proud of the end result.
Here’s a video of the balance toy and how it works:
The tail and arms move independently so that as the toy rocks those pieces move as well. The arc of the wire below helps the toy balance on a thin wire at the figure’s feet and the additional weight at the wire’s base is a counterbalance that makes gravity work to hold the figure straight.
I created a wood platform (and then painted it). The figure was made using paper mache. The wire weights at the bottom are magnets I glued in place. They didn’t need to be magnets but that’s the heaviest thing I had on hand that would work.
Altogether I probably spent 40 hours on this piece…much of that trying to make my balance toy balance and move. Still worth it.
The character is inspired by various sketches of cat Pierrot figures and the clothing design is based a historical Pierrot costume I found on Pinterest.
Process pics:
Technical Details
Here are the technical details for anyone who’d like to make their own balance toy or is curious.
I drew my design on medium-weight cardboard. I then scanned that drawing into my computer and printed three versions of it: one for reference, one to cut up, and one reversed.
Balance toys like this typically have one or more parts that move independently. I decided the arms and tail should move on my piece so I cut them out seperate.
For those pieces to move there has to be a gap between your front and back. I layered small squares of cardboard to create that buffer. I also added extra cardboard above and below each moving piece as a stop so they had limited range of motion. Otherwise the arms and tail would partially disappear every time they moved.
At first I tried to use tiny brads for the movement on the arms and tail. That sort of worked but it was too stiff. I need super fluid movement so the slightest tipping of the cat would make the arms and tail move.
Despair! Until I watched a card making video where the Youtuber used these tiny spinny metal bearings. 
They were PERFECT. Except you have to be super careful when glueing them down that no glue drips into the bearring gap or no spinny. I had to reglue and adjust several times.
The real challenge wasn’t the spinners though. It was balance - the entire point of my toy. I designed the Pierrot with pointed feet, hoping it could rest on those shoe points and still rock. Nope. For stationary balance that works (see the pick of the cardboard resting on my finger tip above). The wire acts as a balance and gravity point the arc of it determines if the figure is leaning too far left or right. Depending on if you angle the wire forward or back at that rolled up section of wire, the figure leans too far forward or back. And the weight at that bottom area has to be heavy enough to hold the figure in place, too little and eveything topples. Too much and you hamper movement.
I spent forever getting that just right. I knew I needed some wire extending below the Pierrot for it to balance on if I wanted that side to side motion. I started with just a wire point directly between the Pierrot’s feet. Problem, no matter how I cut it the point would never be cpmpletely even and that led to erratic movement and the whole thing swiveling as it moved.
I solved that by making a wider, flat triangle with my wire below the feet, that is perpendicular to the body. The next challenge was the platform the Pierrot rests on. I cut a shallow channel into the wood for that triangle base to rest in. That kept the Pierrot from falling off the platform arm. I had to make it deeper and rounded on the sides to allow for controlled side to side movement as the Pierrot swings.
The platform was made with craft wood I cut to size and then glued and nailed in place before adding paint.
The last challenge was getting the weight right at the base of the wire. Gravity has to work with the balance toy and having enough weight is ciritical. I used chunky magnets, but would prefer a different solution if I make another balance toy. Something small but heavy like lead pellets perhaps.
Here’s an example of a professional balance toy…also involving a cat:
this is so divine and unique. Thank you for showing us the design process as well! It’s sometimes my favorite part to see how something came together.