Miniature Bee Hive Tutorial

 

Howdy All!!!  Here is a mini-tutorial about making miniature bee hives or skeps.  Made from oven bake clay, thread, glue, paint and tinted sawdust.  Super easy to make and a precious addition to any mini garden or home!  Enjoy!!

First, I take a small wad of clay and roll it, cut it and shape it into a hive.  Then use a tooth pick to make the bee hole, going around in a circle until I feel it's the right size hole.  Then I bake them according to the manufactures directions for the clay. 

For the skeps I use a thicker DMC floss so it will look more like rope.  I'm sure there's a proper name for this thread but I am lacking in knowing what it is.

If you want your skep to have a handle it is better to glue this in place first and let it dry.

I place a dab of glue... wood glue it what I use... on the bottom and place the end of a long piece of thread in the glue and let it set for just a few minutes.  Then begin to place glue and wind around the bottom then up the sides placing glue in sections as you go.

When you get to the hole just wind around it and cut the string later with tiny scissors when it is dry.

Apparently the turorialist (aka Me) assumes that painting is a given.  So there aren't pictures of this step.  You can paint them as you wish.  

These were listings that sold in my Etsy shop... hence the A. B. C.

The "moss"  is sawdust that I tinted with a tad of paint.  If you put a little bit of sawdust into a plastic sandwich baggie and a few drops of paint it makes for a nice hint of moss on any mini project!

And this is Hamish.  One of my mouse friends that lives and hangs out in my creations.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!!  Hope you make some bee hives!