Miniature Bird Nest Tutorial

 Hello all!  I noticed a branch on the outside of my fairy pumpkin house that looked like it needed a little something.  So, I thought I would try and make a teeny bird nest to go there.  I wish I would have taken pictures of the first one being made because I think it turned out better than the second example.  They both turned out precious in their own way. 

The first step that I took, no pictures, but I used two shades of DMC floss (cross stitch string) in tan and brown.  I dabbed school glue on my pointer finger and thumb and ran the string through the glue then let it dry.  This just stiffens the strands.  I then cut it up into small pieces about a half inch long and also cut pieces a little longer and a little shorter because the "sticks" would naturally be different sizes.

I then used a very small button and dabbed wood glue on it then placed some "sticks" on the glue.  After that I just used my tweezers and would barely dip each stick into the glue and stacked them up around the edge of the nest until I came to what looked like a nest.  

Of course, I had to make some tiny bird eggs out of air-dry clay :) 

Have you ever made a teeny bird nest?  What material did you use?

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great day!

XOXO Laurie

little hummingbirds

And speaking or papier mache... I have always felt that I could create anything using it.  I have made many things in my years with papier mache and love to work with it in all it's messiness and simplicity.  Just mix up a batch, made a mold of something and cover it... let it dry and paint it.  Simple as that.  During naptime one day, after the volcano was complete, I decided to try and make butterflies.  The butterflies didn't turn out as planned so I moved on to something bigger... birds.  Or one bird in particular.  Hummingbirds.

 

There was a lot of messiness in between these steps so the camera was not involved.

Oh, but the wings are simple cut out cardstock with a bend at the body and tape.

I love this little belly.

I used mod podge mixed with fine glitter for the green body and red throat.  I painted the belly white and the beak black and added black sequin eyes.  I also used heavy duty foil... incase you were wondering.



Antiquing we will go

Last Saturday, after running from place to place and knocking shops off my list, my sister and I weren't quite ready to call it a day.  So after my last "have to" stop we headed to grab an ice cream cone.  Across the street from the Dairy Queen, there is an antique mall called Rare Bird Antiques.  It's been there for lots of years and when I was a child I remember the corner housed a pizza place.  It is right next door to the church I grew up going to.  While there are tons of treasures at the Rare Bird we seldom find much that we have to have and we almost didn't go.  Turns out we both came upon several treasures that we just couldn't leave behind.  I bought a couple of birds for next year's Christmas tree, a gift for her birthday and a candy dish to use as a planter for my smallest baby tears plant.  Mary Evelyn got really lucky and found several items that she collects at great prices.  We were both glad we stopped in.  Even though you haven't had much luck in the past at a certain place, it always pays to look again!

I wanted this tray!  They wanted more than I wanted to pay :(

Some may not like it tarnished and rusty.... but we do!

Gift Guide: For the Birders

 

Today's gift suggestions are designed around bird people.  People who like to feed wild birds, identify wild birds and watch wild birds.... people like me!

 

Black Oil Sunflower seeds can be found at any feed store or Walmart.  A true bird winner.  And while you are at Walmart, pick up a scoop and maybe even a bird feeder for your recipient.  This bird feeder is available on Walmart dot com.  I like it because it has a cage on both ends to put suet cakes that attract birds like woodpeckers and chickadees to feeders.

 

Magazine subscriptions are great because it will bring the giftee bird learning joy all the year round.  Bird Watchers Digest is issued six times a year and has great articles about birds.

Birds and Blooms is every month and has fantastic pictures, tips and stories from fellow birders.

 

These binoculars are a little pricey but are essential for birders to get a really good look at birds far and near.  These I found at Academy HERE.

 

I am drooling over Bird Feathers the feather identification book.  Being the "finder of feathers" that I claim to be, I would love a copy for myself because sometimes I am not quite sure which bird a feather came from.

 

Bird guides by each state is brilliant!  Author Stan Tekiela has a bird field guide for each state.  It's been a rare occasion that I have seen a bird that wasn't in my Tennessee book.  Look up Stan Tekiela on Amazon dot com to find your state's book.

Good Morning

I absolutely love Spring.  I love sleeping with the windows open and I love the sounds of frogs that we go to bed hearing and the sounds of birds that we wake up to.  I am a bird girl anyway so waking up to all the chatter is truly wonderful.  I lay there as long as I can, listening and sometimes knowing which bird is making which noise and other times wondering "who is that?"  If it wasn't dark I would get my binoculars and take a look. 

 

I hope you have time to relax this weekend in some way.  Here are two videos I took this morning out my bedroom window to share the sounds that I wake up to.  Sorry about the snort in the second one.  That's Shaun... I wake up to those noises too :)

 

 



This is my first time using the video on Shaun's fancy phone.  My phone doesn't have video.  Maybe I can catch the frogs in the evening for you.  Have a wonderful weekend!

Birds at the DC

We like us some birds at the DC y'all.  We watch them out the front window as they frequent our feeder, we collect feathers when we play outside, we even had a Robin's nest in our tree we planted this past Summer!

This past Saturday I picked up a book at the library by Kevin Henkes called Birds that had requested.  So that is the book we read at story time.... four times.  Then during nap time I cut out bird silhouettes on card stock that I had printed.  After sleepy heads were up, we broke out colored tissue paper, circles and glue sticks. 

Sometimes I have to stop myself because of the ideas that are in my head of what I want the end result of a craft or plan to be and allow the kids to do whatever they want with the supplies they are given.  I get in there and create my own version and let them be the artist of their version.  It always works out beautifully and they are so proud of their work. 

This morning, on the drive to work (down the driveway), I stopped and picked up a couple of branches, which were a little icy.  They thawed quickly once inside and I strung thin embroidery thread from the branches to tacks and pushed the tacks into the ceiling.  The branches hung really nicely.  Then I tied the string from the birds to the branches.  I love it!  They are hanging in front of the window where our bird feeder is.

The kids were so excited when they got there this morning.  I love that feeling.  The little one always says "Oh thank you Waurie!" when I have done something new.  So very rewarding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birdwatching at the DC

A month or so ago, when my mom gave me a shepperd's hook that mounts to deck, I hung a bird feeder right in front of the front window of the playroom at the day care.  It seemed like it took forever for the birds to find my offerings.  I almost got discouraged thinking the feeder was too close to the house.  But finally I spied a few House Finches had begun to frequent and then a few Juncos, a few Chickadees and today we had a Red Bellied Woodpecker.  I was so very excited.  I called the kids over to watch as he took seeds from the feeder and flew to the Dogwood tree in the front yard to crack them open.  His red head really caught their eye.

To my delight the kids have begun to take an interest in our feathered visitors.  I even caught one of the boys at the front window with the play binoculars and I asked "what are you looking at" and he replied "I'm looking at the birds."  It just tickled me.  I wanted to make some sort of a log of the birds we've seen. I pulled out a felt board (that won't lay flat since the day I made it) and printed pictures of each of the birds we have seen so far.  I glued them to more felt along with the name of their breed, not specifics, and cut them out to go on the felt board.  It hangs next to the window where we bird watch.  It will help them recognize birds that frequent by picture.  I will add more birds as they come along and plan to offer a different selection of food for them this winter. 

I can't wait until tomorrow when I bust out the homemade suet I made yesterday. Boy is that woodpecker going to be jolly!