Valentine's Day Crafts

Saturday, March 7, 2009

This Nest is Best.


We have been watching the birds building their nests. We see them dashing around with little twigs and sticks in their beaks and we hope, with all our might, that one might choose our tree next to the deck as the perfect spot for a nest. It is in such a good spot for a nest as we would be able to watch all the goings on with great enthusiasm. We know that the mommy bird chooses where the nest will be as we one of our favourite books is 'The Best Nest' by PD Eastman. 
I like this page in particular as the little mommy bird reminds me of... myslef!We love to say together, 'I love my house, I love my nest. In all the world, This nest is best.'

However, no bird has chosen our tree yet. So we decided to make our own nest to put in the tree and hope a mommy bird decides it's just too good a nest to pass over.

We collected wool, or in this case, Alpaca fiber, given to us by a friend as it contained too much vegetable matter to be of any use to her. Perfect, as it turns out, for a nest! We also needed a big bowl of hot, soapy water and a smaller bowl to shape and felt the nest in. 
We put the wool into the small bowl, added some of the hot, soapy water and kneaded. We kneaded and kneaded and kneaded, adding hot water all the while, until the fiber started to fasten together. We shaped it into the shape of the bowl. 
When it was well felted, we realised that it would be a smaller nest than planned and so transferred it into a smaller bowl... and then a cupcake holder, squeezing the water out of it as we moulded it to she shape of the holder. We left it over night to dry.

And this morning... a soft, cozy hummingbirds nest!
We put it in the chosen tree where it looks too cute. It is really very well placed as the pine cone feeder is just above it (don't tell K or T that hummingbirds don't eat seeds...)
 So, if anyone knows of a mommy hummingbird who is looking for the best nest, point her in our direction, would you please...


18 comments:

Lisa said...

Thanks for this fantastic post!!! We are going to try this today!!!!!

Joy said...

Great nest! Keep us posted on any inhabitation. :)

dongdong said...

That is great idea. Too bad we don't have a tree out in the back....hmmmm... might have to put a nest our our deck somewhere.

Tammy said...

Oh what a darling little nest! I know I'd choose it if I were a mama bird. :)

You have such a lovely blog....

Crescent Moon said...

What a cute nest!

Tan Family said...

I love this idea! What a great way to use up fiber with too much VM to spin. Lovely.

dawn klinge said...

How cute! That would be a very lucky little bird to fund such a wonderful, soft nest. :)

Anonymous said...

That is so sweet. Once we had a real hummingbird nest outside our front door. That was one tiny little nest!

Linda said...

Your nest is so sweet and I have just been over to your shop and your creations are wonderful!

Kelly said...

A beautiful little nest! I love your posts so much!!

Anonymous said...

I am glad you are doing everything to help nature. Did you know the African Penguin population has decreased 90%. A hundred years ago there were hundreds of thousands and today only a few thousand. Meryl

Lynn said...

Thank you for the reminder about this book! I've never read it, but my husband pointed it out in a bookstore as one he enjoyed when he was younger, and I've been meaning to get it since then. LOVE your nest!

Sandy said...

What a wonderful idea! I love this book! Thanks for linking:0)

Grace said...

We love love love this book. What a great craft idea to go with it. I'm going to try this.

Stacy said...

This is such a sweet post. I love bird nests and hummingbirds! I am going to try making one of those little felted nests at home. That book looks so familiar ... must have read it as a child.

Louise said...

I think the boys and I will make one of these this week! I have some alpacca wool, is it harder to felt than sheeps wool? did it firm up well?

Thanks for another lovely post.

Unknown said...

This is one on my son's *favourite* books ever.

We are blessed to have a real nest for our nature table - my MIL found it, empty on the grass, on her morning walk & kept it for us. But, if we didn't have one I'd be trying to felt one now :) I love the felted eggs in your etsy store by the way!

Trudi - Me and Ewe said...

I remember loving that book as a child - what a fabulous idea - a pre-made (shrinking) nest ... for a lazy bird!

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