Sometimes we do not even have to travel as far as our backyard to stumble upon a surprise. One summer, a robin decided to make a nest in the umbrella above our outdoor dining table. She raised two clutches and the summer was filled with entertainment and curiosity as we watched our feathered friend. When she left in the fall, we needed to close our umbrella and considered her nest to be a "hostess gift". As we were adding the nest to our ever growing collection of found items, we decided to put to use our new found art.
Creating a Shadowbox
Like our encounter with our robin friend, those who pay close enough attention will find that the natural world tells a story. Taking objects from your own personal experience in nature and displaying them in a shadow box brings nature inside and can serve as a reminder of a special nature connection made. Creating a shadow box filled with the abandoned robin's nest, photo's and captions from our nature journal, gives our family a reminder of our special connection. It is hanging in our dining room near the window where we used to watch her.Decorative Bird House
Making a decorative bird house with found nature items is another way to display nature treasures.We used an empty half and half carton, you can use match boxes, large carton's anything that resembles the structure of a bird house. We used the twigs for the roof, birch bark for the walls and a hot glue gun to put it all together. Popped in a owl made out of pom-pom's.
Hanging Mobile
Finding that perfect stick seems to be a daily occurance. What is a hike without spotting that kind of treasure? Adding a mobile to a room can bring in nature and serve as an inspiring decorative piece.
