Easy and Inexpensive...Paper Mache Bird's Nests

Yaay! Spring has finally sprung here in Georgia and soon the birds will begin building their nests! Not to be outdone, I have created a few little nests of my own to bring a little touch of spring indoors. Not only were they easy, but they were super inexpensive as well. And…you are not going to believe what they are made of!



Brown paper lunch bags and glue! Yep…you read that right!
Here’s what you will need:

• Lunch bags (approximately two per nest, depending on the size) that have been shredded or cut into thin strips. I shredded mine in the paper shredder.
• Elmer’s Glue-All or similar glue that dries clear
• Water
• Small bowl as the nest form
• Plastic wrap
• Aluminum foil

And here’s what you will do:

• Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
• Turn the bowl upside down on aluminum foil.
• Mix the glue with water (2 parts glue, 1 part water). I started out with half and half, but I found that was too watery.

• Place the shredded lunch bags in the glue mixture until wet and then squeeze out the excess.
• Press the paper to the bowl in small handfuls, forming it to the sides of the bowl as much as possible.
• Pull away the excess paper at the bottom of the bowl, leaving some of the shreds to give a twiggy effect.
• Allow to dry for 12 hours. Pull away the aluminum foil and, leaving the plastic wrap in place and keeping the bowl upside down, allow it to continue drying a few more hours until the outer edges seem dry. I actually placed mine upside down on top of a soda can for this part.
• Pull away the plastic wrap and the bowl, being careful not to disturb the nest, and let it finish drying right side up.

Now your nest is ready to fill! I added some leftover shreds as a little extra fluff in the bottom of the nest and then added the eggs.

I really like the look of the shredded paper…almost like a real nest!

Baby Kitty loves the nests, too, and has some ideas for ways that they can be used, including adding them to the place settings at your Easter dinner as take-away gifts or little decorations for your guests.

He suggests filling them with easy-to-make Pottery Barn inspired glitter eggs. Not only are they inexpensive to make, but I have a time-saving cheat for you, too! You’ll find the instructions here.

Now…I’m ready to see some real nests along with the official arrival of spring! How about you? Are you seeing any signs that spring has arrived?

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Thanks for stopping by! Please visit these wonderful bloggers and their beautiful blogs to see what they are up to and to find a list of this week’s participants. 

Under the Table and Dreaming for the Sunday Showcase Party , Thrifty Decor Chick for Before and After Monday , Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday , The Stories of A2Z for Tutorials and Tips Tuesday , Coastal Charm for the Show and Share Party , A Stroll thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday , My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia for Inspire Me Monday, Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesdays , Common Ground for Share Your Style on Thursdays ,   French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday ,  The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday , Craftberry Bush for the Inspiration Gallery on Friday, Tatertots & Jello for the Link Party Palooza on Fridays

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