How to Craft a Faux Bird's Nest With Robin's Eggs
Bring spring indoors with an easy-to-craft decorative bird's nest you can whip up while watching your favorite show. Fill the realistic-looking nest with painted robin's eggs, dyed eggs or Easter candy.
Welcome Spring With a DIY Bird's Nest
Bring spring indoors with an easy-to-craft decorative bird's nest you can whip up while watching your favorite show. Fill the realistic-looking nest with painted robin's eggs, dyed eggs or Easter candy. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.
Photo by: H. Camille Smith
H. Camille Smith
Materials Needed:
- aluminum foil
- bowl (this will determine the finished nest's size)
- Spanish moss
- natural jute twine
- assorted preserved natural moss and bark
- hot glue gun and glue sticks
- scissors
- small wood or paper eggs
- robin's-egg blue acrylic craft paint
- 1/2" chip brush
- brown acrylic craft paint
- old toothbrush
- fine sandpaper
Paint Robin's Eggs
Coat eggs with robin's-egg blue craft paint and allow to dry (Image 1). Lightly sand painted eggs to remove brush strokes and create a smooth surface. Pour a small amount of brown paint onto a plate and mix with 1-2 drops of water to slightly thin it. Dip the end of an old toothbrush into the thinned paint then run your thumb over the brush's tip to add a speckled effect to the eggs (Image 2).
Determine What Size Nest You'll Make
Your nest can be as small or as large as you'd like by varying the size bowl you use to create the aluminum foil armature.
Create Aluminum Foil Armature
Cover bowl's underside with aluminum foil, tucking the corners under as you shape the foil to create an armature for the nest (Image 1). Tip: It's not necessary to cover the entire bowl; covering half to two-thirds of the bowl will work (Image 2).
Twist Spanish Moss and Twine Together
Pull a large amount of Spanish moss out of the bag and form it into a long rope-like shape (Image 1). Wrap lengths of natural jute twine around the twisted moss to help it hold its shape (Image 2).
H. Camille Smith
Cover Foil, Inside and Out
Starting in the center of what will be the nest's bottom, apply a large amount of hot glue to the aluminum foil then quickly cover it with the twisted moss-and-twine rope (Image 1). Continue adding hot glue and attaching the moss and twine, pressing it against the bowl to ensure the hot glue is making contact (Image 2). Continue adding moss and twine until the aluminum foil is completely covered, going a bit beyond the foil's top to ensure that none of it will show through (Image 3). Flip the bowl over, place the nest inside the bowl and repeat the process. Create another moss-and-twine rope, if necessary, and hot-glue this to the interior of the nest until no aluminum foil is visible (Image 4).
H. Camille Smith
Add Preserved Moss and Bark
As a finishing touch, attach small pieces of preserved natural moss and bark to the nest's interior and exterior with hot glue (Image 1). Fill your completed nest with Easter candy, dyed eggs or your painted robin's eggs and display (Images 2 and 3).
H. Camille Smith
H. Camille Smith
Welcome Spring With a DIY Bird's Nest
Bring spring indoors with an easy-to-craft decorative bird's nest you can whip up while watching your favorite show. Fill the realistic-looking nest with painted robin's eggs, dyed eggs or Easter candy. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.
Photo By: H. Camille Smith
Welcome Spring With a DIY Bird's Nest
Bring spring indoors with an easy-to-craft decorative bird's nest you can whip up while watching your favorite show. Fill the realistic-looking nest with painted robin's eggs, dyed eggs or Easter candy. Get crafting with our step-by-step instructions.
Photo By: H. Camille Smith
