Save Vacation Finds in a NeSt

As Summer winds down and I am enjoying my social media break,
I thought I'd send you a 'postcard' of sorts...
with an idea for preserving your summer vacation memories.

I don't know how I started this practice, but years ago, I began making 

Found Item NeSts
(and no, I don't know why I capitalize it that way, either!)

When on vacation or even a day trip,
I'd pick up shells and sea glass at the shore, 

or tiny pinecones and feathers and leaves in the mountains,

and then find long grass nearby to weave into a nest.

The NeSt shown below also contained a wine cork, 

since the day had been spent celebrating a special occasion.
You can put anything into a nest!

The collected items would then go into the nest for display,

giving smaller items a lot more presence so that they were more noticeable on a shelf or table.

To my amazement, the nests never lost the smell of their place of origin -

salty sea air or pungent pine forests -

adding another level of enjoyment to them.

I've also made NeSts to observe each season of the year,

gathering up tiny mementoes of spring or fall  

like dried daffodil blooms and little russet leaves to place into the nests,

then displaying them on my mantel or entryway table...

I previously shared a simple tutorial for making a NeSt here,

where you'll see that this project isn't time-consuming or difficult at all...

a perfectly relaxing 'last day of vacation' craft!

It's truly a simple way to gather items from nature that will enhance your home

and bring sweet memories to mind whenever you see it.

Another easy idea for preserving vacation memories:

I also gather a small bit of sand from the beaches I visit, 

then place it into tiny jars with tags identifying the beach.
This would work with rocks, tiny shells, cones, and leaves, as well.
And the bottles don't have to be expensive or antique - 

in this photo, you can see that I used an empty Starbucks Frappacino bottle

and even salt & pepper shaker bases!

shared online:

Yesterday on Tuesday | Project Inspire{d}


Practically Functional | Creativity Unleashed