the art of nesting

'nesting' is kind of the mood of the moment, isn't it?
as part of our newly-required 'social distancing' practices, 
we're all spending more time at home right now.
the organizing & purging that we began with gusto in January 
has become a flurry of cleaning & disinfecting in March.

confession: i am not a person who loves cleaning. i DO it, of course, 
but my main motivation has always been that i clean the house so i can decorate the house.
 restyling. refreshing. we sometimes call this 'nesting'.
mama's about to have babies do this. newlyweds do this. 
and sometimes, angry/frustrated people do this. 
(deb raises her hand).
yeah, i'm one o' THOSE people. i clean like a banshee when i am mad or feel out of control. 
the physical activity - and the loud music i play as i engage in it - really can help re-set my mood.
plus it accomplishes something good (a clean house), so it isn't wasted energy.

i think this applies when we are a bit scared and uncertain, too...
cleaning, conquering clutter, completing a project, expressing some creativity
are positive things we can do with the pent-up energy that threatens to overwhelm us.
in times of stress (like we're all experiencing right now), it can be helpful
to set ourselves to the task of gaining some control over a part of our lives, like our homes.

and yes, that includes crafting and creating and decorating -
all facets of 'the art of nesting'.
these pursuits can re-set our mindset and give us a respite in the midst of chaos.
it can help us engage our brains in a positive thought pattern -
and if you have littles at home, you can teach them how to focus on what is possible
rather than on limitations.

in light of that, i've been puttering around the house as i clean,
and decided to update & refresh a few projects from the past.

since my whole 'thing' here at homewardFOUND is 'use what you already have'
i looked around at my stash and found a way to freshen up an original project
that i created over a decade ago. it needed a facelift. and so did i!
the creative process made me smile (the best kind of facelift) as i was working on this,
and now the finished product makes our home smile with its presence...
a good reminder that old can be made new, new approaches can be taken,
new things can be accomplished. at any time.

i think NOW is a good time to put those principles into practice, don't you?

 continue reading for a colorful re-furb and a link to my nest-making tutorial...

my original 'spring in a jar' is a handmade home decor accent product,
which i made and sold for many years at vintage shows and shops.
it was first shared here on homewardFOUND in 2013, and an updated version in 2018:

 

it's a simple vignette in a jar - made up of a handmade nest, an egg, and a small flower.
the old version had a burlap lid cover, the newer one had a faux-galvie painted lid.
both had a twine tie on the jar neck, and some vintage paper words on the jar.
it's lovely and calming and soft and neutral.

for my new version, i wanted to reflect the more contemporary, simple vibe i enjoy now.
i also wanted more color (a subject i hope to be talking more about very soon...)

so, i made use of elements that appear in our spring decor this year:
green gingham fabric and fake grass!
(using some of the artificial turf left over from our backyard landscaping)
all i had to use for this project re-do was a tiny scrap of each.

a strip of gingham fabric was tied around the neck of the vintage jar.
a thin strip of faux turf was placed in the bottom of the jar, lying up against the outer edge,
and the nest was placed in the middle of that.
a wooden egg tucks into the small nest made from real grass
and a few tiny fabric flowers add more spring charm to this simple scene.

i opted to omit the paper scraps with words from this version.

i popped it onto a shelf visible from our dining room:

um... yes, i DO coordinate cookbook covers on that shelf with our seasonal decor color scheme!
(i can't begin to tell you how many cookbooks my Mom has... even though she's purged a lot.
she loves them, so she keeps them. and i decorate with them!)

wanna' make your own version?

* find my handmade neSt tutorial here (you can also use raffia or yarn for the nest!)
* i found those wooden eggs at Bullseye's Playground at Target weeks ago.
you can also create eggs from newspaper paper mache' - or blow out real eggshells!
 * instead of faux grass beneath the nest, you can also use green yarn or twine.
or torn paper from junk mail!
* a clear vase could be used instead of a jar -
or put the nest on a plate beneath a glass or wire dome.

look around, see what you have, and focus your energy on being creative!
let the art of nesting bring peace to your heart and a smile to your face... 

be safe. be wise. be well, my friends. ❤️😷

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #518

thank you for the feature, Miss Donna!

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