spring forward with a wire nest

let's spring forward! (pun intended - sorry, i couldn't resist!)

 
recently, i played with a new material to see if it would work as well as i thought it would
to create a new kind of bird nest for spring decorating.
(the fact that it literally LOOKS like a spring evaded me until i was typing this post!)
i have to say, i LOVE the result! 

 can't you just see this nest as a decor accent in rustic, farmhouse, and boho style rooms?!
it's an easy project that i think you'll want to try...

continue reading for my easy tutorial!

supplies:

wire - it needs to be easily bendable, so use @ 12 to 14 gauge wire.

i use baling wire, but silver, copper, or even rusty old wire will work!

wire cutters . needle-nose pliers . rubber or thick cloth gloves

i need to insert a 'warning label' here, before you get started...

if you use salvaged old rusty wire, PLEASE WEAR THICK GLOVES while making your nest.
(hint: you can get an old rusty look by making your nest with baling wire, 
then scrubbing it with steel wool and sitting it in the sun for a few days!)

if you use baling wire, it comes with an oiled finish on it.

and that oil gets all over evvvvverything. including hands and clothes.
even if you wear gloves, it can get on your clothes... 

wear old clothes. work over a piece of cardboard.

clean up on hands is easy with Dawn dish soap, warm water, and a scrub brush.

tutorial:

you're going to build the nest without cutting wire off of the spool...
so grab the end, and unspool a few circles of wire to make working with it easier.

1. pinch the wire end in the needle-nose pliers, and twist it into a tight 'O'.
do not release the wire end - keep curling the wire around that 'O' shape to add more circles.
use your free hand to help guide/bend the wire as you go.

2. after you have four or five small circles around the center loop,
use the needle-nose pliers to hold all of them flat. 

3. continue bending the wire to make concentric circles around the existing ones...
keep them flat, do not try to make a 'nest' shape yet.
you'll need to rotate the needle-nose pliers around as you add more circles.

after you have @ 10 circles, you can remove the pliers.

4. using your hands, continue bending the wire and wrapping it circularly.
each circle should get a bit larger and looser at this point -
not perfectly round or evenly-spaced circles as in the center.
start building the nest shape by raising these circles up above the flat ones in the center.
add @ 5 loose circles before moving on.

5. continue adding more circles - keep them loose and not perfect circles,
and continue raising them to form the nest 'wall'. 

*note: don't make this a spiral like a spring. overlap the circles, make them a bit 'messy'
so that they replicate grasses & twigs used in a  real nest. *

6. when the nest shape is as large as you want it to be, cut the wire from the spool - 
leaving a bit of wire. you'll tuck it into the nest to secure the coils:

7. bend that extra bit of wire from the top edge down to the bottom center of your nest.
tuck the end inside the nest coils so you can grab it on the inside.

8. grab the wire end inside the nest, then wedge it between two circles on the other side.

this will hold it in place, to ensure your nest keeps its shape.

9. to add an optional detail, cut a few pieces of wire that will reach halfway around your nest.

10. bend one end, slide them into the side of the nest, then bend the wire around the outside of the nest and tuck the end between a few wires to hold them in place.
they end up looking much like twigs in a real nest.

the black baling wire gives this nest a crisp, sculptural quality.

if you used old wire, it would look much more rustic.
silver wire can be elegant, and copper wire would result in a boho vibe!

you can use your wire nest as a resting/display place for any kind of small item...

a special champagne corks, perhaps? or a sweet vintage 'lemon' ornament.

 

 i cut a feather from white printer paper, for a crisp contemporary look...

you could also use a macrame' feather, since those are all the rage!
i have some clear glass eggs to display along with this nest soon.

to add texture to your nest,
you can easily twist some bakers' twine
or rough hemp twine around the wire.

in my next post, i'll share something similar that i made years ago - 
it's the perfect springtime gift!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #568

links to previous related posts:

building a better birdnest!

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