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3.10.2022

tiny thread nests

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springtime always brings me back to making different kinds of bird nests...
they represent spring, and also connect to the practice of 'nesting',
making a home fresh and clean as well as warm and welcoming. 

today i am sharing a new nest i've created this month,
inspired by talented artist and designer Cathe Holden.
i recently saw a photo of one of her sweet little nests made from sewing thread,
and was so charmed by the utter simplicity of it that i just had to replicate the idea -
 using yellow thread, of course!

this was a truly 'fast, cheap, and easy'TM project that i think you'll love,
and it would make a perfect treat at each place setting on your Easter table!

continue reading for the easy details... and more about my muse, Cathe!

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the elements are simple:
a wooden thread spool, a scrap of paper, some thread, a twig, and two pearl beads

my easy process:
i covered the dark colored original labels on my spool with paper torn from an old book.
a twig off of the tree in my backyard was inserted into the hole in the wooden spool.
a quick wrap of some thread around the spool finished the base of the project.

the nest itself is made by simply winding thread around my finger,
making each concentric circle a bit larger to create a cone shape - 
which was flattened a bit when i removed it from my finger.
(i didn't use any glue, but you certainly could!)

then i very carefully placed the nest in the twig,
wedging it between two branches to hold it in place.
the strand of thread from the wooden spool was then looped up onto the twig
so that it appears to be the source of the nest.

 in the nest's center indentation, i placed two tiny pearly beads from an old pair of earrings.

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yellow twine wrapped around another wood spool is a companion piece in the vignette.

next, i tried another way to display it, as well: under glass
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this simple glass 'cloche' is actually a clear glass light fixture cover -
i bought four of them for 75 cents each back in 2014,
from Company D - the Disneyland Cast Member outlet store!
(and that's one Cast Member perk that i really REALLY miss!)

these are available in hardware stores for just a few dollars - 
it's an inexpensive way to get a glass dome!
covering the screw threads on the bottom edge 
with vintage velvet ribbon makes it look a bit less utilitarian.

i really love the simplicity of this tiny project,
and the way it cheers up the faux mantel in my studio right now.


now, let me tell you about Cathe's thread nest!

multi-talented artist, instructor, speaker, and designer Cathe Holden
made sweet mini nests using old thread back in 2009.
then in 2012, she made a different kind of thread nest - and shared them on her blog.
i would link to those posts,
but Cathe is afraid that her blog is 'so old' that the links may not be safe.

however, she also shared a photo of one of her nests on her Instagram account in 2020 
that link IS safe and will take you directly to her image of her pale blue thread nest.

when i went to her original blog post, i saw that Cathe had created a yellow nest, too!
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Cathe graciously allowed me to share her photo of her nest in my post.
i love seeing how other artists & creatives interpret a theme - like spring nests - 
and bring it to life in so many different, charming ways.

many years ago (back in 'the aughts'),  i made the tiniest little nests each season,
hand-woven using grasses, flower stems, raffia, thread, ribbons, and yarn
then embellished with vintage and real floral elements to fit the season.

they were sold via sweet Amy Powers' online shop, Inspire Company,
thanks to her abundant generosity and kindness.
i did not realize until today that i have never shared them here!!
so here are some old photos of one of my very old products... 
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my Spring NeSt (2006)
woven from mossy-look green fuzzy yarn, raffia, green thread, and long grasses,
 embellished with a real dried miniature daffodil blossom, real dried yellow rose petals,
and a tiny vintage millinery leaf with a vintage yellow crystal bead on the stem. 

the collection that i created that year included
a fall nest, winter nest, 'love' nest, spring nest, and a lavender summer nest.
(many people have asked me WHY i spelled it 'NeSt'.... i have no idea!
maybe just a way to differentiate MY nests from others?)


click below to see my nest creations that i have shared before:




shared online:

creatively beth | creative crafts linky party #84

funky junk interiors | new upcycled projects to make #618

thank you for featuring my project, Miss Donna!


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