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DIY Nesting Wreath

I stopped by  Los Gatos Birdwatcher last week and saw the coolest idea: a wreath made from  nesting materials.  They covered the wreath with soft wool, feathers and other natural material.

For a few years I’ve saved my laundry lint, then tied it to a tree in a mesh bag.  Making a wreath looked like way more fun.

I picked up a frame at the craft store for a few dollars and got to work.  I wrapped the entire wreath with soft, oatmeal-colored yarn.  I pulled the yarn taught to prevent entanglement.  It also gave me a base to push bits of lint, string and wool into the frame.

Wire Wreath Frame

Wire Wreath Frame

Wrapping Frame with yarn

Wrapping Frame with yarn

Small pieces of laundry lint

Small pieces of laundry lint

inserting lint

I pushed the lint through the taut yarn with the round end of a small paintbrush

Having nesting material on hand is a great way to attract birds to your yard.  Spring’s coming.  Start making those wreaths and stashing them throughout the yard.

Materials:

  • Wire wreath frame (any size)  I used a 6 inch frame.
  • Neutral colored yarn or string
  • Laundry lint (neutral)  Birds build nests in subtle colors that blend with the environment
  • Scraps of yarn, or string, cut into short lengths no longer than one or two inches (to avoid bird entanglement.)

I found the cutest hook to hang it from at our local fabric store for just $3.  It’s a bird (of course).  Let me know what you think.

Nesting Wreath

Nesting Wreath

Bird hook

Bird hook

18 thoughts on “DIY Nesting Wreath”

  4. That is just so charming. You have nice lint Alys LOL..I’m totally going to copy-cat you. I wish I had some green lint…I should go buy some lime green flannel PJ’s. The hook is the clincher, what a good find….so cute and so you! I might have told you this before but when Ken & Adele lived in the country, she threw a pink rag rug over a railing outside. When she came back to get it, it had been unravelled and messed up. A while later they found a pink squirrel nest in their attic…..wouldn’t it be fun to look in a nest and see your dryer lint there!! 🙂

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    • Thank you, Boomdee! LOL…nice lint. Of course I picked what I liked from a huge bag. I’ve gotten plenty of drab gray lint, too.

      Yes…lime green PJs are just the thing! Hee!

      I was delighted to find those hooks. (I bought two). So cute and so inexpensive.

      I do remember that funny Adele story with the pink nest. What a riot. I would love to look in a nest and find some laundry lint. That would be amazing. It has been a long time since I found a nest on the ground or in a tree, other than the squirrel’s nest outback. I’ll have to tag you in a cute pic of Mac watching the start of a hummer nest many years ago. It was in a terrible place, so she abandoned it early.

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      • 😀 it’s cute that Mac was so thrilled. Does he still enjoy nature or has he moved on to other boy stuff? I’ll watch for your tag. He’s got a really cute smile. FYI, someone’s already repined your wreath off my garden board!! Maybe you’ll be driving round your neighbourhood and see another one. How’s your sweet little fairy garden….I was on this one site that had all kinds of cute stuff for fairy gardens…It’s on my new “Fairy Garden Board”….you are turning my world UPSIDE down…..weeeeeeeeeee!

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  5. I was going to say exactly the same as Boomdee – you have lovely coloured lint! My lint is always a dull grey colour for some reason 🙂
    I love this idea and will definitely try this nearer Spring!

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    • Thanks, PJ. It was such fun to do and a really quick project. I hope one day I actually see a bird pull from it. That would sure make my day.

      I have plenty of dull grey lint, too, especially since I live with three men who wear navy, gray, blue, repeat. The pretty blue and green lint are from towels.

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