crafting

My friend, Michele and her family get together every year and make birdhouses. They reclaim wood from broken fences and other old materials, then craft them into unique designs. I’m the lucky recipient of this charming model, below.

Reclaimed fencing

I love their family tradition of gathering and creating together. I’m also a huge fan of reclaiming materials and giving them a new life.

Back of birdhouse

They attached the back of the birdhouse with screws for easy removal and cleaning. Weathered wood blends beautifully into the landscape.

Ceramic or porcelain “chimney”

The birdhouse “chimney” is a vintage ceramic or porcelain insulator. Once used as old telephone wire insulation, the markings indicate manufacturing by WP or Wisconsin Porcelain. The top of the insulator reminds me of a peppermint Lifesaver. I’m never far from my sugar-loving roots. Ha!

Even the rusty nail is re-purposed, artfully bent into a perch.**

Do you have gift-making family traditions?

**I plan to display this lovely birdhouse as a piece of art. If you want to attract nesting birds to your yard, here are a few safety tips.

Lavender Bath Salts

What a fun day! I discovered a great new blog and at the same time squeaked in on her pay-it-forward 2013 offer.

What is ‘pay-it-forward’ you ask? I took part in something similar several years ago on Facebook. Here is how it works:

The first five people to comment on this post will receive something I’ve handmade. You’ll receive your handmade gift via snail mail sometime during 2013. Who doesn’t like ‘real’ mail?

I can’t say what exactly it will be but it will follow a gardening theme. It might be a set of cards, a decorative piece, who knows. Surprises are part of the fun.

In return, please pay it forward by offering the same deal to five other people, via your blog, Facebook or Google +.

If you want to play, please comment below. Remember, the first five to comment receive a Gardening Nirvana craft-it-forward creation.

Kitty-cat chipboard album

Purse-shaped tag board album

Fold-out greeting card

Here’s a peak at a few of the crafts I put together back in 2009’s pay-it-forward.

In the meantime, check out Gjeometry. Sewing, an adorable cat and her sidekick pooch figure prominently in her blog. Catja says:

“I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning from the blogs and websites of other sewers, DIY enthusiasts, crafters, designers and fashion entrepreneurs around the globe and wanted to set up shop in a little corner of that community. Let’s be friends.”