Bird Nest Supply Balls

For the month of May, we are studying birds, butterflies, and rocks (outdoor things).  I've been reading around trying to find ideas for projects having to do with birds.  This post that popped up on my facebook page from The Crafty Crow was too perfect.    Have you ever been on the Crafty Crow?  It is a great place to find projects to keep your kids busy- on the side bar, you can search through categories by theme or type of project.  On the bottom sidebar, you can search through the different blogs who contributed to the site, and this is where you really spend a lot of time, there are some great blogs that contribute here.  This is a great place to start if you are beginning to look for ideas for summer activities for your kids.

For the bird nest supply balls, you will need:

about 9-12 feet of craft wire (22 gage, we used 20)
fabric scraps
yarn
thread
cotton ball
lint
hair
soft remnants
(nothing sharp, glass or plastic)

First, cut the wire, and bend the edges in with a pair of pliers so little hands will not get cut or poked.  Take the wire in your hands and smoosh it together like you are making a snowball:

Push open some of the wire at the top of the ball, so it's like a little nest:

Put a pile of "fillers" on the table, we used lint from the dryer, stuffing from a stuffed animal with a hole in it, fleece, fabric scraps, and yarn):

Gently fill the center of the ball with the fillers and squeeze closed:

Loop a small piece of wire through the ball and twist ends together to make a loop for hanging- find a good spot in your yard, hang the ball and wait for birds to come looking for house building supplies:

Pictured below is a rat's nest turned bird's nest.  My cousin conveniently had a HUGE tangle in her hair this week, and I took some of the pieces that didn't make it through the detangling, enough to fill a whole ball:

This project is great for little fingers to practice cutting the remnants, filling the balls, squeezing,  and hanging.  It's a great way to be green with your kids!  We are just waiting to see a bird fly in and take something out, there's been a few robins scoping it out already!  Happy Birding!