{A Fancy 'Bird's Nest'}

My kiddo started collecting Audobon stuffed birds last year, adding one more thing to hoard group of things to keep organized or displayed. They ARE pretty cool....they look like the real bird, have an info tag attached with all kinds of details about it, and when you squeeze them they make the real sound of that bird. So....when you have several, it's pretty interesting to compare their looks and sounds.

Until now, they have been kind of dumped in with other stuffed animals, just for a lack of having a place to display them well. She doesn't really play with them, but would like to have them on display somewhere.

I purchased a stuffed animal net from Amazon a few months ago, thinking this would be the perfect way to display the birds...out of the way...in a corner of her room. After searching everywhere for a net, the one I bought was actually 6 feet (!) in length, and even when I doubled it was waaaaaaaayy too big. It's now stuffed in a cabinet in the garage. :( The whole plan got put aside for a while until Thanksgiving break when I was telling my in-laws about it. I'm not sure why I never thought of this, but why not make my own 'net'?? DUH? How did this little shard of brilliance never enter my mind before this?

So today, this little display problem is finally solved, and I'm so happy with the results. I'm even happier that it was CHEAP. It is Christmas folks and the cash flow is on the down low, if you know what I'm sayin'!

Whatcha think?

This thing is actually fairly heavy, with 10-11 birds in it, so I think it would work great for any small stuffed animals in any little girl's room! Here's how you can make one!

YOU NEED:

2 yards of tulle (<$2/yard)

3M wire hooks

ribbon

rubber bands

scissors

I didn't take pics of each step because honestly, it's pretty simple. I just pinched each end in my fist, about the distance I thought would work for the 'net' in the middle. I wrapped a rubber band around each end where I had pinched it, to keep it in place and hold my 'net' boundary. I did NOT cut anything off the ends until I was all finished and had it hanging up, that way I could determine exactly how wide I needed it to be and wouldn't waste the tulle. I recommend doing the same!

Once you tie 'net' boundary on either side with a rubber band, take your ribbon and really tie it to your satisfaction. I tried a bow (which I'm no good at it and I'm convinced you need a degree in to make them perfectly), but that didn't go well. I ended up knotting my ribbon on either end, with longer strands hanging down. But go for it and by all means, if you're one of the lucky ones with a PhD in tying bows, have at it!!

Here's how I ended up hanging it on my 3M hooks. I just slipped my knotted ribbon over the hook.

Does that make sense? See how I gathered some of the tulle at the top of the rubber band, and didn't pull it all the way through? Once you have it hanging up, take your scissors and trim off the extra on one side (if you need to). My corner really wasn't too wide, so I had to trim off about 6" trailing from one side. Yours could be less or more, depending on where you decide to hang it.

That's all! Isn't that simple? I seriously don't know why in the world this didn't come to me before.

{Love} easy and cheap, don't you? (Not to mention that those birds are OFF the floor now!)

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for stopping by!