Add additional flair to your Easter table in less than 5 minutes with these super-easy-to-make birds’ nests—no special supplies needed! Spruce up your floral centerpiece or even top off individual place settings and treat each person at the table to their own nest filled with Easter eggs or candies.
Supplies:
— Brown paper shopping bag or old magazines or old newspaper (Don’t feel bad about repurposing the Sun Day for this project—we encourage it!)
— Paper shredder (strip variety, not crosscut)
— Stapler
Simple Steps:
1. After choosing your favorite type of paper, either cut the non-printed portion of the shopping bag out or remove a few whole pages of the magazine or newspaper (a few pages will be enough for one nest).
2. Feed the paper through the paper shredder and collect the shredded strips. (Make sure the shredded is turned off when you collect the strips from the basket.)
3. Gather the strips into a bundle and staple each end of the bundle to secure the loose strips together.
4. Twist the bundle a few times to give it a loosely woven appearance, and then wrap it into a nest shape by bringing the two ends of the bundle together to form a circular shape. Once you are pleased with the design, staple the two ends of the bundle to each other to secure the nest’s shape. Any excess strands may be trimmed off or tucked underneath the nest.
5. Fill with decorated eggs, wrapped candies, or even stuffed chicks and birds.
Even Easier Nest
Only have a moment? Pre-shredded, finely cut paper or wood excelsior, available at craft stores, can be shaped into a nest in just seconds. Simply grab a bundle straight out of the bag, gently pack it into a ball, and then push the material from the center to the sides to form a shallow depression.
Even Craftier Nest
Dazzle up your nest with stickers, beads, sequins, ribbons, hand-tied bows, or small fresh or fabric flowers.
Share photos of your homemade nests with us. Email to mycommunity@mysundaynews.com or mail to P.O. box on pg. 2.
Crafty Solution
Want decorated eggs without the fuss? Turn to watercolor paints or plain old markers! From simple shapes and color washes to intricate drawings and design schemes, these unlikely mediums make coloring Easter eggs novel again!
