I was putting together a tablescape for a post over on Instagram and really wanted to do a special bird-themed centerpiece. I had found this white metal lantern at Goodwill right after Christmas for $4.99, and thought it might look cute for Spring instead.
I started by removing the Christmas decorations from inside – turns out they were wired in permanently. I had to cut the wires to get the hardware out, so I didn’t keep the lighted balls, but I did keep the sprigs of holiday greenery with the bow.
I had this little pre-assembled twig-and-nest piece that I had also found at Goodwill many years ago. It was from an old wreath, and I had used it before in a couple of previous assemblages. I love it because it reminds me of the artwork of Susan Branch or Marjolein Bastin – two of my favorite illustrator-artists!
I also gathered up a few supplies that I thought I might use/need: some sheet moss, a tiny clay flower pot, silk flowers…
First step was to cover the bottom of the lantern by hot-gluing in pieces of sheet moss. The moss was extremely dry and brittle – I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting that, but then I’ve never worked with it before so “live and learn…” It made a nice bottom layer!
I used a hammer to break apart the flower pot, envisioning a sort of “archeological” element.
I wanted the nest to have a little height, so I found a just-right piece of drift wood in a box in the garage (I knew I kept all those pieces for a reason!), and set that in place. It was perfect for perching the nest. I also snipped some blooms off a couple of Dollar Tree silk flower stems and tucked those in, scattering a few petals on the mossy floor.
I had a few little faux birds in a box of Christmas decorations and snagged one for this project. I hot-glued a piece of the nesting material to his beak so he looks like he’s building the nest, then used a small amount of hot glue to attach him to the nest.
Finally, I found some Spring Green ribbon in my stash and made a cheerful bow for the top of the lantern. That’s really all there was to it!
I’ll be sharing the tablescape next – suffice to say my Spring bird-themed centerpiece was perfect for the table!
