One Down

So yesterday I worked on the handmade item that will be given to our daughter and son-in-law.  Last year I made a pillow for them and this year, I wanted to do something different.

Here's the end result:

First, I took burlap and cut a long strip.  I went over to the sewing machine and hand-crafted the burlap to resemble a nest by using some stitches and folding over the burlap until I was happy with the end result.

I purchased a roll of old apron tags a long time ago, and I cut off enough of the ribbon tags to sew onto the nest so the ornament can hang off a tree branch.  Or, since the nest sits on the table well, one could fold the apron tags inside to resemble nesting material.

I hand-stamped their last name (ralston)  onto the plain portion of an old feedsack and cut each out into block form.  Slim copper wire was threaded through the pieces of material to resemble a banner and I affixed each end of the wire to the burlap.

Working with burlap to make nests is excellent because it naturally starts to unravel, which makes the nest look more authentic.

For the bird, I cut up an old Cornhusker brand corn seed sack and sewed the bird together to make it three-dimensional.

For the wings, I cut the corn logo out and then sewed it to the sides of the bird.

I made sure to use the printed portions of the seed sack to add visual interest to the bird.

The final product can be displayed together or separate.

I see a few more of these in my future and will most likely add a few to my Etsy shop, as well.  :)