Every year, I think for the past 4 or 5, my friends Kay and Clara and I get together for an afternoon in December and drink tea and make little birch houses. I can't tell you how much I look forward to this day. No matter how busy we are, we always make it a priority to take time off and do it together.
This is the kind of craft project that I really love. It is made almost completely recycled or found materials. Birch bark that we find on rotting logs in the woods or in the wood pile, make the sheathing. Then I collect little natural bits on my walks in the woods with the dogs. This year, we have a massive amount of this kind of fungus. No idea what it is - maybe someone can leave i.d. in the comments. It is white and ripply and the underside is grey.
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| Unidentified Fungus |
The only thing you need to purchase is glitter and glue. And the glue sticks for your glue gun. Everything else can be found outside if you are fortunate to live near woodland. This is a really fun family activity - spend one day with your friends gathering pine cones of all sizes, moss, lichen, fungus and bark. The next day, make the houses using recycled boxes. Small ones like those from toothpaste and various pharmacy products work really well because you don't need too much bark to cover them.
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| Houses before glitter |
Just because the big day will be gone for another year, doesn't mean you can't make some of these with your children or kids during the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.
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| This year's crop before glitter |
The glitter really adds a lot to the holiday feel. I glue a piece of paper on the bottom, write the date or a holiday message to the person I am giving them to.
The complete tutorial can be found here.
Happy Holiday Crafting Everyone.
7 comments:
I love these little houses. Some of my grandchildren and I made some a few years ago (including a barn!), when you first posted about it and it was a really fun afternoon spent crafting with them. Those little houses are once again out with the decorations. Thanks so much for the idea and the tutorial.
lovely.... little houses & wonderful houses!
are you doing your calendars this year? i loved the ones i got from you last year
grace in sunny mexico
*WICKED*!! Love Them!!
You know, it kills me when I think about all of the *cool* "decorative" material we have in our backyard that my Father lives to rake, chop, and chuck for Yard-Waste-Pickup!!
aarrggghhhh!!!
I am totally smitten with these little houses, I will have to start foraging for little treasures to make my own!
Hi!
Merry Christmas!
My husband the horticulturist says that the fungus is one that he sees called "wood rot fungus" and it often appears on logs in wood piles or on the ground in the forest.
Your project is charming...I kmay have to get crafting with my sons on break.
mary kate
We made them! There was a skim of ice on the ground, so we had a touch time collecting some of the smaller decorative materials. I think I'll plan ahead next year and begin a collection in November. It was the PERFECT Christmas Eve afternoon activity.
Very sweet!
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