Monday, September 20, 2010

Bird Seed Eggs

I saw these little bird seed eggs this summer at the Bible Camp gift store and immediately wanted to figure out how to make them myself! My only drawback was to determine how to get all that birdseed to stick together. Thankfully my friend Stephanie came up with a water/flour paste. Not a couple of days later a blog popped up on my Reader board, and she was right! You do use flour and water.

So I made my own (finally) and I love the way they turned out! The egg shapes are my favorite but you could make them whatever shape you like…

Step 1- Grease Jello egg mold

bird feeders 01Step 2. Make a paste of water and flour that is the consistency of Elmer’s glue.

bird feeders 02bird feeders 03Step 3- Add bird seed until it is a sticky goo. There needs to be mostly bird seed but still sticky enough to sticky together.

bird feeders 04bird feeders 05bird feeders 06Step 4- Pack very tightly into both side of Jello molds. Overfill them just a tiny bit. Be sure to keep hands moist with water to keep bird seed mixture from sticking to your hands!

Put both sides of mold together, lining up the two halves and press together.

Lift off the top mold.

bird feeders 07Step 5- Gently pry eggs out of mold with butter knife. Pack them tightly together using your hands. Be sure to keep hands moist with water to keep bird seed mixture from sticking to your hands!

bird feeders 08Step 5- Place back gently into molds and let dry in a cool dry spot for at least 24 hours.

Flip eggs over and let dry another 24 hours.

bird feeders 09bird feeders 10Step 6- If you added a string for a hanger while packing them into molds, you can hang them from tree branches. Otherwise, place in bird feeders and watch the birds this winter from your window!

bird feeders 11

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Bath Towel Mat

In my mind a bath mat should be able to be washed. I had no idea that putting the cute little round bath mat from IKEA in the washing machine would totally destroy it!

It’s been a couple of months since the boys’ bath mat met its untimely demise, and I decided I had had enough of the ugly old bath towel laying on the floor. It’s just too cute of a shower curtain for that… :o)

bath mat 01

bath mat 02So I took another bath towel, folded it in half and sewed a few wide stripes across it to hold it together in the washing machine. :o)

bath mat 03bath mat 04Then I took some of the fabrics and denims I used in the shower curtain and made the binding to go around the edge.

*Note to self: my sewing machine does not appreciate going through multiple layers of denim and terrycloth. Next time, use only cotton.

But it did turn out pretty good and I think it will wear just fine in the wash!

bath mat 05bath mat 06