Easter Egg Nest

Well, it sure did take me long enough, but I finally have something to write about!! Spring is here and that means bright flowers and fun holidays! Easter is this Sunday and what could be better to take to your brunch then a flower arrangement?
When you think of Easter what do you think of...... colored eggs, bunnies, and CANDY! Instead of having your candy in a boring basket, how about a nest? No, you don't have to go out and hunt every tree in your neighborhood and steal one from the birds, you can make your own! I learned how to do this in my second course at the Floral Design Institute and had a blast. I couldn't wait to make it again! They look great as a centerpiece, an alternative to the Easter basket, or just a fun hostess gift! It's super easy and you can customize it however you want!

Okay, let's get started!
What you will need for this project is:
~Barked wire (wire wrapped with a brown raffia)
~Curly Willow
~Greens (anything long with small leaves will work)
~Wire Cutters
~Pruners
~Some yarn and decorative wire (optional)
~Long lasting flowers (optional)


Your first step is to make a base of your nest with the barked wire. Make 2 rings, one bigger then the other, and connect them making a kind of spider web pattern, but in a bowl shape. It is best to wrap a second piece of barked wire around the top ring of the form to make it sturdy enough for the next step. You can make the base any size or shape you want! Want to go more contemporary with it? Try making a square nest!

The next step is to weave the curly willow through the base. The fresher the willow, the more flexible it will be. Depending on the size of the branch you will most likely have to cut the thick bottom off. I'd say the top 2-3 feet of the branch is the best to use. Now, I know that we are making a birds nest and we want it to look natural, but we can't forget all the rules we learned in floral school. With the curly willow make sure to have all the branches weaving in the same direction. I had all my branches going clockwise around the base.

After you have the desired amount of curly willow in the base, it is time to add some foliage. Most greens will do in the nest as long as they have small leaves. Trying to add some Salal in the nest would get frustrating and look a little odd. In this nest I used Oregonia, a type of boxwood, and a little Eucalyptus, mostly for the smell. Other greens that would be good to use are; any type of grasses, ivy, Ming and Foxtail fern, and boxwood. With the greens like boxwood and eucalyptus, you can't really weave them through the nest. I just cut about 5 inch sections of the plant and nestled it in the curly willow. Make sure though, that it is secure. There's nothing worse than handing over your arrangement and leaving a trail behind you. If you are worried that the bottom of you nest is still a little bare, add some moss for a nice platform for your goodies inside! Once you've made a nice bed of foliage in the nest, it's time for the fun stuff!!















Your nest should be shaping up to be a lovely little home any bird would be proud of. Nice, cozy, sturdy, and well, a little boring. If you're going for the all natural look, you can stop here, but for hoildays such as Easter, we have go to add a little color! Most of us have half done craft projects lying in the closets somewhere in our house. Search though all those piles! Yarn, wire, beads, anything you can find will go great in your nest! You can also get some long lasting flowers and stick them in the nest. Weave your decorations through the nest. Don't try to make it perfect. Birds aren't standing there, looking at their nest thinking "That piece of string isn't hanging quite right..." If you have decorative wire you can make litte birds eggs, or bobbles. Just get about a foot section of the wire and roll it around with your hands. Be creative on this step, this adds color, texture and really make the nest your own!















Alrighty, there you have it! Your nest is ready for that Easter brunch or egg hunt! Add a few colored eggs, maybe a chocolate bunny or two and you're all set to go!

I hope everyone has a great Easter with family and friends!