Erin Fox
With the Christmas decorations long gone and packed away until next December, the home can feel a little bare without some festive spark. And it’s a long wait before you can start making Easter decorations.
January can be a miserably long month, especially when Spring is yet to arrive. But you can welcome Spring into your home early with some decorations that aren’t quite Christmassy and aren’t quite Eastery.
This bird in a tree is inspired by “a partridge in a pear tree” and also by the promise of new life at Easter.
And because the days are still dark and gloomy, it’s safe to get away with adding a few tiny fairy lights to the tree!
For the bird perching in a tree you will need a tin can or a jam jar, washed and dried, with string, burlap, twigs, glue and scissors.
Measure the length and circumference of the tin can or glass jar. Use these measurements to cut out a piece of burlap to fit around the can or jar. Give the length an extra centimetre so you can fold this inside the jar.
Brush the perimeter of the bottom of the glass or tin can, and the inside of the rim of the container can with a little glue and then wrap the burlap around it, folding it inside the brim. Smooth the burlap with your fingers to secure it to the glue.
Next roll out some play dough or clay and put this inside the container. While it’s still damp, insert the twigs into the jar.
Leave to dry and start making the bird. Trace the outline of a bird onto some coloured paper and cut these out. Dab the back of the silhouettes with a little glue and fix them onto the branches.
Tissue paper
If you like, scrunch up some tissue paper to make little blossoms to attach to the branches. You can do this right away or you can wait a few weeks when real flowers are starting to bloom so you can mimic the beginning of spring.
Tie a piece of ribbon around the top of the container and wind the fairy lights around the branches if using.
Use larger twigs and branches to create a bigger tree if you wish, and choose a different coloured material instead of plain burlap, or a patterned piece of fabric.