Sunday, March 15, 2015

A little help for the birds.................

Happy Sunday everyone.  I am stopping by quickly before everyone gets up and moving in my house.  These darker mornings are still throwing us all off schedule.  Mr. 21 arrived home late yesterday afternoon and I was so happy.  There is just nothing like seeing your child's face is there?
Even with his messy hat hair, and a week of stubble on his chin he looked like the most beautiful thing in the world to me.  He will only be here a few days, but I am going to treasure each and every second of them.  Well that is until he leaves the toilet seat up all the time, stops putting away his dishes and leaves his clothes everywhere.

Yesterday before he got home I made a little something for the birds.  I know you have seen these around, but it is so, so simple.  A suet feeder filled with yarn ends.


Grab all those ends of yarn you have been saving because they are just to pretty to throw out.  This glass was so filled with yarn, it was like going on an archaeological dig and figuring out which layer correlated with which project I had completed. 
  

Buy a cheap suet feeder at your local hardware store.


Fill with yarn bits and you are done.  Really isn't this the fastest project ever?  Hmmm... there is the red from the cowl I made a year ago, and the Malabrigo from the Christmas cowls, and the gold from my Lady Kina. 


Hang in a tree for all the birds to use to help cushion their nests.  Wouldn't it be fun to see these bits of color poking out of nests?  Even if the yarn does not get used I think this is pretty hanging in my tree, and I have an empty jar to starting filling up with new yarn ends.


Look what is left of the nesting ball I made last year with Max's hair and bits of yarn.  It is almost empty.  I just might have to start collecting his hair again and refill it.


My alpaca nesting ball  still looks full.  Maybe the birds here think alpaca is a bit to warm to fill their nests.  This ball has been on the ground more than I can tell you.  I swear some raccoon has had its fun with me.  I finally stuck it on a limb that had been cut off, like a marshmallow on the end of a stick.  It is stuck on there pretty tight and has been for a few weeks.  Maybe I have outfoxed this raccoon now?


Flowers are blooming, the weather is perfect, high 70's and sunny.  My son is home, my family is all under one roof, my heart is full.  

Hope you have a wonderful Sunday.

46 comments:

Home Meadows said...

I like the suet feeder filler yarn. It would be fun to see the colorful yarn in nests about the yard. Enjoy this time with your family. Have a wonderful Sunday, Heather

mamasmercantile said...

Nothing beats the feeling you get from the knowledge of having family at home. Have a wonderful couple of days together.

kathyinozarks said...

thank you Meredith-I never thought of a suet feeder for this-love it-and I have an extra one too

moonstruckcreations said...

Yep even as full grown adults my kids are still cute babies to me too!

Love your nest building help for the birds great idea.

Have a fab weekend with your lovely family.

Helenxx

Karen said...

Yet another reason that I need to plant some trees in our barren yard. The nice days here have me itching to get outside and start landscaping.

So happy for you that your son is home for a few days. Savor the time with him!

Unknown said...

Enjoy the next few days with Mr 21, I hope you'll have the best of times!

Rose said...

I have one of those too! I used to just throw them outside, but I like this method much better.

Hope you are feeling better; this has been a long, dreary winter and I, too, have felt the effects of it, but spring is coming! Hang in there!

Anonymous said...

I'm am going to DO that! I love re-purposing stuff and it just looks so HAPPPY!

Enjoy time with your boy! Looks like he is going to have some nice warm weather for his visit home.

Chris said...

It sure is a great feeling having your family all together. I love the yarn in the suet feeder, super idea! Have a great time with all your boys!

byhooks4u said...

Wow never thought of collecting my dog's hair for a nesting ball...by the end of a week I could have a tree of nothing but nesting balls...and my neighbors would think I was nuts..I think winter has moved on here..at least I hope. Many blessings

Linda said...

This is a great idea, and such a sweet and kind gesture for the birds. Your photos are lovely. Warm greetings from Montreal, Canada. :)

Unknown said...

It sounds like a wonderful weekend to me!

Babajeza said...

I have two glasses of snippets. The ones I cut off today are white as I've finished a loop.

And now I am looking for yarn to turn into a fox. I've only found white a black in my stash, but need red-brown-orange (fox colour). Now I cannot start knitting. Arrrrg.

So, I may find a wire net to make a ball for the birds. On the other hand, it's time for dinner ...

Enjoy your crafting on Sunday. Hugs, Regula

busybusybeejay said...

What a great idea.I need to tidy up the ends on my latest blanket so I will have loads of bits of yarn.

CJ said...

I'm so glad you're feeling happy now Meredith, I hope you have a lovely time with your son while he is at home. The bird nest materials is a great idea, let's hope there are some cosy colourful nests this year. CJ xx

Lynne said...

Sounds like a great day! I used to love getting up early before everyone else. Thanks to the time change, I'm the last one out of bed these days.
Enjoy your week :)
Lynne

kathy b said...

You sound fantastic Mere. What is it that makes our momma hearts sore when our kids come home!!!!!

My Garden Diaries said...

Sounds good to me!!! I will be doing this project with the beans for sure!!! Enjoy your kids friend!! Nicole xoxo

Teresa Kasner said...

I love how contented and happy you feel. I'm also enjoying a non-schedule Sunday - watching Pioneer Woman cooking for her family and working on my crochet blanket in between reading your blog and playing Scrabble and Words with Friends. And all is well. Enjoy your boy and all of your guys. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Grandmabeckyl.blogspot said...

I put out hair from my hair brush for the birds in spring. If I did it today it would all blow away as the wind's picked up. Probably blowing more rain in. It rained most of Sat and into the night! One of the friends I was with, while we were traveling over to the coast was winding yarn into a ball then on the way home she was attempting to knit a sock. Glad your son is home for a bit, enjoy! I see mine tonight when we watch the grandkids. Have a good week, Mere!! Hugs, Becky

Regena Fickes said...

I always felt like a mother hen with all her chicks in the nest when my children (no matter the age) were home and in bed. There is no other feeling in the world to compare. Enjoy!

Christina said...

I have never thought of making a nesting ball for birds, what a great idea! I am glad you are having a lovely time with Mr 21 and the rest of the family. x

Betsy said...

I can read the happiness in your blog Meredith. I'm sorry for the reason Me. 21 is home, but happy for you that he's there. And I can so relate. I love when they come home, but the mess left behind...well, not so much! :-). Your suet feeder idea is wonderful. I think I may begin saving my ends too, for next spring. Enjoy this time Meredith.
Blessings,
Betsy

Pammy Sue said...

I'm glad you're feeling happy. I can't see what I'm typing. How weird.

Judy S. said...

Great idea! Now if only I could find my suet feeder! Glad you had a good weekend; we've been having a tough time getting used to the time change this year but don't know why. Oh well, maybe in a few more days we'll settle in....

Maureen said...

I love the idea for the yarn ends! The birds haven't returned yet, but this is something to keep in mind!

Carla from The River said...

I can feel the happiness, I really can. Because I know that I will feel the same way when my boys head off and then come home to visit. You are such a special mom!
Enjoy!
And thank you for the idea with the suet feeder. I will make one too!

Joyful said...

So nice what you've done for the birds. I'm sure they are thrilled (if birds can be thrilled) with finding the wonderful stash of yarn. Glad your son is home for a visit too. Enjoy!

Gracie Saylor said...

Thanks for another great idea, Meredith! The birds around here seemed to boycott the nesting balls we made last year, but in talking with my oldest daughter she had read/heard that dryer lint can sometimes put off rather than attract birds. My Grands and I used some dryer lint in what we made, so perhaps that is what happened.

I am imagining you enjoying your menfolk in spite of the bothersome trails they may leave in their wake :-)
xx

Debby said...

So funny. I was going to post something similar. When I was a Head Start home teacher I would have the children gather leaves, little sticks and strings to put outside in a little brown bag for the birds to use for nests. The yarn and ribbons would have been so much better. I love seeing things the birds gather in their nests. Glad your Buckeye is home again.

Mindy said...

Such cute and colorful tree hangings! And I'm sure the birds love it. =)

Enjoy having your family time!

mynestofyarnandbuttons said...

Family is the best for mind and soul, always!
xoRobin

Wainwright and Wright.Co said...

oo, enjoy your time with your son - mine are back from university next week, can't wait to go in their rooms in the morning and wake them gently with a kiss and a "good morning"!
Your bird feeders/nest builders make colourful garden decorations too!
Caz xx

Lilbitbrit said...

I think this is such a lovely idea. Tinkerbell my Himalayan used to shed clumps in the garden and one time I did find some of her fur in the cardinal nest.

linda said...

My birds are so fussy they don't use my yarn bits when I leave them out for them, but they do look pretty hanging like that. Enjoy every minute with your lovely son. :) xxx

Tanna said...

I like the suet feeder filled with those yarn bits just to look at!! So glad you are enjoying this special family time, Meredith! Soak it all in! blessings ~ tanna

Mylittlepieceofengland said...

You sound happy :) What an excellent way to use up yarn ends and help our wildlife at the same time. xx

Anita said...

I'm so hearing you about the sight of one's child!!! I feel the same. It can melt your little heart seeing your kids come home......even if they've been gone for a couple of hours. lol. Love them.
That's a super idea to use leftover yarns up, I'm going to try that one.
Cheers, Anita.

Helen said...

have a wonderful time with your son! I bet there will be some beautiful birds' nests near you :)

RedSetter said...

What a lovely start to a lovely day with your son home. I love the simple idea for the yarn ends and I am going to collect these up as well as Red's furry leftovers. The mad beast is unravelling and there are chunks of his winter coat everywhere. The vacuum and I are losing the battle. Well done outfoxing your raccoon nemesis!

Thank you lovely Meredith for your lovely comment over at mine.

Géraldine B. said...

Have a lovely week ... I've already done this help for the birds... that's great for them !

Jill at emeraldcottage said...

Love the yarn bits filling the feeder. I think I have enough yarn ends to line the nests of every bird in England. Hope you had a lovely time with your baby back home!

handmade by amalia said...

I was quite mystified at the beginning, couldn't figure out what the birds were going to do with these yarn ends. But now it makes perfect sense and as I have quite a stash, the birds in my neighborhood will soon have the nicest most colorful nests.Thanks for the idea.
Amalia
xo

elns said...

Mere, you share with everyone, even the birds!

Enjoy your lovely time with your boy. I was laughing to hear about his little habits that children seem to fall into, regardless of age ... when they are home

The color of the flower in that last photo is amazing.

Toni said...

Oh how fun! Hope you start to see colorful nests around soon.

Taci simmons said...

I bet that there is no better feeling... Having your whole family under one roof. Love the yarn ends idea. I have thrown so much away :(. Will start collecting again. Thanks for the idea my dear friend.