As a child, I would try to make gnome houses out of twigs and moss, always with rather disappointing results, but one of the best things about being a parent is getting to relive parts of your childhood with the skills of an adult. The opportunity to try my hand again at building a miniature house presented itself when our favorite neighbor cleared some trees in the woods. My son was distressed for the scores of Bwidgewits who were surely displaced. We sprang into action, building a lodge for them out of scrap bricks and slate and covering it with moss. It wasn't half bad for a first effort.
Then I discovered the Storey book Nature's Art Box, which has projects for crafting things from natural materials, including directions for some little houses made from bark and twigs and moss. This was going to be a dream come true for me. At the first blush of spring, my son and I collected materials, then dried the soggy wood in the garage for a few weeks. When it was ready, we assembled our toolbox, including the secret weapon not available to me as a kid — a hot glue gun.
but my bark was pretty thick, and I ended up using a bow saw.
so for a greater area of contact, I taped the joints using thin sheets of birch bark.
The pine-cone chimney was Xavier's idea and, in my opinion, was a stroke of genius.
The moss door makes the house Greyling-proof, since they are afraid of moss and other lovely things.
We added a pine-cone door knob, too.
but the moss was already attached to thin, flexible bark, and it wasn't so hard after all.
Within a week, we were very gratified to see a bunny come to visit the house and whisper through the walls to the Bwidgewits. Was he soliciting advice and protection, passing along gossip, or maybe just asking permission to eat the hay we lay in front of the little house over new grass seed? If only we knew.
Alethea Morrison, Storey Creative Director
Alethea Morrison, Storey Creative Director
2 comments:
I must agree, the pine cone chimney is my favorite detail!
We have Nature's Art Box and love it. A very dear friend sent it as one of the most thoughtful and creative surprise gifts ever. We could not be more thrilled with the ideas to keep kids outside and close to nature.
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