Need a gift for someone on your list (or yourself!) who loves birdwatching? This nesting ball or star will bring joy to the birds, and the person receiving the gift. Feathered friends could always use a little help, and mama bird will appreciate having these soft & warm natural materials to help make her nest! Orioles, hummingbirds, cardinals, sparrows, finches, bluebirds, mourning doves...they will all appreciate your kind offering. Not just for Spring....but for Summer months, too, when moms made their 2nd or 3rd nests!
What's inside? The nesting ball/star itself is nice to look at, but it's more than a pretty face: the natural jute/grapevine ball (depending on what materials I'm using at the time) has been stuffed with salvaged & upcycled wool or yak fibers and unbleached, raw, fluffy soft raw alpaca (or llama) fur woven through. I may also use cattail fluff when it's seasonally available. These materials are not only eco-friendly, but they are water repellent, too.
I specifically use undyed alpaca fibers and gravitate towards natural, muted tones when looking for other natural fibers. Why? Although a bright, colorful nesting ball is pretty to look at, it's safer for the birds to build their nests with muted colors from nature--their nest will blend into the environment--think camouflage- and less likely to be seen by predators.
Each ball or star is custom made, so there may be some very slight variations from what's pictured. The bits of yarn that you are seeing are pieces of an old, worn sweater (either wool or yak) that I slowly unraveled. This is probably the most time consuming part of the process, but it's worth it to make sure the birds have an easy time pulling out the materials and using them. And even better....it's one less piece of clothing to end up in a landfill--making it a great gift for someone who is eco-conscious. Plus, all parts of the ball can safely go back into the earth!
You'll notice that some of the stuffing has been pulled through to make it a bit easier for the birds to access. Rest assured, there's more stuffing in the core, though! I have also cut the yarn to smaller lengths to keep it from getting tangled in the birds' feet.
Grapevine balls measure 4" around, and stars are 6".
These are wonderful not just for yourself, but to give as a gift for Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthdays, etc. If you'd like to order more than is showing available (bridesmaids' gifts, a baby shower, or any other occasion) please contact me for a bulk order request, and I'll have them made up in short order ;)
If you'd like to see a video showing the process of how I make these, you can view it at https://www.youtube.com/shorts/yV5kGyU_KdU (the one in the video is star shaped, but same method).
Last, I also sell stuffing refills with free shipping for existing nesting ball orders that haven't shipped yet! Add the refill on to your order here:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1438164396/add-on-for-current-nesting-ball. (***Please note, this listing for the refill with free shipping is sold as an add-on for an existing order of an un-shipped nesting ball. )
Thanks for viewing, and let me know if you have any questions!
*PS--if this shows out of stock, I'm likely already making more, so please PM me! Likewise, if this shows only one left in stock and you need 2 or more, I'm likely already making more--so please PM me. Thank you!
Psst.....Check out the pictures I captured of a female Baltimore Oriole pulling tufts of fluff from my own nesting ball! I was so excited to catch her on film ;)