I will confess to being a bit of a hoarder- rarely is there a pretty stone or piece of wood that I come across that gets left behind- it all comes home with me. My Littles are the same way- constantly bringing bits of nature indoors and adding it to their nature shrine. I guess they come by this collecting honestly and they are starting to develop an eye for beauty as well as strengthening their connection with nature.
So when yesterday found us with a quiet afternoon and a bit of down time we decided to dip into the plentiful collection of driftwood we have accumulating on our deck and make some arts and crafts! Yes this project is totally campy and what some might regard as too seventies (Mom) but I'm OK with that! I love macrame and beads- throw in some pretty driftwood and it rounds things out nicely!
These little drift wood mobiles have been cropping up all over the Interwebs lately- I spotted a really pretty one over on the Emma Dime blog and that got my creative wheels turning! I have had these pretty glass beads for an eternity it feels like- they were waiting for the right project- with the same softness as beach glass they mesh perfectly with the washed shades of the driftwood.
I used the exact same technique as one would use when tying a hemp necklace but I used waxed cotton instead as the knots held tighter- I found that hemp string was too soft and the knots slipped. So simple and easy for a quiet afternoon in the shade. I love items in my home that have memory and meaning attached to them- I love that each piece of driftwood used in this project came from one of our adventures across B.C. This is a souvenir I can get behind- a souvenir of sunshine and Summer!
Pretty!
ReplyDeleteSo as a conversation starter, not a criticism, I don't let my kids bring any bits of nature home when we're out and about. When we go to the beach and they find a shell I have them leave it. California does have some laws about leaving shells. Granted drift wood and shells are different. My girl child also wants to pick every flower, so I deter her, because she would pick them all. We talk about leaving nature where it is for others to enjoy and for the animals and insects who make the flowers, shells, rocks etc homes.
How do you bridge this, to allow for discovering beauty and connecting with nature, but also to foster stewardship and love for preservation? I also think I'll get my girl a camera soon, since she is so taken by nature and wants to touch it all, explore it all. She loves it! I really do wish we lived closer, such fun!
HI Dea- no worries I would never take such a comment as a criticism just as curiosity but thank you for clarifying! I totally agree with you- we practice collecting only what has fallen- so things such as leaves, branches,beach glass, driftwood, rocks, feathers and very occasionally sea shells are brought home with us- we do not pick anything or take anything that is critical to the environment. My budding Naturalists enjoy taking pictures and drawing what they see which is a great way to leave something in the wild. Also lets face it we live in a small apartment if I let them their collections would take over the house! So every Winter Solstice we decorate with our collections and then take them back to the beach or forest- depending on where our hikes take us on that day. We walk softly on this earth and try to leave no trace so it makes sense to give back our treasures in Thanks to Mother Earth each year.
DeleteP.S. I aso wish we lived closer- it would be so much fun!
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