Handmade Gifts 2015: Make a Little Birdhouse Ornament in Your Soul

I found these little Erzgebirge bird push pins on Etsy last January and was immediately filled with tiny wood bird avarice. (You say, “Erzuh-who now?”) And I say, pushing my glasses up my nose, “Oh yes, that’s a term for the Ore Mountain region in the former German Democratic Republic and refers to crafts made there before the fall of the Berlin wall, you big Dumbo.

OK, OK, I didn’t know about that either until I read it in the listing. *waving glasses in figure eight pattern* I un-dumbo you. So ever since I bought them I’ve wanted to make a birdhouse ornament and put some tiny Erzge-whozit birdies inside and keep it for myself. So I did.

I was inspired by this pin but then things got way more involved.

There is a toilet paper roll underneath that wool felt. And there is a cone of paper underneath the wool felt scalloped roof. I added round windows and ribbon and silver gimp trim and glitter. You must have glitter. Finished with a ribbon loop at the top so I could hang it with a wire hook.

I had a handy circle punch that was just the right size to seal off the bottom. I love when things work out like that.

After it was finished I sat under the Christmas tree at night and just looked and looked at the sparkly birdhouse ornament. Totally craft gloating. I also experienced a brief twinge of guilt because it occurred to me more than once that this ornament would really make a very special and appropriate gift for my little grand niece and nephew who just moved into a brand new house.

The house will still be newish next Christmas, right? I’ll make another one.

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