Acorn-shaped Bird Nest - Made From Popsicle Sticks

Welcome to my project: Acorn-shaped Bird Nest - Made From Popsicle Sticks.

There is a little bird that sometimes visits our backyard; we occasionally leave food for it on a ledge, and it eventually comes back.

That gave me an idea for the backyard themed contest:

creating a nest where it could rest when it’s very sunny or raining in the afternoons.

Well, today I’m going to show you how to make a beautiful bird’s nest out of low cost materials, inspired by the shape of an acorn, so join me!

220g letter-size cardstock

Template

Scissors/Cutter

Glue/Hot Glue/Contact Cement

popsicle sticks

For my design I was inspired by the shape of the acorn. I wanted to create a piece that would camouflage itself in the environment of the backyard, in the trees, or hung at some strategic point so that it would decorate and have the functionality of a bird's nest.

So I took the most characteristic aspects of the acorn and created a stylized 3D figure

I worked on the Acorn Nest 3D design in Blender but to obtain the respective templates After the 3D design, I transfered the model to paper.

In paper, you will be able to make the physical assembly of pieces in 3 dimensions according to the instructions.that will later be the guide for the physical assembly in 3 dimensions.

Here you can download the templates for the Acorn-shaped Bird Nest.

then review step by step which one corresponds and guide you through the assembly.

Print the templates on cardstock and cut out each piece separately, then detail the edges as you prefer with a cutter or scissors

Cut out all the pieces, Please note that you should print the templates for this project on very heavy paper, as this will give the nest stability and strength. Although the popsicle sticks on the outside and the birds later reinforce the inside, I recommend printing on heavy-weight cardboard.

If you cannot print on thick material, print on adhesive paper and transfer the templates to a harder material.

In my case I use cardstock.

Cut out all the pieces that were transferred to the cardstock, and then define the edges very carefully.

Arrange the pieces as shown in the images to have a clearer view when gluing them.

There are 8 panels for the top (Cupule) and 8 panels for the bottom (Nut)

A central upper piece (Stalk) and two pieces representing the lower edges of the cupule.

Using an old pen, mark the lines to create the folds.

Please note that in some areas the folding tabs are valley-shaped and in others mountain-shaped.

Here you can see the tabs in more detail, although the template PDF is already updated with the sections for valley and mountain, so keep that in mind.

Glue and join all the parts as appropriate.

Parts of the dome and parts of the nut, Glue each piece in pairs so that the joining of each piece will be sequential.

Then glue those paired pieces together with their similar pair to eventually obtain two symmetrical pieces which you must join in the same way

But before joining, the nest must be opened for the bird that will stay, live or rest there.

Now, this depends on your preference. Depending on your pet bird or the birds that visit your backyard, you'll need to consider the size of the nest entrance. (You can also adjust the nest size when printing the templates.)

Use a circular shape and, with a pencil, trace a circular opening for the nest entrance.

You can also customize the shape of your entrance; I was inspired by classic birdhouse designs, which are circular.

Then, carefully cut along the marked line.

In my case, the bird that visits my backyard is very small. It's a bird from my region known locally as the "copetón" (tufted)

But it is more accurately known as the rufous-collared sparrow or Andean sparrow (Zonotrichia capensis).

Image Credits to its author.

The finished nest consists of two pieces: the dome and the nut. To complete the structure, join the last pairs of both the dome and the nut to form the two shapes.

The two pieces should be joined with wire or cord and not glued, so that the nest can be cleaned if necessary.

Now prepare the popsicle sticks and glue of your choice. (Although I recommend hot glue as it gives more rigidity to the structure)

Take the popsicle sticks and cut the tips to your preferred size. Remember that these tips will be used as the scales of the dome, so the shorter they are, the more you will need. For the stalk part, use the leftover pieces of the straight popsicle sticks.

Here you can let your imagination run wild. Horizontal or vertical sticks? Which do you prefer? It's your decision. So, start covering the entire surface of the nest with non-toxic glue, being careful not to leave any lumps that could harm the little visiting birds.

Prepare a string and make a hole in the stalk and hang it in the part of your backyard where you find it most pleasant for birds, keep your distance and give them their space

Conclusion:

This nest is perfect for small visitors in your backyard. You can leave it under your favorite plant as a decoration until a guest arrives who wants to spend the night there. However, if a pair arrives, be prepared to make a larger version or several acorn-shaped rooms for the whole bird family.

Thanks for checking out my project.