For a while now I've been trying to come up with a way to display and enjoy all of the things that we collect on our adventures. My window sills are full, the china cabinet and book shelf have been over-run, and we have baskets everywhere, but none of it really works. I knew that I didn't want to throw it away, but I also knew that I couldn't keep it all laying around or stuffed in baskets because you can't really enjoy it that way either. Finally, the other night, I had this idea! I didn't really know what to call it but I pictured a gypsy wind chime crossed with a hanging nature collection that could hang over the kitchen sink.
I told the kids to round up some beads, twine, and fishing wire, while I gathered some of our favorite pieces. I knew that we had an awesome twisted branch in the attic that we carried back from a trip to the beaver dam months ago. We knew when we saw that pretty branch that we would one day have the perfect project for it! I got the branch and we went to work.
We tied on beads so that they would make pretty "twinkles" dance around the kitchen, and then everything else came from our collections around the house. Ben found that little bottle a while back and I couldn't get it clean, so we filled it with pretty rocks from Molly's rock tumbler and hung it with wire and leather laces. We decided that that would be the perfect vase for all of the flowers they bring me! To the left is an old shoe horn that came in a jar of treasures that Granny Dear sent us.
Then there is the shell that Timothy has kept from a beach trip a couple of years ago, and a rattle snake rattle that also came in the jar of treasures....you get the idea. We decided not to add anything else just yet though. We all agreed that things like this are best built over time. I wonder what this little collection will look like after all of our summer adventures?! I'll bet we will have a new one started by then, maybe over the big window in the living room or on the front porch over the swing (that I'm supposed to get soon, ahem). I love it! What are some creative ways that you have found to display little treasures?
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