Ok, here’s the thing about me and owls…I collect them. And I swear, I’ve been collecting them for years longer than they have been the bird of the moment. Both of my grandmothers collected figurines, jewelry, tape dispensers, belt buckles…all with owls. So when my niece Grey asked if I would help plan an owl party for her 7th birthday, it was a no-brainer.

The party started with a hunt for gold rocks in the front yard, followed by this adorable owl craft. My sister-in-law Dena found a pile of magnolia branches on the side of the road and took them home to slice and seal them with polyurethane.

Here’s how to make the owl:

1. We used Mod Podge to cover 3″ styrofoam balls with tissue paper. (We saved ourselves the mess and did this step for them.) We put them on skewers so the girls would have something to hold.
2. We cut large feathers out of brown felt; they became the wings and feathers to cover the backs of the birds. They girls glued them on to their styro ball.
3. Dena pre-cut hundreds feathers from felt (yes, she’s a little nuts). Starting at the bottom, we glued the feathers in rows to cover the ball.
4. Once the ball is covered, glue a triangle pointing down in the front to the top of the head.
5. Then, glue two buttons on either side of the triangle.
6. Use hot glue gun to attach to a log or stick.

Here are some pics of these adorable little girls having the best time!