It was a cool day in Fall. Elliot, gathering basket in hand, calls me over to look at something interesting that he discovered. I hurry over, intently observing as he carefully picks up a single acorn, inspects it, and then rejects it. Moments later he finds a second acorn and although it is seemingly like the first one, it has earned a place inside of his basket. Little did I know, that specific acorn was special. Elliot’s imagination would allow this acorn to live a million different lives in our home, and it was the first thing he lovingly chose to put on his shelf.

We spend a majority of our time outdoors, which means that we’ve been building quite the nature collection. I had been storing everything in boxes hoping that when he was older I would figure out a way to display them for him. Then one day, I saw this old printer’s tray at a local antique store and knew that it was exactly what we needed. I added hanging hardware onto the back, hung it on the wall and let him do the rest. It’s fascinating seeing how intentional he is as he arranges and rearranges the items. Our shelf is always changing, and we will switch some items out to make room for new ones as the seasons change.

How to sett up a nature display

We decided on a vintage printer’s tray but you can really use any shelf, nook or cubby you already have. If you’d like to find a similar tray, check out local antique shops, etsy or ebay. We got ours for around $30. For a lot of items or large items you can also repurpose old baskets or bowls. A lot of our baskets are from thrift stores! If possible, I like to buy second-hand or use things that we already have lying around the house.

Currently on our nature shelf

– remnants of bird nests from a redwood grove
– oak leaves and acorns gathered during apple picking
– acorns, tree bark and rocks from various nature walks
– a dried flower from a trip to Texas
– mossy branches from a trip to Oregon
– lots and lots of shells

I also like the idea of creating seasonal trays that can be rotated and stored away. They are great for sensory play so we’ll definitely be making some this Fall.
“Let them once get in touch with nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life” – Charlotte Mason