DIY Bee Skep
$20
3 Hours
Medium
When my friend challenged us to make our own bee skep, it was not to be ignored! I'm not willing to pay big bucks for something like this, so making my own was a great alternative.
UPDATE: I've gotten a few comments about actually keeping bees in this, so thought I better clarify that THIS IS NOT FOR BEE KEEPING. IT IS PURELY DECORATIVE!!
Thanks
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A bee skep is the predecessor of the modern day bee hives. They've become popular in garden decor shops at a fairly hefty price.
You'll need 2 x 50' skeins of 1/4" sisal rope and some twine, lots of glue and a pair of scissors.
Start by cutting a piece of twine about 3' long and wrapping it around the rope. You'll do this for the entire project.
Then glue and build the base of the skip. Be sure to glue the entire length of the rope to secure it in place.
After about 5 rows, create the opening.
Finish the top by bending the support posts and continue wrapping and gluing to fill the space.
A DIY bee skip does take some time and A LOT of glue. But with some patience, you can make one in about 3 hours. I love mine!
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 85 comments
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Kudos for not considering keeping bees in this! In our state it would be illegal because the comb cannot be removed for inspection. As lovely and romantic as they are, when they were actually in use you "harvested" by dunking it in water to kill the bees before removing the comb.
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Love it! Love that you added the extra twine, it just takes it to the next level!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Would bees populate it by accident if we left it outside?
Where do you get the wire for the rope to go around
Did you use a tomato cage for the base?