Decorating for a Bee Theme Party? Needing a unique piece of decor for your summer decorating? Or maybe just want to DIY something super earthy and vintage feeling?

If you love garden and nature-inspired decor, let me show you this easy DIY Bee Skep!

If you haven’t heard of a bee skep before, it’s an OLD version of a man-made bee hive created using an upside-down basket with an entry point near the bottom. The bees would make their honeycomb inside!

They were used less and less as time went on because of the difficulty of getting the honey out without injuring the bees, but they’re still adorable and oh-so charming as part of summer and vintage decor!

Read on to answer these common questions & more!:

• How do I make a beehive with Jute Rope?
• How to DIY Cute Bee Hive Decor
• How can I incorporate bees into my summer decor?

Making a DIY version is really quite simple, and the materials may surprise you, read on!

This project really spoke to my heart, in particular, because I am a real life beekeeper. It was a dream of mine for years and now that I’ve been at it for a while, I’m always extra inspired by bee-themed decor!

This summer I’ve used a bee theme for our entire Farmhouse Summer Dining Room!

Now, let’s get going on this Bee Skep, shall we? It’s easy, but it’s not going to make itself!

*This post contains affiliate links to products I know &/or love.

Easy DIY Bee Skep

Materials

• Scrap of Foam Board- Dollar Tree has the best price.
• Kitchen Aid Mixer Bowl (4.5 qt.)- Borrow one if you need to, you aren’t going to damage it.
• Razor Knife
• 1 pkg Manila or Jute Rope, 3/8″ by 50 ft.
• Glue Gun
• 15 Glue Sticks
• Black Paint
• Paint Brush
• Scissors

Tutorial

Step One | Trace the rim of the mixer bowl onto your foam core and cut out with a razor blade. This will be the base of your bee skep.

Step Two | Using the glue gun, adhere the rope to itself as you spiral it around the bowl. Move slowly and methodically, keeping the rope from buckling, as you go. Take the bowl out a few times as you work, to make sure it doesn’t get too stuck in there. Continue gluing, wrapping & pressing until you almost completely cover the bowl- all except a small opening on the very top, approximately 1/2″ wide.

Step Three |Cut a piece of rope about 4-5″ long and make a loop. Attach it to the top of the bee skep where the opening was left.

Note: This loop is decorative only, and won’t hold well enough to support the skep for hanging.

| If someone makes this and has extra rope, I’d be curious to know if a longer loop knotted together inside the bowl with the loop threaded through the top would support the weight of the skep for hanging – if you experiment with it, please let me know in the comments! How fun to add the hanging feature for additional decor options! |

Step Four | Remove the bowl and use a razor blade to carefully scrape off any glue.

Step Five | Fit the foam core circle into the bottom of the skep. Cut a hole in the middle of the foam core for your finger to fit through to give you more control as you fit it in place. Press it about 1/2″ in from the bottom edge of the skep.

Step Six |Now spiral and glue some more rope around the bottom in the 1/2″ of clearance you left below the foam board to give it a finished look.

Step Seven | Cut a small piece of rope and create a little “doorway”. Glue this to the front bottom on the bee skep and paint the inside of your doorway with your black paint.

And you are all finished!! These bee skeps are the perfect vintage, farmhouse touch to your summer or spring decor.

Display them on a cake plates or with garden supplies. So gorgeous, I plan to use mine for many years to come.

I can picture them being such a cute detail for a number of fun party ideas! When I was in line at Joanns purchasing a bee skep garland for my dining room decor, the cashier mentioned that a customer ahead of me had purchased the same one for a Winnie the Pooh children’s party – can you imagine how cute this DIY skep would be for something like that as well?

It’s almost too much!

Let me know in the comments how you feel inspired to display yours!

I love that we can all can benefit from this group of talented decorators.

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Until next time,