How to Build a Clay Oven Nest
- 1). Pick the location. Find a sturdy tree with branches low enough to reach while standing on the ground. Pick one that has at least three branches meeting in the same place, so that your nest will sit firmly.
- 2). Obtain building materials. Search your surrounding area, or visit a home improvement store for soil that can be molded like clay and once dried will retain its shape. Collect leaves, dried grass, moss or even dried cow dung.
- 3). Make clay balls. Mix just enough water with the clay to make it malleable. Pull out a fistfull and roll it into a ball. Make 30 balls, stacking them at the base of the tree as you go.
- 4). Form the oven base. Pick up the first ball, and place it in the spot you've selected in the tree. Place some of the grass, moss or cow dung on top of the ball and around the sides. Pick up another ball and place it just next to the first, pushing it slightly against the other, to cause it to stick. Then place another ball on the other side, again putting the dry materials between. Do this until you form a complete oval of balls that span a diameter of approximately 12 inches.
- 5). Build the walls. Place the clay balls on top of the balls in the oval, putting dry material between as you continue around. After you have gone all way around, repeat the process, making a third, fourth and fifth layer, creating a spiral oval shape as you go. The result should be about 9 inches high. Gently squeeze the walls between your hands to thin them to about 1 inch thick. Use water to smooth the surface both inside and out.
- 6). Make the top. Push the remaining balls together and flatten against the inside of your bowl to form one piece. Use water to smooth it. Let dry and harden overnight, and then turn it over onto the nest. Use your fingers to work the clay enough to make the roof fit seamlessly onto the walls.
- 7). Use your fingers and water to make the nest surface smooth. Let it dry for a day, and then cut a small door or entranceway on one of the long sides of the ovoid, near the base, just big enough for a small bird.
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