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How to Make a Decorative Bee Skep

Back in January a good friend sent me a picture of an adorable decorative bee skep.  It was just so cute, I knew I wanted to try a diy bee hive myself!  There are all kinds of crafters making these and I have seem them made in different ways!  When I started thinking about the shape I wanted to use, I knew just what I wanted! 

A bee skep is the traditional dome shaped coiled straw hive. Primitive bee skeps, if they can be found are treasured by collectors. Placing one of these in your garden gives it a primitive look. These are perfect for spring decor. You can find these bee ornaments in all kinds of home and garden decor.

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This diy bee hive decoration will be a great addition to your home decor, no matter where you choose to display it! With these instructions you can make your own diy bee skeps.

The supplies:

A bin of oversized plastic easter eggs at Michael's 
Extra large easter eggs

Easter eggs!  Giant, oversized Easter eggs!  The ‘top’ half of the egg would be the perfect shape to make a bee skep!  Now, the problem was, I am stuck at home and I was sure I bought an extra set of these nested eggs last year, just in case they didn’t have them this year. (Do you ever do that?)  I used these same eggs to make a Easter Egg Topiary last year!  You might find these eggs at Michaels or Hobby Lobby. You can even buy the tiny size and make them into little bee hive ornaments.

A giant size plastic easter egg

Step 1:

Using the largest egg in the set, open up the egg and only use the top half of the egg. Take the jute rope, wrap it around the base of the top half of the egg and start it as shown and begin using hot glue to attach the bottom side of the rope on top to the top of the rope beneath it. 

A large blue speckled easter egg with jute rope wrapped around the bottom of it. Fingers holding the rope on it

Step 2:

Continue to wrap the rope around the egg and continue gluing the rope.  You will use the glue on the top of the rope and push the top layer of the rope down hard to secure the ropes tightly.You can see above where the glue is to go.  Do NOT glue the rope to the egg, you are just gluing the rope to itself.

A large blue speckled easter egg with jute rope wrapped around the bottom of it.

Step 3:

Continue wrapping and gluing the rope as you work your way up and around the egg shape. Be careful not to burn your fingers on the hot glue. You can always use silicone finger protectors to prevent burns. You will want to hold the rope together until the glue has cooled and the pieces of rope are secured to one another.

A blue decorative easter egg with jute rope being glued around it.  a red arrow and a hand wrapping the rope around the egg.

Step 4: Finishing off the skep

You will complete your skep by gluing the rope into a circle at the top. Cut the rope with a pair of wire cutters.

A jute rope coiled bee skep with a hand on the top of it

Step 5: Remove the egg from the skep

Slide the egg out of the rope skep. If you have been careful not to glue the rope to the egg form, the skep will slide right off. Your skep should be firm and sit up on its own.

Large blue speckled easter egg half inside of a jute diy bee skep being held by one hand
Rope bee skep on its side with half of a large blue speckled easter egg and a pair of wire cutters

Step 6: Finishing off the top of your skep

The top of your skep will look something like this. I like to add a nice loop of rope to the top of my bee skeps. With a loop, the skep can be hung to be displayed if you like. The loop also allows for the ribbons to be attached to the top of the skep.

Looking at the top of a diy jute bee skep with a hole in the top of it

Take a pair of wood skewers, cross them, and secure them in the top of your bee skep as shown below. You may use a little bit of hot glue to make sure the skewers do not wiggle loose.

View inside of a decorative rope bee skep with two wood dowels crossed up inside of it
View inside of a decorative rope bee skep with two wood dowels crossed up inside of it and a string tying a rope loop in there

Make a loop out of your rope, wrap it down around the crossed skewers and tie the two ends of the rope to secure the loop. I used a smaller piece of twine to tie the loose ends of rope beneath the X of the dowels.  Now there is a loop to suspend the skep.  I will get rid of all of that extra hot glue by using a hot hair dryer after I am all done!

The top of a jute diy bee skep with a rope loop on the top and lots of hot glue on it that kind of looks like honey

Step 7: Adding a door for your bees

Get out your black paint and shake it well.

a container of Deco Art black acrylic paint sitting in front of a jute decorative bee skep

Paint a circle onto the skep where you want the “door” to your honey bee skep to be.

paintbrush painting a black spot on a jute decorative bee skep

Cut a piece of rope.

purple handled scissors, a piece of jute rope and a silicone finger protector

Glue the piece of rope into a circle.

a piece of jute rope glued into a circle

Glue the circle of rope to the skep over the black circle.

a decorative bee skep made with jute rope with a painted black circle on it for a "door"

Step 8: Personalize your bee skep

Now is your chance to get creative! Add a bow or some fun bee ribbon, perhaps some adorable little felt bees! I love the little bee lights, myself! These will add adorable bee decor to your home or garden!

One decorative bee skep made with jute rope with a cute bee themed ribbon tied in a bow on the top.

These skeps are perfect summer decor!

Two diy bee skeps made with jute rope and lit with battery operated little bee lights

I found these fun bee lights that come with a remote control, so I can hide the battery pack inside my skep and turn them on without having to move it. Check out the mini bee skep! They make fun little favors at a bee-themed luncheon!

PIN THIS!

Check out more of my crafts at Celebrate & Decorate Crafts.  

Two diy bee skeps made from jute rope and trimmed with bee themed ribbons

My skeps are ready to display…for now on my front porch.  Where would you display your skeps?  

Don’t these little bee lights make this just the cutest thing ever!!??

Make these bee hives for garden decorations, table centerpieces for a baby shower or spring luncheon! Can you think of more ideas where you might want to display your hives?

If you would like to read more about bee skeps, you can find more at Honey Bee Suite.

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51 Comments

  1. Very sweet. I love how you recycled the rope from your Christmas tree decorations too. Keep the projects coming. 🙂

  2. Omg, you are so creative ! I love everything you make. Do you have any ideas for wedding crafts, mother of the brides house decorations for wedding pictures? Thanks

    1. Thank you so much! I would certainly make a pretty wreath in the wedding colors or maybe all white for your front door. Maybe add tulle to it to make it more bridal. Next week I will be sharing a picture of the faux wisteria I have done around my front door for spring. It would be a lovely look for wedding pictures, make sure you tune in next week to see it!

  3. Chloe,

    I have seen these made before and yours is the best!

    I didn’t see the egg coming but it makes so much sense. It gives the perfect form.

    Love the bee lights too! Pinning my friend

    Cindy

  4. Thank you for your tutorial on the bee skeps. You make things look so easy that I had to try them. I used a small glass dome to make six for individual ones for place settings and used a circle of blackboard sticker behind the circle of jute for the door instead of paint, that way I can write names in chalk for name place card idea. Thanks for all your wonderful ideas.

  5. Chloe, it probably will come as no surprise that I love all things bee, bee-cause of my name! My first Favorite Things Party had a bee theme and I made all kind of decorations — including much smaller skeps for wreaths, etc. Yours are fabulous! Great idea using the large eggs too. And, those lights — bee still my heart!

  6. I think these are the prettiest bee skeps I have ever seen! And such a smart tutorial for creating them! Pinned, and I’m featuring you at Tuesday Turn About this week!

    1. Thank you so much Julie. I am not only in love with my sweet skeps, I seem to just want to keep making more! I will soon be without any more rope, so on to something new!

    1. Hi Cindy! I used two different sizes on my two different skeps. I have not been able to go out, so I used rope from an old Christmas project, so I don’t know what size I used. I am sorry I don’t have that information.

  7. The themed ribbon really took it over the top and yes I buy things at the end of the season also. Trouble is, sometimes I don’t remember where I stashed them, LOL!!

  8. I made this skep and loving it. I used a plastic planter. Very happy with the results. Thank you

  9. I have been seeing these everywhere but didn’t know what they were called. Your project is wonderful and you made it so easy to do. And that ribbon is just darling. Thanks so much for sharing the idea. I have selected this project to be one of the features this week. #HomeMattersParty

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