The Sparrow Post Arrives At Storybook Cottage

Welcome to the third post in the Tasha Tudor Inspired Holiday Series. The original idea of exchanging letters in miniature form was begun by Tasha for her children. Near the holidays they would craft wee correspondence that would appear in little post-boxes that hung on their bedroom doors. This enchanting tradition has been revived and reimagined as The Sparrow Post Arrives At Storybook Cottage.

The Sparrow Post Arrives At Storybook Cottage

In the book, All For Love, Tasha wrote:

“The Postmaster is Augustus Sparrow. He has served through three generations and is still none the worse for wear. Mr. Sparrow is a cut-wool toy sparrow, made by hand, like many of our favorite characters. He sports a red vest and spectacles. He is very efficient and has coped successfully with many problems during his lifetime, such as lost mail, delayed deliveries, strikes, migration tangles, and other trying situations. ”

On the Tasha Tudor website, there is a lovely article on how to make your own Sparrow Post Box as well as templates for the cards and letters. 

Creating Augustus Sparrow

The first order of business was to create Augustus Sparrow. A quick glance at Pinterest and I found that there are hundreds of fabric bird patterns on Pinterest. I may give these Christmas Birds a go when the quiet days of late December arrive. But right now my days are filled with an overabundance of hustle with a large side order of bustle. 

Perhaps, in the future, I might find a needle-felted sparrow. 

There is also a Sparrow Ornament this season at Crate and Barrel. Although he has a red hat instead of a red vest.

Why does that shop have to be an hour away? Sigh. 

Alas, as I began dreaming and creating this on November 29th I must work with what I have on hand. This is immeasurably better as Tasha was well known for reusing things year after year. I found this wee brown bird in my millinery supplies. He has a red vest of sorts. I fashioned his spectacles from a bit of wire found in my jewelry making stash. 

A Special Advent Post Box

I decided that my post box would serve as a gift to Mr. Decor. He celebrates his birthday on December the 9th. Longtime readers may remember when I previously created an Advent calendar for my sweetheart. 

This time around I wanted to create nine days of celebration which would begin on December 1st. 

I needed a post box. 

A small metal box was found at a local antique and craft mall. 

It just needed to feel a bit more like Tasha Tudor. 

A bit of paper, sparkle, and magic would do the trick. 

I settled upon this lovely Tasha Tudor artwork that features a lovely girl feeding the sparrows. 

Small envelopes were embellished with nine different Tasha Tudor images. 

But what would I tuck Mr. Decor’s daily treats into?

Baskets Of Gifts

Tasha Tudor used baskets in so many wonderful ways. 

Indeed I don’t think she carried a traditional handbag. 

Trips to town or her own post box always show her with a basket on her arm. 

Baskets often were used while she was gardening.

Or collecting seasonal greens. 

As well as to hold a wide variety of fireside projects. 

Baskets just had to be used in creating a Tasha Tudor Christmas! 

Thankfully, I had just enough wee vintage baskets found at an estate sale. 

As Tasha’s baskets were plain I decided a makeunder was in order. 

The entire process will be shown in the weekly Tasha video this Wednesday. 

But for now, the Sparrow Post is set to delight Mr. Decor daily.

Take Joy!

Laura