Cut nine craft sticks lengthwise into thirds with the scalpel. Keep your fingers well out of the way of the blade, and do not cut towards yourself.
Place sections of stick on the table to make a crude circle with six of the pieces. Cross the ends of the pieces over. Keep the radius of the circle about half the length of a stick. Make another crude circle on top of this with another six pieces. Balance the pieces from this circle on top of those below as best you can.
Continue piling up circles of cut sticks until all the pieces are used up. Lay pieces diagonally if they will not balance horizontally on top of each other.
Cut three sticks lengthwise into fifths. Slide these pieces into the gaps in the nest. Position them at near-vertical diagonals. Make these pieces run inside and outside the thicker pieces. Balance these pieces by placing them as closely opposite each other as possible.
Cut another ten sticks into slivers. Make them as fine as possible. Weave these slivers in and out of the sticks. Use the tweezers for this. Line the bottom of the nest with these as well.