The Place Where I Belong - Wendy's Home Decor Birdhouse

HOME DECOR

BIRDHOUSE

Hello Everyone, 

Hoping you are all staying healthy and warm. We have had a bit of a cold snap here on the Tweed Coast and it's been a perfect time to stay indoors and do a bit of crafting. I would have to say, this project has been one of my very favourites so far in my Home Decor projects for the month.

I had been talking to my daughter, telling her how I wanted to make and decorate a fun, whimsical birdhouse this month by using some recycled cardboard. Sometimes, I think my daughter just agrees with me and nods her head but doesn't really listen to my crafting projects...lol...I was quite surprised when she popped over one afternoon and handed me an already made (not decorated) birdhouse. I was so excited knowing she actually does listen to me ramble on about my crafts.

Anyway, I was so happy to have this already built birdhouse that just needed to be decorated and I knew this month paper collection, FARMHOUSE MARKET from Carta Bella was going to be the perfect paper choice.

With my pre-made birdhouse (which was purchased at KMart Aust., for $6), I started by painting the edges all over with some white gesso. I also painted around the roost part and the hole area. I wanted to put the birdhouse on a stand, so I popped over to Bunnings and bought a piece of square pine 30mm by 30mm and also two small rectangle plain coasters. I also ended up painting the length of pine and the coasters with the gesso.

At the very edges and eaves of the birdhouse, I painted a coat of Turquoise from the Dina Wakley Acrylic paint range. Just to add a little colour.

When the paint was dry, I grabbed some photocopy paper and started to trace around each side and rood of the birdhouse. This gave me a template to cut my decorative papers from. 

For the front and back sides of the birdhouse, I used FLORAL CORNERS from the Farmhouse Market Collection. When placing my template down, I made sure I had the floral pattern from each of the corners. As shown below....

Then for the roof of the birdhouse I used the reverse side of the WREATHS patterned paper. It had a lovely wooden panel print that looked great for a roof.

Then for the two smaller sides I used the reverse side of the 4x6 JOURNALING CARDS patterned paper. The Farmhouse Market papers are so complimentary to each other and I love how you can mix and match them.

I placed the cut pieces on each part before gluing them down just to make sure they would all fit snuggly. A few I had to trim a slither off the edge, to give them a snug fit. But, it is best to make sure.

I then used a wet glue to adhere all the sides and roof patterned pieces in there places.

 front, side and roof

With just the papers glued in place, it looked wonderful. At this point I wasn't really sure if I wanted to decorate it further or not. The papers spoke for themselves...the birdhouse looked fabulous!

back, side and roof

Now, it was time to work on my stand for the birdhouse. I hot glued the two small coasters on either end of my pine length. To find the center where the pine length had to be glued, I marked each coaster from corner to corner to find the center. As shown below. Then marked out a 30mm by 30mm square from the center point....(15mm on each side from center point). 

 I gave the stand a couple of coats of white gesso.

I then wrapped a couple of strips of masking tape around the stem at approximately 10cm apart. Really just eyed-balled the distance because I wanted a 'rough' looking stripe...a country feel to it.

The first colour I used was the Acrylic paint Dina Wakley Turquoise. I painted each block between the masking tape with a couple of coats. When that was dry I pulled the masking tape off and then placed it back over the already painted blocks. I then painted the showing gessoed parts with the Dina Wakley Sky paint. Also giving it a couple of coats.

 When they Sky paint was dry, I removed the masking tape and was very happy that I had managed to leave a thin white line between each block of colour. I gave it a slight sanding to make it look more rough or more of a worn country look.

I wanted to make some plaques to place down my stand, to give it a whimsical feel. So, I cut out four plaques from recycling the pizza box from Aunty Vera's packaging. On each piece, I glued a strip of the Farmhouse Market's paper collection. I gave each of the edges a zagged look and inked around them with a vintage ink.

This is how they were going to look on the stand.

I used a mixture of the Grungy Alpha Die letters with the Alphabet UpperCase Die letters from Kaisercraft for my words on the plaques.

The first plaque is going to say...NAN and PA'S HOUSE

The second saying...Milk and Cookies

The third saying...Ice Cream and Chocolate

The last saying...Hugs and Kisses

I think mixing the two sets of letter dies worked really well. I glued my letters on to each plaque and then glued the plaques on to the stand. I used a hot glue gun to put the plaques on the stand. Then as added decoration, I placed a Doodlebug Design matte sprinkle on the front to look like it was a nail head.

I didn't want to over-decorate the Birdhouse itself because I loved the look of the Farmhouse Market papers on it. So I used some of the new Kaisercraft layered paper flowers in the pinks and browns. And, I also placed a brown wreath die around the circle, to make it look more like a nest.  I will, one day, find the appropriate little bird to sit on the roosting peg, but for now it stays vacant...lol

I cut a heap of the small fence shaped images from the Impression Obsession Farmhouse Girl Die set. I glued three fences together and then coated them with white gesso. I hot glued them around the birdhouse, along the edge of the base. A fence went either side at the front and also along each side, I left the back plain. I LOVE, LOVE LOVE the look of it!

I ended up putting a few more paper flowers around the left side of the birdhouse just to keep the flow going.

When I was completely happy with decorating the birdhouse itself, it was time to hot glue the house on to the stand. I traced around one of the coasters onto some photocopy paper and cut it out. 

I then placed it in the center of the bottom of the birdhouse so it looked even on all sides. Then drew a pencil mark so I could see where I had to place my stand end. I used hot glue to put the birdhouse on the stand.

My Home Decor Nan and Pa's Birdhouse was complete

 and, I honestly LOVE this finished project.

I have actually placed it on a small cupboard in our lounge room. When our grandchildren came for a visit after isolation here in Australia was relaxed, they all got such a kick out of reading it. Sammy grabbed some milk and cookies, Bridgette grabbed an ice cream and Ryan grabbed some chocolate and they all gave us so many many many hugs and kisses, there wasn't a dry eye in our home that afternoon.

IT WAS A HUGE HIT WITH ALL!

You may like to watch the full length process video below:

I hope you all have enjoyed this fun little project 

and I'm hoping one day you may decorate one for yourself.

Don't forget to go over and check out the special discounted items at Aunty Vera Scrap and Craft for this month, I'm sure you'll find a bargain!

HAVE A GREAT DAY !

Wendy xox