Those little birdhouse pendants are so candy! Believe making part a dozen or so for a amusing allure bracelet, perhaps with the addition of a bit of bell and a couple of chook charms. Like maximum miniature variations of huge issues, many birdhouses are simply lovable little cottages made to make us smile. If you already know the track through They Would possibly Be Giants, move forward and sing alongside as you are making your personal little mixed-media birdhouse pendants. Bees, sunbonnets, birdhouses…All of it makes me lengthy for spring, and the elements is solely turning chilly!
To not put too superb some degree on it,
Say I’m the one bee for your bonnet,
Make a bit of birdhouse for your soul.
through Heather Alexander, at the beginning revealed in Hand made Jewellery 2011
Fabrics
- 3/4″ thick piece of wooden (maple)
- 1 silver 1/2″ eye screw
- 1 antique postage stamp
- different paper ephemera, 1″ sq. or better
- rubber stamp(s) and ink
- decoupage medium
- spray sealer
- black everlasting marker or paint
- glue
- desk noticed or jigsaw
- axe
- drill with 1/16″ and 1/4″ drill bits
- 1/4″ spherical gap punch
- scissors
- 100-grit sandpaper or sanding block
- pliers
- paintbrush
Tip: Take a look at making those birdhouses the use of cube because the frame of the home. Drill the door gap on the number 1 (1) facet. No axe is vital as a result of there’s already a superbly targeted information.
Steps
1. Reduce the wooden portions (or see Sources underneath to shop for precut items and skip to Step 4). To chop the home frame, set the desk noticed information to chop a 1/2″ strip, remembering to permit a bit of more space to account for the 1/8″ that the blade takes to the air all the way through slicing. Following all vital protection precautions, flip at the noticed and minimize the strip. Holding the similar surroundings at the noticed, minimize a 1/2″ piece from the 1/2 × 3/4″ strip.
2. Reduce the roof: Set the desk noticed information at a 45-degree perspective. The use of the rest wooden strip from Step 1, minimize one finish (1/2″ facet) at a 45-degree perspective. Flip the strip over and minimize the similar finish once more, forming a triangle.
3. Sand the wooden portions: Use the sandpaper to easy any tough or sharp corners and edges.
4. Make a gap for the bail: Use the axe to make an indentation within the heart of the height of the roof. With one hand, grip the roof with a couple of pliers.
Together with your different hand, grip the drill fitted with the 1/16″ bit. Drill into the indentation. It’s alright to drill during the roof. Use the sandpaper to sand the sides and underside of the roof till easy. You’ll upload the attention screw later.
5. Make a gap for the door: Use the axe to make an indentation within the heart of some of the quick faces of the home frame. Use the drill with the 1/4″ bit to drill a gap over the indentation this is about 1/8″ deep. Use the black marker to darken the opening.
6. Adorn the home: Select a stamp, photograph, or different paper ephemera for the entrance of your own home, ensuring the paper ephemera is bigger than the skin. Use the opening punch to punch a gap within the heart of the paper to deal with the door.
Use the paintbrush to use a skinny layer of decoupage medium over the entrance of the home. Put the paper on most sensible of the layer of decoupage medium, ensuring to line up the holes. Use the paint brush to use any other layer of decoupage medium over the paper. Let it dry. When dry, use scissors to trim the paper edges as just about the wooden edges as imaginable.
7. Decoupage the perimeters of the home: Repeat Step 6 3 times for the perimeters and again of the home, omitting the hole-punching.
8. Decoupage the roof pitch: Fold the antique postage stamp in part. Use the paint brush to use a skinny layer of decoupage medium to the highest of the roof. Subsequent, position the stamp on most sensible of the roof, after which follow any other layer of decoupage medium over the stamp. Let it dry.
9. Stamp the rest surfaces: Ink up your rubber stamp, then press one roof finish onto the stamp. Use a unique stamp to stamp the opposite roof finish and the ground of the home.
10. Connect the roof to the home frame: Use glue to connect the roof to the highest of the home. Press in combination firmly, ensuring the roof is completely targeted at the space. Test it once more a couple of mins later to ensure it hasn’t shifted. Let dry. Use spray sealer to coat all of the space. Let dry.
11. Finally, connect the bail: Use your finger to find the opening created in Step 4 for the bail. Screw the attention screw securely into the opening, the use of pliers if vital for higher grip. String the pendant onto a ball chain or different completed necklace to put on.
Heather Alexander is a self-taught artist and mother dwelling in Olympia, Washington. Being house has impressed Heather to search out techniques to create the use of reasonably priced and recycled sources. She likes to peruse thrift stores and antiques retail outlets for her subsequent inspiration.
Wooden birdhouse items and kits (and completed pendants) had been at the beginning bought through Artwork through Heather. You’ll to find an identical provides out of your native craft or ironmongery shop.
This newsletter has been up to date because it was once first revealed in January 2013.