Gnome Birdhouse
June 22, 2010 5:28 am Amy A Crafts, Home Decor, Painting, Projects, Techniques and Mediums
By General Crafts Contributor Amy, from the Blog “Mod Podge Rocks!”
My parents re-did their backyard, so I decided to make them a birdhouse in celebration. They aren’t as kitschy as I am, but I still think they will appreciate this gnome and mushroom birdhouse. If they don’t love the gnome or the mushrooms, they will surely love the woodgrain roof. It’s magical!
To make, you’ll need to gather these supplies:
Wood Birdhouse
Mod Podge Outdoor
FolkArt Paint – Fresh Foliage, Burnt Umber, Pure Orange
Martha Stewart Woodland Collection – 12” x 12” paper pad, stickers and letters
Cardstock scraps
Craft Glue
Flat Paint Brush
Scissors or Craft Knife
Ruler
Pencil
Outdoor Sealer
Choose a few sheets of paper to cover the sides of your birdhouse (except for the front). Using your ruler, measure the size paper you’ll need and then cut it down to fit with the craft knife. Set aside.
Paint your birdhouse. I chose to paint the roof with Burnt Umber and the sides with Fresh Foliage. The only side you’ll have to completely cover is the front – all of the other sides are going to be covered with paper.
You can’t see it here, but later I went back and covered the perch with some Pure Orange. It needed a special touch!
This is the fun part. Keep in mind that Outdoor Mod Podge is thick, but that is intentional. Working one side at a time, spread a medium layer of Mod Podge on your birdhouse.
Immediately smooth your paper down thoroughly. Use an old credit or gift card to get underneath the roof, and make sure to smooth *really* well. Complete the other two sides and the roof. Allow to dry for 15 – 20 minutes.
You are now ready to coat the entire birdhouse. Give it a medium layer of Mod Podge, allow to dry for 15 – 20 minutes and then repeat. Allow to dry.
When it comes to the front, that is your embellishment area, so decorate it how you like! I added my parents’ last name, the gnome and then some mushrooms I cut out with my die cutter. I had some extra cardstock lying around. This is the time to decorate to your heart’s content. Seal everything with the Outdoor Mod Podge and allow to dry overnight.
Once your birdhouse is dry, it will be slightly tacky – to remedy this and to give the birdhouse an extra protective layer, I highly recommend using a clear outdoor sealer so that your project will last for years to come.
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Vicki O'Dell :
Date: June 22, 2010 @ 7:44 PM
This is really great. I LOVE this!!