Glamorous Glitzy Birdhouses by Laura Fraedrich

Attract the classiest birds in town with these colorful, sparkly birdhouses! What bird could resist living in these fine accommodations?

These houses were especially fun to make because not only did I get to go crazy with my paints and glitters, but I also found new uses for some old scrapbook embellishments that never made it to my books!


Supplies Needed:
Small wooden birdhouses (I found mine at Joann’s)
Sandpaper
Acrylic paints
Paint brushes
Palette knife
Various scrapbook embellishments (Scrapbook.com has a good selection)
Thumbtacks
Weldbond glue (available at Michael’s or home improvement stores)
Designer Dries Clear adhesive from Art Glitter
Assorted glitter from Art Glitter (I used Ultrafine Transparent in Chrysalis and Ultrafine Opaque in Cornflower)


Directions:
Lightly sand your birdhouse if needed.

Apply one color of paint onto the birdhouse using a paintbrush and let dry. Add other colors until you are satisfied with the design. I used a palette knife to apply several colors at one time because I like the bold designs that get created this way. You can choose to do this, or follow the more traditional method of using a paintbrush for all colors. Let dry completely.

Add various scrapbooking embellishments to your birdhouses. You can either glue them on with Weldbond glue (I like this glue because it is super strong and you don’t have to worry about them falling off later), or use a thumbtack if the embellishment is meant to be fastened to paper with either a brad or an eyelet (like the flowers and the metal frames). They push into the wood relatively easily and add some extra color to the house.

Apply Designer Dries Clear adhesive to the ledges of the birdhouse. Sprinkle the glitter color of your choice on top of the adhesive and tap off the excess. Let dry.

This is the last project that you’ll see from me for the Art Glitter Institute, since my time as Guest Designer has come to an end. I have really enjoyed coming up with new and inventive ways to use one of my favorite art supplies…Glitter! I hope you will continue to visit me at my website and blog (www.thepeculiarpalette.com) where I will continue to post new projects. I look forward to seeing you there!

Have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Laura