Birdhouses

One of the things I love about spring are the birds who come back from being away for the winter. My daughter likes to fill our bird feeder in our backyard and watch the birds fly in and out of our backyard. We’ve seen all sorts of pretty birds already this year. Our favorite is the cardinal.

We thought we would do some spring decorating last week and thought it would be fun to make a little birdhouse to put on our fireplace mantel. I decided to play with The Cutting Files’ In The Birdhouse.

I love the birds in this and the birdhouses are too cute. I thought that one of the rooftops of one of them would be perfect for turning Kelleigh Ratzlaff’s Top Heavy Box Template Set and Cutting Files into a fun little birdhouse.

Right after I had finished up creating it, I saw that Kelleigh had released the Sweet Birdhouse template set and cutting files inspired by Mari Koegelenberg’s In The Birdhouse Kit and cutting files. So, instead of sharing one birdhouse with you today, I’ll be sharing how I created both of them.

Items used:

• In The Birdhouse – The Kit by Mari Koegelenberg
• In The Birdhouse – Cutting Files by The Cutting Files
• Top Heavy Box Template Set and Cutting Files by Kelleigh Ratzlaff
• Sweet Birdhouse Template Set and Cutting Files by Kelleigh Ratzlaff
• Epson Premium Matte Photo Paper
• Martha Stewart scoring score board & envelope tool
• glitter
• Mini Glue Dots
• Mono Adhesive Permanent
• foam adhesive
• circle cutter
• toothpick
• ribbon

First I opened the .psd file of the top heavy box in Photoshop Elements and clipped some of the fun papers from Mari’s kit to the template. I then grabbed the rooftop from Mari’s cutting files and resized it to fit the flip of the top heavy box and clipped paper to that also. I added the “love” word art to the “roof” and also the branch and leaves from the kit. I then brought over the leaves from Mari’s cutting files and resized them to match the size of the leaves on the branch from the kit.
Here’s what my two pages looked like prior to printing:

Next, I printed them out and cut them.

I scored the score lines and folded it to form the top heavy box and glued the side together. I then glued the rooftop to the top flap of the box and added the branch. This is what it looks like at this point:

I added some glue to the leaves and the wings of the bird and dipped them in matching glitter. I put a mini glue dot where the eye was and added some glitter there.

Using mini glue dots, I added the glittered leaves to the leaves on the branch. I glued the wings and heart onto the bird. I cut out a 1.75″ circle out of brown cardstock I had on hand and added that to the front of the box saving the cutting files birdhouse hole for another project.

I poked the toothpick into the box below the “hole” and then using two foam adhesive dots on top of each other I added the bird to look like it was perched on the toothpick.

That completes my first birdhouse. I have it sitting on my fireplace mantel ready for the rest of my spring decorations.

My second birdhouse was so easy to put together. Kelleigh does such a great job with her templates and cutting files. They really go together so fast.

First, I opened up the .psd file in PSE9 and clipped my papers. The circle cut out I moved over and out of the birdhouse template because I wanted it separate for glittering.

I grabbed one of the birds from Mari’s In The Birdhouse cutting files and resized to fit this birdhouse. I also grabbed some of Mari’s leaves so that I could use them for decorating the birdhouse and I kept the circle from her cutting files that I had from making the other birdhouse. I was able to fit it all on one page and printed it out and cut out all the pieces.

Once I had scored all the lines, it was really so easy to put together. I glued the sides together and then glued the rooftop on. Next, I took that circle that I had from the other birdhouse that matched the rooftop and cut a spiral through it, like this:

I rolled it up from the outside to the inside and used a glue dot to keep the rolled flower together. I added that to the center of the rooftop and added a scalloped edge to the bottom of the birdhouse.

I then brought out the glitter again, smeared on some glue and dipped the leaves, the birdhouse hole and parts of the bird in some glitter.

Using glue dots, I added two leaves behind the rolled flower and added the birdhouse hole to the center of the front, and the wings to the bird. Using a foam adhesive dot, I added the bird to the front of the birdhouse. Then, using my paper piercer, I poked a hole in the top of the rooftop and threaded some ribbon into the top. I opened the rooftop to tie a knot and then glued the rooftop back down.

It was a last minute decision to hang it up. Otherwise, I would have set it up on the fireplace mantel next to the other birdhouse and left the ribbon off. It’s now hanging from my front door wreath.

I’m loving these birdhouses so much that I’m in the process of making some more. They were really so easy to put together and they each took one afternoon to make.

If you make either of these birdhouses, I’d love to see them. Please leave a link in the comments here so we can leave you some gallery or blog love on your project.

Heather

Other Articles by heathergw:

• Hydrangea Vase - June 17th, 2011
• Chore And Storytime Dice - May 13th, 2011
• Baby Bingo Cards - April 21st, 2011
• Framed Butterfly Collage - February 28th, 2011
• Paper Heart Wreath - January 31st, 2011