cozy birdhouses

Here is a perfect little "cozy birdhouse" project: decorative birdhouses! I first made one of these as a cake topper for a baby shower a few years ago, and finally made some for myself last year. I'm sharing photos now that they've found a permanent place in our home, decorating the top of our kitchen cabinets.

These wooden birdhouses come in lots of styles and usually cost around $1 at a craft supply store. Each of my five houses has a slightly different design. I started each with a light sanding and two coats of craft paint. Then I painstakingly measured and cut coordinating pieces of scrapbook paper to fit each surface. This was the time-consuming part and involved a lot of measuring, calculating, sketching, and even a bit of trigonometry. Square shapes were easy but the hexagons and cones were particularly challenging. (This could just as easily be accomplished by cutting pieces a bit large and trimming for a good fit, but I'm a math-loving perfectionist.) I attached the paper pieces to the painted house with a coat of matte finish Mod Podge (a decoupage medium) and then sealed everything with another coat.

I'd love to make a set of these as seasonal decorations... little haunted Halloween birdhouses or a little village of Christmas birdhouses. They'd also make a neat hanging mobile, maybe combined with some handcrafted birds. Add it to my ever-growing list of project ideas!