AUGUST

“DECORATING BIRDHOUSES”

The consumers at the Benton Residence decorated birdhouses for display in the backyard during the spring and summer months. We enjoyed the project so much that we decided to decorate birdhouses for the fall season as well. It costs about $30 to and takes two days to create two decorative birdhouses. All the necessary materials can be purchased at a local crafts store. You should plan to paint the birdhouses one day and then to decorate them the next day. This allows the paint to dry thoroughly and you can apply a second coat if needed.

MATERIALS:
Unfinished Birdhouses
Acrylic Paint (various colors)
Fall stickers or cutouts
Fall stencils
Fall stamps
Brushes
Paint dish
Glue

STEPS/DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Look for items around the house that you can use to decorate your birdhouses. We chose small pumpkin and ghost cutouts that were already on hand at the residence. We purchased stencils with a fall theme and used fall stickers. We purchased two birdhouses along with orange, black, yellow and dark blue acrylic paint. You can choose any colors you wish to paint your birdhouses but when purchasing paint for a particular project, you should ask the salesperson for assistance. There are many types of paints for different crafts projects and if you are not sure what you need it is best to ask.

Step 2: Remember to place old newspaper on your work surface to protect your table from paint and glue.
Gather your birdhouses, paint, paint dish and brushes and water for rinsing your brushes. Paint your birdhouses being careful to completely cover all exposed surfaces. If you are applying two different colors to one birdhouse be sure to let the first coat dry completely (about 2 hours) before applying the second color. When you finish painting remember to rinse your paintbrushes thoroughly with water and allow them to dry.

You can decorate your birdhouses after allowing the paint to dry overnight.

Step 3: Gather your birdhouse decorations together.
If you are using are decorating with a stencil put the stencil on the birdhouse before painting it to see if you like the positioning. You can use a small piece of tape to hold the stencil in place. When decorating with a stamp design, apply a light coat of paint to the stamp then firmly press it onto the birdhouse. Remember to hold the stamp steady so that you do not smear the design. When the stenciling and stamping has dried you can finish decorating the birdhouses with the remaining items. You can glue leaves to your birdhouses or decorate them with seasonal stickers for a festive flair.

After the birdhouses are completely decorated, spray them with a sealer. You may wish to ask for assistance for this step since you must spray outside in open air and be careful not to get the spray into your eyes.

Birdhouses make a nice addition to your decorations for any holiday table. They make wonderful gifts for friends and family members on special occasions.