one for the birds
From Habitat magazine - issue 17
Make an easy birdhouse with a couple of containers and a lick of paint!
You will need:
- Resene testpots in Resene Hi Jinx, Resene Rocket, Resene Bright Spark, Resene Kermit, Resene Dizzy Lizzy and Resene Neva
- Two large plastic containers. We used an old cleaner bottle because it's a good shape (a two-litre oil bottle would be good too) and a milk container because it's light-weight and easy to cut.
- Drinking glass that's 6-7cm across to draw round
- Small paint brush
- Scissors
- Electric drill
- 30cm length of 9mm dowel
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks
- 1m of nylon rope
- Felt pen NB: Wash out the containers thoroughly and allow to dry before you start!
How to make a birdhouse:
Step 1: Take the cleaner or oil bottle and place the handle side facing away from you, then draw a circle around the dowel, about 5cm from the bottom of the container. Draw another circle opposite it on the other side. Take the glass, place it about 3cm up from the first circle, then draw round it to make the cutting guide for the entry hole.
Step 2: Ask an adult to use the electric drill to make holes for the dowel, and in the centre of the bigger circle. Drill three or four drainage holes in the base of the container. To make the large hole, cut out to the drawn line in wedge shapes to make it easier to cut round the circle.
Step 3: Paint the lower half of the container with Resene Dizzy Lizzy, and once that's dry, paint some streaks in Resene Neva. Paint one half of the dowel in Resene Kermit, let it dry, then paint the other half.
Step 4: Take the milk container, and cut down either side of the handle starting at the top. Cut the bottom off. Cut into horizontal strips about 3-4cm wide starting from the lower edge. You should get five strips from the lower part of the container then another couple from the top part. Fringe all the strips with the scissors, leaving 1cm along the top of each strip for gluing.
Step 5: Paint the fringed strips using a mix of colours – Resene Hi Jinx, Resene Rocket, Resene Bright Spark and Resene Neva. Allow to dry thoroughly.
Step 6: Carefully glue the fringed strips around the top of the container with a hot glue gun, starting above where the green paint ends. Cover the glued edge with the next layer of fringing, until you reach the top.
Step 7: Paint the handle area in Resene Dizzy Lizzy, then insert the dowel through the smaller holes so there's the same amount poking out on each side. Loop the handle through and hang it up in a tree!
Supplies
styling and words: Helena Dunn
pictures: Mark Heaslip