I've missing the summer months on this blog because I've been a little busy taking the kids to water parks, the beach, paddle boarding, boating, museums, NYC, fishing, swimming, surfing, national parks, picnics, nature hikes and other family fun events... And when my kids go back to school this September, when the teacher asks, "What did you do this summer?" My kids will respond "Nothing."I would have completely blown off my blog in August if it wasn't my friend Angela's birthday. What do you give the girl who has everything? A craft from your heart of course.
The materials
Any A frame unfinished bird house found at the craft store
Aleene's - Arts & Craft Glue
Mosaic Tile Craft Grout (use any craft grout found in the store)
Apple Barrel Color Mosaic Green 20792
Apple Barrel Color Berry Red 20525
Apple Barrel Color Antique Gold 20506
Glass marbles (found in the floral section)
Did you ever walk through the floral section of the craft store, see flat, pretty, assorted color, shiny glass beads and really really want them, but you don't know what you need them for? If your answer is yes, you are a magpie like me. I finally found an excuse to use them. They happen to make a striking mosaic tile.
I used the tacky glue to place the glass beads on the bird house.
Let it try overnight. It is best to glue the beads on one side, wait about 30 minutes, then glue on them on the other side. You have to keep the beads flat or they slowly slide off the A frame house. After I started this, I realized that it would have been easier to use a hot glue gun.
I mixed the grout with a little paint then spread it on the birdhouse with my hand. It is much easier to use your hand to navigate around the smooth round glass beads. I would never use my hands for square glass tiles because I would surely cut myself. And blood is not a pretty color on a birdhouse.
After about 15 minutes I wiped it down with a damp sponge to clean the grout off the glass.
After it dried overnight, I scraped off the excess grout around the beads with the back of a paint brush.
I found that if you water down the paint you can spread it unevenly over the grout with a paint brush to give it a nice textured look.
I painted a couple of flowers on the front and back of the house to draw in the reds, golds and greens in the glass beads. The finished product makes a nice porch decoration! Maybe I'll keep this one for myself !
Grade: A
Skill Level: Low
Difficulty Level: Low
Frustration Level: Low
