1
skill
level
free
SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
• Unfinished solid cedar birdhouses
• Paintbrushes: 1/2" flat, liner
• Round sponge brush
• Acrylic paint: dark blue, blue, yellow, light green,
tan, ebony, black, red, white, off white
• Scrap paper to practice paint strokes
• Paper towels
• Waxed paper
• Water container
• Disposable plates
• Spray gloss varnish
DIRECTIONS:
WHITE HOUSE WITH BUFFALO PLAID ROOF:
1. Using 1/2" flat brush, basecoat house white; include all the “joins” where two pieces of wood meet at
base and roof. Let dry.
2. Basecoat roof, under eaves, perch, and base tan. Apply a second coat if necessary.
3. Paint the narrow edges of roof and base black: Pick up some black paint on the tip of the flat brush. Place it at
the center of the narrow edge and pull toward the edge, allowing the brush to end in mid-air. Continue this
technique for the length of the roof edge. Return to the starting point and pull the brush toward the other
edge, allowing the brush to end in mid-air. Continue for all edges.
4. Dilute black paint to a thin consistency. Load flat brush with this and test on paper. Tip: It’s better to start thin
and add more pigment. When you have desired shade, paint evenly-spaced lines on the roof, from front to
back of house. When dry, use the same paint mixture to paint in opposite direction. Let dry. If the squares
where the lines intersect are not dark enough, mix a slightly stronger solution of diluted black and paint over
the intersections only. Let dry.
5. Spray with varnish to protect wood.
WHITE-STEEPLED HOUSE WITH BLUE DOTTED ROOF:
1. Using 1/2" flat brush, basecoat house and steeple sand; include all the “joins” where two pieces of wood meet
at base and roof. Apply two coats for good coverage. Let dry.
2. Basecoat roof, base and top of steeple dark blue. Apply 2 coats for good coverage. Basecoat protruding
steeple square and perches blue.
hand-painted mini birdhouses
3. Using handle end of the 1/2" flat brush, dip the handle in a puddle of blue and place a dot on the roof edge,
beginning at the front peak. Continue to dip and dot around the roof and the base. For consistently-sized dots,
dip each time. Dot a random pattern on the wide parts of the roof. Let dry.
4. Spray with varnish to protect wood.
YELLOW AND GREEN CYLINDRICAL BIRDHOUSE:
1. Using 1/2" flat brush, basecoat the protrusion directly under the cone and inside the hole off white; include all
the “joins” where two pieces of wood meet at base and roof. Apply two coats for good coverage. Let dry.
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2. Basecoat the cylindrical part of the house yellow. Apply two coats for good coverage.
3. Basecoat the base of house and cone-shaped roof light green. Apply two coats. Let dry.
4. Squeeze a puddle of off white on the plate and tap the round sponge brush in it. Work the paint into the
sponge by bouncing it on a clean section of the plate a couple of times. Make a sponge dot on the coneshaped roof. Reload the sponge and continue to make dots on the roof. Let dry.
5. Squeeze small puddles of dark blue, blue, light green, yellow and red onto the plate. Dip the handle end of
the 1/2" flat brush in one of the colors and dot it onto the center of the sponge dot. Clean off the handle with
a paper towel and dot on a different color, continuing until every sponge dot has a colored dot inside. Next,
using the same technique, make a row of dots just above the base of the birdhouse, alternating colors. Paint
the perch red.
6. Spray with varnish to protect wood.
RED BIRDHOUSE:
1. Using 1/2" flat brush, basecoat house red; include all eaves and the top of the base. Apply two coats for
good coverage. Let dry.
2. Using tan paint, carefully paint the inside of the heart-shaped opening and the perch tan. Paint the roof and
narrow edge, as well as the narrow edge of the base tan. For a neat narrow edge, load some tan paint on the
tip of the flat brush. Place the brush at the middle of the narrow edge and pull it toward the edge, allowing
the brush stroke to end in mid-air. Continue painting the roof and base, applying two coats if necessary for
good coverage.
3. Squeeze some red paint on the plate and dilute slightly using the liner brush to add water. Work the water into
the paint until you have a consistency that will allow you to make a 4" stroke without running out of paint on
the brush. Practice on paper. Beginning at the lower front corner of one side of the roof, draw a diagonal line
to the upper rear corner. Continue making evenly spaced diagonal lines on the roof. Make lines in the opposite
direction, creating a pattern of diamond shapes. Repeat on second side of roof. Let dry.
4. Squeeze small puddles of dark blue, blue, light green and yellow onto the plate. Using the handle end of the
liner brush and yellow paint, make a dot where two lines intersect. For consistently-sized dots, dip each time.
Make 5 randomly-placed yellow dots, and then clean off handle with paper towels and repeat with a different
color. Continue until all intersections have been dotted. Using the same technique, dot on color around heartshaped opening on front of birdhouse.
5. Spray with varnish to protect wood.
Skill Level 1: Some painting experience helpful
Approximate Crafting Time: 1 hour or less each
Due to the seasonal nature of many projects, supplies may be available for a limited time only. Please read all
instructions prior to beginning; read and follow all manufacturers’ instructions for all tools and materials used.
Provide adult supervision if children participate in this or any craft project. Because Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. has no
control over surroundings or the use of materials and tools during construction of projects, Jo-Ann Stores, Inc.
disclaims any liability for injury, damage or other untoward results. Content of this How To sheet is presented in
good faith, but no warranty is given, nor results guaranteed. ©2008 Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. All rights reserved.
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