Creando Con Detalles: Totally Shabby Rose Garden Birdhouse

As a Design Team member of Buttons Galore & More, we were given a Buttons & Birdhouses Designer Challenge. Now, it wasn't your ordinary birdhouse like the kind that looks like a typical house, instead it was a bit of a challenge. The idea is that we would all design this house with Buttons Galore & More buttons with a twist of what we would like to see in a birdhouse.

This Buttons & Birdhouses Designer Challenge runs from April 26 - 28th and I will be linking in with Buttons Galore & More website. If you are a follower of Buttons Galore & More I strongly encourage you to vote for your favorite birdhouse. One random commenter on the Buttons Galore & More's blog will be win a $10 Starbucks Gift Card and a pair of Fiskars Scissors!!! Make sure you are following Buttons Galore & More on Facebook and Twitter.

So, let me get back to that birdhouse. I enjoy a challenge and this project was just that, because I didn't start off with a typical style birdhouse, let's just say that I started out with a birdhouse that was rounded almost like a cylinder. My first impression was oh this will be fun, but as I started to work with the birdhouse, I ran into the problem that it was not straight it was rounded or cylinder shape. Anyway, I took on the challenge with a shabby approach and let's just say that I made a Totally Shabby Rose Garden Birdhouse, using the Rose Garden buttons from Buttons Galore & More!

Here is what I started out with and yes, I was quite clueless at first, because I wasn't sure if I was going to paint or what I wanted to create!

NOW do you see what I mean this shape was not easy to work with and it is about 5 1/5" tall and maybe 2 3/4" round. Not easy to work with, but I'm very happy with the end result! I was able to bling it out with Want2Scrap Swirl Rhinestones and add flowers too!

Now, keep an open mind, because I like to look at things quite differently and in my little world I enjoy lots of buttons, flowers, ribbon, bling, and lace, and I think if the world was made with those things, it would be such a lovely place.

My Totally Shabby Rose Garden Birdhouse is more for decoration purposes and it looks lovely in my craft room!!! I couldn't imagine a bird hanging out in my shabby birdhouse, but you know what I'm sure any bird with a sense of taste would love to hangout here!

MATERIALS USED FOR THIS PROJECT:

Buttons Galore & More - Beacon 3/1 Adhesive
Buttons Galore & More - Rose Garden Buttons
Buttons Galore & More - Ivory/Pearl Haberdashery Buttons
Fiskar Scissors
Artminds - Birdhouse

Other Products Used:

Want2Scrap - Pearl Swirl Rhinestones
Hot Pink Grosgain Ribbon
AdTech Hot Glue Gun
Shabby Chic Rose Trim - Walmart ($3.97/yd)
Offray Ribbon Trim
Needle/Thread
Flower
Carte Bella - Paris Girl Collection
Acrylic Paint
Gesso
Measuring Tape
Mod Podge
Xacto Knife
Tim Holtz Distress Ink

I started out by applying Gesso to the birdhouse, because it was not a smooth finish, and my thought was to paint the birdhouse. Well, I'm glad I didn't continue with that idea!

I then measured the birdhouse to see how much paper I needed to cut my paper. I determined where I needed to cut the circle for both the entrance of the birdhouse and the bird stand. Now that was not easy what's so ever, but you will need a 1" circle punch. I actually hand cut the circles with a xacto knife, because I didn't have a circle punch big enough to punch the circles out.

Once, I had all this figured out I then distressed my paper with Tim Holtz Vintage Photo Ink. I then applied the Mod Podge to both the birdhouse and my paper that I cut and adhered the paper.

I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to apply buttons directly to the roof of the birdhouse because of the odd shape, but I tried and it was just not working for me. With a needle and thread I sewed the Rose Garden buttons to the tip of my trim and glued the trim to the edge of my birdhouse. I was still in the limbo with the roof of the birdhouse so, I decided to take a trip to my local Walmart and picked up this Ivory white shabby rose trim and with the AdTech Glue Gun I started to apply that to the roof.

I glued the Rose Garden buttons to the shabby rose trim and a ribbon to the top. The rope that was attached to the birdhouse was not attractive so I disguised it with grosgain ribbon!

The rest of my birdhouse I decorated using Want2Scrap bling, flowers that I picked up at a local shop. When you live in a small town as this one, you don't have a lot of craft stores to select from; in fact all we have is a Walmart, Kmart, and Quilting Store, which is where I go the most to pickup things that may help with my projects. The nearest craft store is about 3 hrs away, so I have to work with what I have.

I hope you enjoyed my Totally Shabby Rose Garden Birdhouse, be sure to checkout Buttons Galore & More website and choose your favorite Birdhouse for a chance to win a $10 Starbuck Gift Card!

ALSO here are the blogs of the other Designers who are participating in this Buttons & Birdhouse Challenge, be sure to stop by there and leave a comment as well.