My mother lives in Wine Country… well, in Oregon wine country, that is. And she and my stepfather enjoy the availability of local wineries for tastings and things of that nature. So when I decided to give into my passion for crafting, I started saving corks with the intention of doing something with them for her… though I was never quite sure what. And then I saw this birdhouse on Pinterest that was made of corks. And I knew I needed to do something similar.
One of the big problems with this idea, though, is that I live in a studio apartment with limited outdoor space. So constructing the birdhouse itself was not going to be ideal - though I suppose I could have done it. Instead, I took a trip down to the local craft store and found a birdhouse I liked among their wood working supplies. I assume these are meant for painting more than anything else, but it served my purpose.
So, once you’ve saved up enough corks, and found a birdhouse you like all you need is an exacto knife and wood glue… oh, and one finishing nail if you want to use a champagne cork for the chimney.
Slice your corks in half length-wise and cut them down where necessary for the angles of your house and for the opening for the hole. Be sure to use a piece of cardboard or a cutting board to keep from messing up the surface you’re working on.
I used wood glue, applied it to the wood and then pressed the corks in. I also let each side dry before I moved on to the next.
When you’ve got the sides covered, slice the cork into little half moons to shingle the roof. A Champagne cork is a fun way to add a chimney, but a regular cork would work just as well. And Voila!
Absolutely fabulous!
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing. now I know what to do with all my corks! Well done.
ReplyDeleteDoes the finished birdhouse then hang outside - or is it inside-only use?
ReplyDeleteI have a birdhouse - that I planned to use for attaching buttons and lace, etc.