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Build and Decorate a Broken China (Mosaic) Birdhouse

A Broken China Birdhouse is a labor of love created by adding broken china pieces to a wood birdhouse using glue and grout. We will teach you how to build the birdhouse, how to find broken china, how to add broken china pieces to your birdhouse and how to give your broken china birdhouse a good finish so it will last for many years.

When building a broken china birdhouse you will need certain materials but they are very affordable. You’ll need some china you don’t mind breaking or tiles you purchased, pine wood to build the birdhouse and a few other supplies, that we list below.

One day, I bumped into my hutch and broke this beautiful tea cup and saucer. It literally came flying out at me and crashed onto the floor. All was not lost because I decided to turn it into the lovely birdhouse I am going to show you how to build and decorate.

Where to Get Broken China

If you own a piece of china that has chips on it and you are willing to part with it, you can use it for your broken china birdhouse. If you don’t have any broken china, you will easily find a chipped tea cup or china saucer or maybe a tea cup that is missing it’s saucer at your local Goodwill store or Thrift shop. If it is summertime, stop by some yard sales and see what pieces of china you can find.

Online you can also visit local “free cycle” or “buy it nothing” groups to see who is giving away china that you could use for your broken china birdhouse project. Check Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist under the free section. Someone is always giving away china they don’t want or use anymore that would be perfect for this project.

Using Other Embellishments

You can also embellish your birdhouse with other elements such as stained glass, jewelry beads, pieces of decorative stone, Tesserae tiles, ceramic tiles, or even pieces of metal. This is the kind of project that allows you to be creative.

Supplies Needed

1/2″ plywood
1″ x 6′ pine board
2″ square piece of fiberglass screen
1 1/4″ brad / finishing nails
Saw to cut the wood (we used a compound miter saw)
Sand paper or random orbit hand sander
Drill
Tile Cutter
Pointed Tweezers
China you can break or purchased tiles
Grout Sealer
work gloves
Tile Adhesive (We use Mapei Type 1)
Tile Grout
Plastic Spatula
Tile Grout

Step-by-Step Birdhouse Instructions

1. Using the 1/2″ plywood, cut one piece to be 3-1/2″ wide by 5″ long.

2. Cut a second piece to be 4″ wide by 5″ long.

3. Using the 1″ x 6″ pine board cut a 4-1/2 ” square to be used as the bottom of the birdhouse.

4. Using the 1″ x 6″ pine board cut the two sides to be 2-1/2″ wide by 4″ long.

5. Using the 1″ x 6″ pine board cut two pieces to be 4″ wide by 6″ long. These are the front and back of the birdhouse.

6. The front and back need to have a peak. Do this by measuring in 2″ from the side of each piece at the top of the 6″ length. Using a 45 degree angle, draw a line from where the angle intersects the 2″ mark to the edge of the board. This should result in the correct length of the peak.

If a 45 degree angle is not available, still mark the top 2″ inches in, basically the middle of the board. Then measure 2″ down from the top of the board and draw a line from side to side. Taking a straight edge, draw a line from the 2″ mark at the middle of the top to the 2″ line on the edge of the board. Do either method for the left and right sides of the board. Cut on the 45 degree lines to form the peak.

7. Select one of the 4″ x 6″ pieces for the front. Drill a 1-1/8″ diameter hole, 3″ up the bottom and 2″ in from the side.

8. Lightly sand each piece of wood. (Sand paper or random orbit hand sander)

9. Before assembling, attach the fiberglass screen behind the hole, using staples.

10. To assemble the birdhouse, start by nailing the sides to the front and back. The sides go between the front and backs, so once fully assembled the body of the birdhouse will be 4″ x 4″.

11. Next, nail the 3-1/2″ x 5″ roof piece onto the body of the birdhouse at the peak with the 5″ side going across the wide of the birdhouse. The top edge of this roof piece needs to be flush with point of the peak. The sides and bottom of the roof piece should overhang the birdhouse by 1/2″.

12. Nail the 4″ x 5″ roof piece to the other side of the peak. Align this roof piece so one edge overlaps the already attached roof piece. This roof piece should also overlap the birdhouse by 1/2″.

13. Nail the bottom to the birdhouse so that there is approximately 1/4″ of the bottom showing around all sides of the birdhouse.

Now that your birdhouse is built you may want to sand it lightly. I also give my birdhouse a base coat. I use basic white acrylic paint. You could skip this step if you wish.

Cover the Opening

We use fiberglass screen to cover the opening in our birdhouse. We are not building a birdhouse that is actually going to be used by birds. Our birdhouse is a decorative art piece that we will display in the garden, to display on a shelf in our home, or even to sell.

If you are using our birdhouse instructions, you will want to add a piece of fiberglass screen behind the hole because you do not want birds to go into the birdhouse and build a nest. There are two reasons for this. Our birdhouse is small, too small for a bird to build a proper nest. Also, the hole is small and most birds will not be able to fit properly. The second reason is, if you want to make this broken china birdhouse as a decorative piece, you want to discourage birds from trying to build a nest inside. The fiberglass screen solves both.

You could use metal screen instead of fiberglass screen if you have it on-hand. We just had some fiberglass screen on hand that was leftover from the screen door project. We replaced the screen in our screen door and we had a small amount leftover. If you can use scraps for projects like these, you can make them super affordable. Fiberglass screen is also easier to work with and staple onto the wood.

Prepare the China Pieces

To prepare the china pieces you will want to break the pieces of china into pieces that are about 1/2″ in size. Each piece of china is going to be a unique shape anyway but generally keeping the pieces around 1/2″ to 3/4″ in size seems to work out the best.

Put gloves on to protect your hands from getting shards of the china in your skin. Grab the nippers and make a clean break on the edge of the china. Continue until the whole piece has been cut and you have a lot of small pieces to work with for your birdhouse design.

Create Your Design

Lay out the china pieces on the birdhouse before you glue everything down. Once you glue a piece down it will be harder to move things around. This is where the tweezers come in handy. Some china pieces may be small and using tweezers makes it easier to get them positioned just right. You may need to use the Tile Nippers to cut small edges of the tiles to fit them into your design just right.

Visit our Birdhouse Design Gallery to get some ideas.

Glue the China Pieces to the Birdhouse

Once you have your design in place, use the tweezers to pick each piece up and put some glue on the wood. Then press your piece firmly in place. If you want to skip this step, you can cover one side of the birdhouse with glue and press the broken china pieces in place, arranging your design as you go.

Let your birdhouse set overnight to make sure the glue is really firm and dry.

Grout the Broken China

Mix your grout with a spatula or plastic spreader. Using the spatula to spread the grout over the surface of your broken china, making sure to get in all of the little grooves. When you are finished with the whole birdhouse, use an old rag and wipe it down to make a level surface.

Let your birdhouse set overnight to make sure the grout is really firm and dry.

Apply a Finish

Your broken china birdhouse is now finished. You may want to add a Grout Sealer that will protect it and also give your birdhouse a more finished look. Grout Sealer is completely clear so it won’t add any color to your beautiful creation.

Sell Broken China Birdhouses

Broken China, Tiled and Hand Painted birdhouses are always in demand. People like pretty things to decorate their home and garden. Pretty things sell! If you are a craft, artist or painter you most likely make your own pretty things but there are millions of people who are not artistic or have no time to create pretty things for their home or garden. These decorative birdhouses could be sold at arts and craft fairs, online at Etsy, or your own website.

Creating these decorative birdhouse is very affordable. You can make one for probably $3 to $5 and sell them upwards of $40 each! All you need to do is invest some of your time. As a hobbiest you could work on them in your spare time. It’s good for the soul too as painting and crafting is very therapeutic! When we craft we don’t think of the cares and woes of our daily lives.

If you don’t mind taking a bit less, you could sell them directly to gift shops in your area at wholesale prices or on consignment. To sell to a local shop you usually cut your price in half so the shop owner can charge double and earn the other half. The advantage of selling to a shop owner is that you deal with one person and not individual people. Sell 40 birdhouses to 1 person or deal with 40 people. One makes you more money but you will have to figure out how to find and sell to 40 people whereas selling to a shop owner takes the pressure off of you having to find those customers.

Build a Pallet Wood Swimming Pool Deck

If you own an above-ground swimming pool or plan on adding one to your yard, you are going to love this DIY project. The supplies are basically free. All you need to do is supply the labor. Who knew that wood pallet could be so versatile but keep reading because you will find out just how to build a swimming pool deck out of free wooden pallets.

Wooden pallets are easy to come by. You can find them at local businesses who want to give them away. If you don’t spot some in your area, just go on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace because someone is always giving away free wood pallet s.

We didn’t come up with this idea to use pallets to create a swimming pool deck. This idea came from José Adimilson Franco who lives in Brazil. We loved his ideas and thought our readers could benefit from his ingenuity. You can check out other wood projects he has created by visiting his Facebook page.

This swimming pool deck made out of pallet wood is built around an approximately 12′ x 30″ above-ground swimming pool.

Step One: Prepare the Pallets

The first step is to acquire free wooden pallets. Then you will need to take the pallets apart so you have the wooden slats to work with. Of course, this type of platform could also be built by purchasing brand new wood from a hardware store but we want to make this project as cheap as possible.

Not all pallet wood will be suitable for a swimming pool deck and platform. You need to pick the best wood that will weather well and have uniform sizes you can use. You may also want to preserve the wood by adding a coat or two of Rust-Oleum paint. Rust-Oleum paint weathers well in the elements. You could also stain the pallet wood if you prefer.

Step Two: Prepare the Area

You will want to prepare the ground around and under the swimming pool. A large tarp should be laid on the ground before the swimming pool is erected. With any type of above-ground swimming pool you add to your yard you will want to level the ground first, then add the tarp, and then the swimming pool. If you already have the swimming pool in place you can skip this step and move to the next step.

Step Three: Build the Base

The next phase of this swimming pool deck project is to create the foundation. While we are not providing the exact measurements because each swimming pool size will be different, you can use the photo to get a good idea of what you will need to create.

Step Four: Build the Platform

Once the swimming pool platform base has been erected, arrange the pallet wood on the deck until you have the design you will to create. Use 1-1/2″ finishing nails and a brad nailer to nail each board in place. You could use a regular hammer but a brad nailer will cut the time in half and save your tired hands. You will also need a saw to cut odd size pallet wood pieces. We suggest using a circular saw.

A set of 3 steps have been added to one corner. Pallet wood can be used to create the steps but in a pinch wood crates will also do the trick. You will want steps to make it easy to climb onto the swimming pool deck.

Now that you have seen what you can do with pallet wood and a swimming pool, you could keep building you deck up on the sides by adding lattice walls and even an outdoor shower.

How to Build a Desktop Paint Bottle Organizer

If you use acrylic paints for craft projects, kids craft, and other painting projects, you probably have a lot of those little 2 oz. bottles of paint. Our favorite to use is Apple Barrel paints and we have ALL of the colors, because let’s face it, you never know what color you will need to have on hand.

We were looking for a good way to organize our paints to we could easily see the color and we came up with a nifty paint bottle organizer using wood and PVC piping. This is an inexpensive project to make. You can make it as large as you like just by adding more rows of PVC piping.

Supplies Needed

8′ length of 1-1/4″ inner diameter PVC pipe
1″ x 4″ pine board (you will need 20″)
Glue – we used Gorilla Glue
1-1/4″ Brad Finishing nails
Sand paper or random orbit hand sander
Saw to cut the wood (we used a compound miter saw)
Paint (we used acrylic or satin house paint we already had)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Cut twenty-three (23) 3-3/8″ long pieces from the PVC pipe.
Smooth edges of the PVC pipe sand paper or hand sander.
You may want to lightly sand the outer surface of the PVC to remove the wording. If you don’t want to sand you can also paint over it.
Cut one piece of the 1″ x 4″ wood to 8-1/4″ long.
Cut 2 pieces of the 1″x 4″ wood to 4-1/2″ long.
Lightly sand the wood pieces.
Finish the wood as desired. We painted ours with white paint to match the PVC but you can paint it any color you like.
Nail the 8-1/4″ piece of wood to the two 4-1/2″ pieces of wood.

Glue six pieces of the PVC pipe together, making three rows of six pieces.
Glue the three rows of six pieces on top of each other.
Glue the remaining five pieces of PVC pipe in the valleys of the top row of six pieces of PVC.
Glue the wood frame to PVC pipe so that the frame sits on top of the row of five PVC pieces.

Optional: We didn’t add a piece of wood as a base but you could easily do this by cutting another piece of wood, 8-1/2″ x 1″ x 4″ and nail it onto the bottom.

Conclusion

Our paint bottle desktop storage unit will definitely come in handy on your craft desk to keep all of your paints organized. It’s a much better way to see all of the colors you have on hand when you are working on a paint project. By putting the paint bottles in the PVC tubes you can have the colored ends of the bottles hang out so you can see the colors. You could even organize them by color and make more than one of these paint bottle organizers. Stack them on top of each other to make a whole wall of organizers.

Low Maintenance Landscape Designs on a Budget

If you are looking to beautify your landscape but you want low maintenance on a budget, then look no further than these landscape designs on a budget ideas. There are so many beautiful ideas you will have a hard time trying to decide which one to plan for your own yard.

There are so many ways to create a beautiful, but low budget, and low maintenance walkway in your garden or yard. Simple bricks laid down in a decorative pattern create something unique and special without a lot of cost.

Patio pavers, which are inexpensive and easy to lay, can be placed in between grassy areas. Use your imagination and carve out sections of grass and lay pavers to make a walkway. You can also fill in gaps with pea gravel.

QUIKRETE’s WalkMaker Country Stone Pattern Concrete Mold is easy to use. Once you clear your space ad level the ground, place the model on any relatively flat surface and the WalkMaker will automatically configure the concrete to the existing base. You will need some concrete to create this low maintenance landscape look.

While the concrete is still in mold, pat and smooth cavity surface with trowel, remove mold promptly, after removing mold, smooth all edges with a trowel until appearance is satisfactory.

Add QUIKRETE liquid cement color to dramatically enhance and WalkMAker project.

Decorative grasses are easy to grow and literally maintenance-free. Large pebbles or decorative polished stones make for an easy border around the garden.

Here is another example of using common bricks to make a raised garden. You don’t need any fancy tools to create this look, just a bit of concrete and a trowel. Quick setting Quikrete cement is easy to use.

KAM Plastic Snaps Pliers Desktop Stand

The basic KAM plastic snaps pliers are used for adding plastic snaps to fabric, ribbon, leather and other materials. Plastic snaps are great for making baby clothes, baby bibs, cloth diapers, reusable snack and sandwich bags, tote bags and so many other fun crafts projects.

The basic KAM pliers are super affordable ranging in price from $15 to $19.99. The only drawback to using these pliers and not the more expensive desktop press is that you have to leverage your hand’s strength to grip and squeeze the pliers to attach the plastic snaps to fabric. Overtime, this is a tedious and tiresome task and you aren’t able to get a consistent press each time because your hand is never in the exact same position each time.

Adding the basis KAM plastic snaps pliers to a stand alleviates hand fatigue and allows you to get a consistent press every time. With our Free instructions and pattern, you can make your own plastic snap pliers desktop stand.

What are Plastic Snaps used for?

KAM basic plastic snap pliers are designed for occasional personal use. However, many crafters who sell their wares use these inexpensive pliers because the professional grade pliers and desktop snap press cost a lot more.

Using plastic snaps for your craft projects is a game-changer. They are super easy to add to most fabrics with just a few steps. You need an “awl” to poke a hole into the fabric, a set of plastic snaps, and snap pliers. Most Plastic Snap kits come with the awl and may include a few different size dies so you can add 20, 22, and 24 size snap fasteners to your projects. Plastic Snaps size 20 are the most common. As the numbers goes up – 22, 24 – the snaps get larger. You can also purchase smaller size snaps – 16, 18.

KAM Personal vs. Professional Pliers and Press

There are advantages of buying the professional grade KAM pliers and desktop. The grade of metal, weight, ability to change dies, and more open space in between the die and clamp are some of the reasons. The basic pliers also cannot be used for adding metal snaps to projects. If you are making many products you may want to consider the more professional KAM tools.

We purchased the basic KAM plastic snaps pliers because when we started out we didn’t know about the professional tools. Since then we have learned about all of the different pliers and desktop snap press but we still wanted to use the handheld pliers we purchased so we came up with a stand to put the pliers on and help alleviate hand cramping. The desktop stand also gives you more leverage and even pressure when pressing down. The stand also allows helps you get the plastic snap centered properly for a more professional look. Without a stand you may get some professional-looking results but you won’t be able to get them consistently. We found that without the snap stand we often damaged the snap and had to pry it off and start over. You don’t want this because you are wasting your snaps if they are damaged.

This DIY plastic snap desktop stand is pretty easy to make and you can built using scrap wood. This stand works for the K2 model only. Since each plastic snap tool is slightly different, a different stand needs to be made. If there is enough interest we will provide patterns for other KAM plastic snap handheld pliers tools.

What is the difference in models?

There are other models but we are just talking about the two very basis snap pliers that range in price from $15 to $20 each.

The K1 model is designed for plastic snap sizes 16, 20, and 22 as well as the specialty snaps like hearts, flowers, butterflies, and stars.

The K2 model is designed for plastic snap sizes 20, 22, 24 as well as the specialty snaps like hearts, flowers, butterflies, and stars.

How Build a Plastic Snap Pliers Desktop Stand

Supplies List

one (1) piece of wood (pine) cut 1” x 4″ x 7-1/2″
one (1) piece of wood (pine) cut 3” x 2-1/2”
two (2) pieces of 1/4” plywood cut to 3” x 3”
Scroll saw
Jigsaw
Electric Sander, Hand Sander, or Sanding blocks
7/8” (22.2mm) Forstner drill bit
1/2″ diameter straight router bit

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Cut all of the wood pieces out.

2. Slightly curve the top corners of the 3″ x 2-1/2″ piece of wood to accommodate the handle. We used a scroll saw to accomplish this task.

Optional: Slightly curve the corners of the 3″ x 3″ pieces of wood. This is just for aesthetics so this step is optional.

3. Glue the two pieces of plywood to each side of the 3” x 2-1/2” piece of wood. The plywood needs to be 1/2” taller to allow the lower snap fastener handle to stay in place.

4. Sand all pieces to give the wood a smooth finish and round out any rough edges.

5. Use a 7/8” (22.2mm) Forstner drill bit to create the circle. Drill the hole so it is approximately 5/8” deep.

6. Use a 1/2″ diameter straight router bit to make a 1-1/2” long slot off of the circle at the same depth as the 7/8” circle.

7. Using a drill bit long enough to accommodate a jig saw blade, drill a hole in each corner of the handle insert slot.

8. Using a jig saw, cut out the handle insert slot to measure 1-1/4″ x 3″. Use the chart above for placement.

The handle of the snap pliers should fit snugly into the handle insert slot. It may be a bit difficult to remove but it needs to fit snug to work properly.