Soda Can Birdhouse

 

 

Too much fun embellishing with custom leaves and "home accessories".



 
Products Used

Color
  • SC-3 - Wine About It
  • SC-8 - Just Froggy
  • SC-15 - Tuxedo
  • SC-17 - Cheeky Pinky
  • SC-24 - Dandelion
  • SC-27 - Sour Apple
  • SC-28 - Blue Isle
  • SC-33 - Fruit of the Vine
  • SC-74 - Hot Tamale
  • SC-75 - Orange-A-Peel
  • SC-76 - Cara-bein Blue
Decorating Accessories
  • BT-910 - Synthetic Sponges
  • CB-404 - #4 Pointed Round
  • CB-604 - #4 Soft Fan
  • CD-1073 - Leaf Designs Press Tools
Soda Can Birdhouse
 
 
Additional Materials
  • Low Fire White Moist Clay Cone 04/06
  • Rolling Pin or 1" x 12" dowel
  • 18" Square Canvas Material
  • Two ¼" Dowels
  • Fettling Knife or clean-up tool
  • Pencil
  • Soda Can - Empty
  • Water bowl
  • Individual portion size cup
  • Paper Towel
  • E-6000 Glue
  • Cording or Wire for Hanger
  • Stick for Perch
  • Download Project Pattern: Bird House Roof
 
Project Info
 

Instructions

 

 

  1. Lay out the canvas fabric on table and place the ¼" dowels on the left and right side of the fabric. Place a piece of clay about 2 lbs. in size in the middle of the fabric. Using the 1" dowel or rolling pin, roll out the clay to the size of a legal piece of paper. The smaller dowels are used as a guide to keep your clay level. Make sure the edges of the rolling pin hits the ¼" dowels.
  2. Once the clay has been rolled out place the pattern on the clay and trace with your pencil to make in indentation in the clay.
  3. Using a fettling knife or small clean-up tool, cut out the pieces of clay.
  4. Put your name on the small circle and turn over. This will be the bottom of the bird house. Place the soda can right side up on the circle. The soda can will be used to hold up the walls of the clay. The soda can is used because the soda can adds stability for travel. You can also use bunched up paper towels or newspaper in the center. If you use the paper, you can safely fire them inside the bird house. If you use the soda can you cannot attach the roof permanently until the can has been removed. You can however build your roof to attach when you get back to your studio.
  5. Take a small marble size piece of clay and place it in the individual portion cup and add about 3 tablespoons of water. Mix this up with your fingers to make the slurry. This will be your "glue" to attach all the pieces together.
  6. Using the CD-780 Design Press Tools, stamp a pattern on the oblong square of the clay cut out.
  7. Using the CD-1073 Leaf Design Press Tools of choice, stamp on the excess clay and cut out leaves for the top of the bird house roof. Wet a paper towel and place over these leaves so they do not dry out while working with them.
  8. Score the edge of the base and the bottom edge of the walls of the birdhouse and apply some slurry to each to attach.
  9. Wrap the house wall around the can. Score and add slurry to the vertical edges where the walls meet. Use the CD-780 Design Press Tools star tool to press them together. It will appear as if the wall were nailed together.
  10. Cut a slit to the center in the larger circle intended for the roof. Fold over the cut edges to form a cone that will fit on top of your birdhouse walls.
  11. Attach the leaves you cut out earlier to the roof using the slurry. Overlap them and bend them to look like real leaves. The top of the house should have a leaf that is bent in an “n” shape and attached at the top to use as a hanger. It will be easier to get a cord or wire through this way.
  12. Cut an opening in any shape you would like for the bird to enter into the birdhouse and make a small hole with your pencil under the opening for a perch.
  13. You can either have the kids decorate the bird houses with Stroke & Coat directly on the wet clay leaving the bottom unpainted. Or you can fire them and then glaze them as you wish. You should never stilt clay, therefore do not paint the bottom.
  14. Be sure to allow the piece to dry completely before firing. To tell if your masterpiece has dried completely, put the birdhouse up to your cheek. If the house feels like it is room temperature and not cold on your cheek, then you can safely say that it is dry. If you fire the clay while it is wet you are risking cracking the bird house in the firing. Work smarter not harder and only fire this piece once with no touch ups. Fire only when dry.
  15. Bisque fire to shelf cone 04.
  16. Use a stick for the perch. It looks more rustic. Glue it in with E6000 and add the cording or wire for hanging.

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