English Cottage Birdhouses

I partnered with Modern Masters for this post.  They sent me Texture Effects to try and I loved it. 

Yesterday you saw a little peek of this project on our home tour.

I can’t wait to share how I made these adorable English Cottage Birdhouses.

I’m not sure if you all know but England is my second home.  I studied abroad and fell madly in love with the country and also madly in love with my now husband.  It truly was something out of a Jane Austen novel minus  the manor home.  We settled there and lived in Bristol and London and a few years ago (well, I guess time has passed rather quickly) because nearly 11 years ago we moved to America.

I love England.  I love drizzly afternoons, the museums in London, Clifton Suspension Bridge, adorable school children in adorable school uniforms, quaint gardens bursting with pastel flowers, the rugged coastline of Cornwall, fish and chips, pubs, afternoon tea, family, friends and of course English Cottages.

English Cottages look different than American built homes.  They usually are made with blocks and then plastered over.  In some places, like in the Cotswolds, these homes have thatched roofs.  So beautiful.

When I saw these at the craft store I scooped them up:

How to Create English Cottage Birdhouses

Materials:

• Wooden birdhouses
• Primer
• Modern Masters Texture Effects
• Foam Brush
• Acrylic Paint for tinting
• Small Paint Brush
• Hot Glue (optional)
• Moss  (optional)

Method:

I first primed the the wooden surface.  Then I took my Texture Effects and scooped some out.

When I opened the can I thought it looked like marshmallow fluff but with a bit more of a sandy, fluffy consistency.  This stuff is absolutely amazing – you can use it to patch holes, give a textured distress, dimensional stencils and added fun texture to any surface.  It is tintable and self sealing.  I wanted to added a tint for my birdhouses.

I mixed in some taupe acrylic paint.  Then I took my foam brush and did haphazard strokes to create texture.

Once dry, I then painted the trim and detailing in white acrylic paint.

I took my hot glue and attached the moss to the roof with that.

This was such an easy and fun craft.  I’m thinking of bringing a few of these bird houses with me to the Duxbury Antique Show for my booth.  But for now I’ve been enjoying them in our sunroom:

and on our spring mantel!

Do you think you’ll try and make some?

*This textured finish is for indoor use only.

If you’d like more information on Modern Masters you can click here for retail locations and here for online shopping.

If you also LOVE England then you may want to take a peek at some photos I shared on our last trip across the pond here, here, here, here and here!

If you’d like to see more spring decorations on our home tour click here.

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