Cyan Magenta Yellow Black

PROJECT: BIRD ORNAMENT

These bird ornaments are fun because you can stick feathers, beaded wires, wire curli-
cues, or other fanciful embellishments in them. Birds are a great canvas for decorating,
and they carry so much symbolic potential—freedom (flying), domesticity (protecting
their eggs)—specific birds even more so. Ravens, doves, and blackbirds, for example,
each have their own symbolic associations. I made my bird ornaments purely from imagi-
nation. They’re not modeled after any birds I’ve ever seen. The technique of wrapping
the bird-shaped foam core in rice paper applies to wrapping any curved shape.
To make these, I first established several basic bird shapes on paper. You’ll undoubt-
edly create your own variations.

You’ll need:
• Template 10 (see page 137) or your own
• A small piece of foam core
• The basic tool kit (see Tools, page 18)
• Two pieces of rice paper, for wrapping the foam core
• Collage and paint material
• Paper or Angelina fabric (see “Basic Angelina Sheets,”
page 77) for the wing
• Craft wire
• Jewelry pliers A
• Awl or pushpin
• Feathers of your choice
• Ribbon for hanging
• Foam core coated with matte medium

1. Trace the template (or make your own bird—as you can see, the

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shape is open to interpretation) onto your foam core and cut it
out with a craft knife.

2. Glue the foam core bird to the piece of rice paper, and then cut
the rice paper so that there’s about ¾-inch overhang all the way
around the bird.

3. Make cuts in the rice paper from the edge of the bird to the
edge of the paper, all the way around the bird. (See photo A.)

4. Fold and glue the rice paper over to the backside of the bird,
B
allowing the tabs to overlap or spread out as necessary. They will
overlap on the outside curves and spread out on the inside curves.
Clip where necessary. (See photo B.)

5. Cut out the bird shape from a second piece of rice paper and
glue it to the back of the foam core bird, covering the turned-
under tabs.

6. Paint and collage the bird as you like on either one or both
sides. I used various papers with green in them and then painted
over them with green acrylic paint.

7. Using your jewelry pliers, twist a length of craft wire into two
or more “toes,” and then cut the ends of the wire, leaving an inch
or more extending from the “foot” to form a leg. Repeat with
another length of wire for the second foot. (See photo C.)
C

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8. Cut out the wing from your chosen

material. I used a small sheet of Angelina
fabric. I also made a small sheet of very
loose Angelina fabric to further embellish
the wing, but this optional and entirely up
to you.

9. To attach the feathers, use your awl or a

pushpin to poke holes in the flat back end
of the bird about 1/8-inch apart. Stagger the
holes rather than place them in a straight
line for a fuller feathery effect. Strip about
¼ inch off the base of each feather. One at
a time, poke a feather into a hole, and add a
D
tiny drop of glue. Once the feathers are all
in, let the glue dry completely.

10. Attach the feet by poking holes in the

bottom and pushing them in. Add a drop
of glue to each hole. You can add little head
ornaments as well if you like (see above right
and opposite, top).

11. For the hanging mechanism, make a

little loop of craft wire and twist the ends
together. Cut the twisted end to about ½
inch. Attach this to the top of the bird. (See
photo D.)

12. Glue on the wing(s) and the optional

Angelina embellishment using a small dab of
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white glue or PVA.

13. When all the glue is dry, thread a ribbon

through the hanging loop, and your bird is
finished.

h This bird ornament got her very own

handmade gift box (see “Message Box,”
page 57) and a nest of purple silk fibers.
She even laid a few eggs!

102 ADVENTURES IN MIXED MEDIA

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g I made a similar bird using my sweetie’s

photo for the face. I made this tail out of
Angelina fiber rather than feathers.

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h My red bird ornament sports

beaded headgear and a beaded
hanger. The wing is made from two
layers of glitter tulle fused together.

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 To purchase a copy of
Adventures in Mixed Media
visit one of these online retailers:

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