Birdhouses are all the rage lately. Charming wooden birdhouses can be found at most craft stores for less than $5, and then you can let your imagination take flight (no pun intended), decorating them however you wish.
For this birdie beach house, I had dozens of scallop shells in a variety of colors that just seemed perfect for birdhouse shingles, but you can use whatever you have. First divide your shells somewhat by size, so that larger shells will be at the bottom where you have more surface area, and smaller ones will fit better near the peak.
I started at the base of the "roof," attaching the shells with hot glue, around and around. After the first row was completed, the second row didn't quite want to go on the same way--so it became a little more random after that, gluing in rows but still having to skip spaces here and there (figure A). I filled in those spaces later with smaller shells.
Next, I added a row of cowrie shells around the base of the birdhouse (figure B) and then topped it off with a spiral worm shell like a little birdie weathervane on the top (figure C).
I liked the natural wood with all the various colors of shells, but you could paint your birdhouse in a variety of colors. Paint it and let it dry before you start gluing on shells.
If you plan to hang your birdie beach house outside for real birds to enjoy, make sure you give it a layer or two of waterproofing weather repellent.
Resources Shell Chic: The ultimate guide to decorating your home with seashells
by Marlene Hurley Marshall
Storey Books, 2002
Order this title from Amazon.com.
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