Aloha! Welcome! Today we are creating a tropical birdhouse for our macaw hosts Jose, Michael, Pierre, and Fritz. We’ll be singing like the birdies so grab your pineapple whip and let’s get started! Here’s what you’ll need:
| Supplies List: | Tools List: |
|---|---|
| Gazebo Birdhouse | Hot Glue + Glue Gun |
| Twine | Tacky Glue |
| Wooden Matchsticks | Scissors |
| Assorted Round Wood Shapes | Acrylic Paint Brushes |
| Acrylic Paint | Macaw Printout (below) |
| Colored Pencil Set |
Instructions
Feather Roof
We’re going to start with decorating the roof with these tear-drop shaped wooden pieces. The pattern goes like this:
Layer 1: 5 small
Layer 2: 3 small
Layer 3: 3 medium
Layer 4: 3 medium
Layer 5: 3 large
If you want, paint the wood before gluing the feathers. I would if I did this again, but that’s what I get for making decisions on the spot.
Spread out your pieces in order of your layers and start painting!
I tried to match the colors to the hosts of the Enchanted Tiki Room so the colors would be more cohesive in the end. I also made sure to have 2 green, 2 yellow, and 2 blue layer 1s.
Start hot glueing layer 1 to the bottom of the roof, letting a little overhang,
Follow that with layer 2 in the center of the 5 layer 1 feathers.
Layer 3 on top of that with the center feather angled towards one side so it covers a gap.
Layer 4 is the same with the center feather angled the other way covering the other gap. This will make you lower that center feather. It’s all good, though.
Top it all off with layer 5. The center feather goes down first. Nestle it under the topper and glue the other two pieces on top. Don’t let the feathers go too much over the edges or else the other sides won’t fit.
Repeat the process for the other roof sides.
Ta-da!
A Couple Details
Grab some Tacky Glue and your Wooden Matchsticks. We’re making a little deck for our birdhouse. This part is optional if you don’t want to spend more time than necessary.
Layer your matchsticks so that two sides meet at one corner of your birdhouse forming an arrow. It will leave 3 alternating corners open–which we’ll fill later.
Finish your topper by glueing around some twine. You can use tacky glue or hot glue.
Rooftop Pizzazz
Mix together some brown paint and finish your roof. I wish I had done this before glueing the feathers down.
We’re also painting about a half inch onto the birdhouse sides.
As you let your roof dry, cut pieces of twine. Each corner will get a center string and two strings folded in half.
Glue your twin to the corners with a single cut string in the center and a folded string on each side.
Cut off the excess.
Take your twine and line the outside edge of the roof.
Then, wrap and glue twine around the top of the sides of the birdhouse. 3 times should do.
The Birds Sing Words
I outlined some existing art of the macaws and have a printout for you to download if you wish. They are each 2″x 3″.
Print out your birds and cut them out.
Trace around the bird in the center of 4 out of 6 sides.
I left the front and back panels blank (for now) and drew on the remaining sides.
Flip over the printouts and use a soft pencil to trace the lines from the other side. You should be able to see them. If not, place it over a window. Really layer on the graphite.
Put the printout back on your panel and trace the lines on the top of the printout so the graphite on the back rubs off onto the side panel. Like a carbon copy.
Repeat for the other three sides.
Paint Time
Mix together some black, blue, and green paint for the background. Do not mix it thoroughly so you’ll be able to get some variation as your paint.
I added some streaks of blue and yellow-green on top of my background to give it more interest.
Paint your macaws with their respective colors! Everyone gets a tan chest, white faces, and dark versions of their head feathers for the dots on their cheeks and the streak on their faces.
Red head, tan cheeks and brow, and yellow under feathers for Fritz.
Green head, white cheeks and brow, and yellow under feathers for Michael.
Blue head, white cheeks and brow, and red under feathers for Pierre.
Red head, yellow cheeks and brow, and green under feathers for Jose.
I finished the back panel with a pineapple whip. Yum!
Use a black colored pencil to flesh out some details once everything is dry.
Paint the deck with brown. Again, use a loose mix of dark and light brown so you get a “wood grain” appearance.
Paint the bottom of the birdhouse the same way. Be sure to paint in the direction of the wood grain. If you can’t, just make sure it’s all in the same direction.
Grab 3 little oval wood pieces and paint those a light brown. Glue them down where there were gaps in the deck once they’re dry.
Horticulture
Take a bunch of large and medium sized oval wood pieces and paint them half light, half dark green.
Once dry, take a dark green colored pencil and draw a line down the middle of each oval. Follow that up with some curving lines to create leaves!
Take a bunch of medium circles and paint them in yellows, pinks, and purples.
Add thin green stripes like spokes on a wheel.
Finish up the medium circles with flowers in the middle.
Paint the large circles a purpley brown.
Top those with different colored flowers like blue, pink, yellow, and purple. The tips of these flowers should be different, even contrasting, colors.
Paint the small circles solid red and yellow.
Adorn your Birdhouse
Arrange and glue down your flowers and leaves onto the birdhouse.
You can start with minimal decoration and then add on if necessary.
It doesn’t matter where the pieces are placed as long as they don’t block the macaws’ faces. I wanted to cover the bottoms of their portraits which also hid some areas I missed while painting.
Clean up all of the hot glue strings when everything is set!
Lastly, paint the little dowel perch on the front of the birdhouse.
You Did It!
Amazing job, friends! I love this birdhouse. It might be my favorite project so far! I’m excited to see if any real birds will like it… if not, I’ll definitely enjoy looking at it in my backyard.
Thanks to everyone who made it all the way down here! Please be sure to follow us on Instagram and Pinterest for more projects like this and photos from the Disneyland Resort. Share with your Disney DIY loving friends and family! We’d really appreciate it!!
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