Birdhouses

As a family, we made/painted birdhouses for our feathered friends to make a home!

Daddy and Hannah made the birdhouses last year, but left them natural. It was really fun to watch the birds make their home (trying to fit sticks through the small openings), have their young, feed and protect their babies, and then move on. We had a family of sparrows in one and finches in the other.

This year we thought it would be fun to decorate them. Joe cleaned out the previous tenants and made new roofs (so that they can be taken off each year and cleaned). He then sanded them down and primed them for the girls and I to paint.


Primed and ready for painting.
We painted them glossy white with leftover trim paint we had. Emme painted a few strokes and was done.
Hannah took her time and came through and finished the whole first coat.
Day 2, 2 coats of white and the roof painted green (another leftover paint color from our house - yes, Joe's man room is actually this shade of green) and we're ready for painting details. We used stencils, our hands, thumbprints, and free hand to decorate the houses. Hannah is very artistic and did one of the birdhouses completely by herself.
While Mommy and Emme did the other. I probably should have let Emme paint more than just the back of ours, but I'm type A...what can I say?
We used thumbprints to make flowers. Hannah's is the purple flower, Emme's pink.
This is what happens when you leave a 2 yr old with the paints. No washing of brushes between colors...slows you down too much!
Finished houses!
Hannah's sides of her house.

Mommy and Emme's sides. Thumbprint flowers.
This side we used Emme's partial handprints and another of Hannah's purple thumbprint to make the flowers.
Emme's finished masterpiece!
Daddy put them up yesterday...OK birds, come make your home!