DIY Network

Weathered-Wood Birdhouse From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-146

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Turn a new birdhouse into a weathered decoration, using paint and crackle medium. Figure A Figure B Figure C The cracks will be larger if you use a brush to apply paint over crackle medium. Figure D If you use a sponge to apply paint to the crackle medium, the cracks will be finer. Figure E Figure F Figure G

This birdhouse looks as if it's been weathered outdoors for years, but it's really brand new. Doxie Keller, creative director for DecoArt, explains painting techniques to create an aged look and tips for easy designs using sponges and paintbrush tricks.

Materials:

New wooden birdhouse
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Primer
DecoArt Weathered Wood® Crackling Medium Acrylic paint (or exterior house paint, if the birdhouse will be placed outdoors) in buttermilk, slate blue, burgundy, light green and dark green
Paintbrushes
Sea sponges
Miracle Sponge®
Paper plate
Paper towels
Water

1. Sand the birdhouse, and remove sanding particles with a tack cloth.

2. Prime the birdhouse with primer and let dry.

3. Apply a base coat of slate-blue paint (figure A).
   

4. Add texturing to the birdhouse roof by applying a thick coat of paint with a square brush. Fill the brush with a lot of paint, and work in rows across the roof. Instead of stroking the paint on, apply short, dabbing strokes, pushing the paint in front of the brush (figure B). Let the paint dry.
   

5. If you'd prefer to give the roof a shingled look, start at the bottom edge of the roof, and swirl on the paint with half-circle strokes. Continue to the top of the roof in rows, using half-circle strokes across the roof. Load the brush with a lot of paint, and push the paint into the edges of the half-circles. Let dry.
   

6. Brush a smooth, even coat of DecoArt Weathered Wood Crackling Medium over the base coat on the sides of the birdhouse. Let dry at least 30 minutes. The medium will cause paint applied to it to separate, creating a crackled, weathered look. The base coat will show through the cracks. The top coat should be a color that contrasts with that of the base coat (figure C).
   

7. You can apply a top coat of buttermilk paint to the crackling medium with a brush or a sponge. If using a brush, which causes larger cracks to form, apply a smooth, thick coat of paint. It will begin to crackle almost immediately. Let dry.
   

8. If you'd prefer to apply the top coat with a sponge, cut a square of Miracle Sponge (compressed sponge material that expands in water), dip it in water, squeeze it out, dip it in the buttermilk acrylic paint and sponge it over the crackling medium. Sponged paint produces finer cracks than brushed-on paint. Let dry (figure D).
   

9. Begin the decorative painting of the birdhouse by sponging on foliage. Using a natural sea sponge, pick up light- and dark-green paint, and apply it to the side of the birdhouse, moving up with light, pouncing stokes (figure E).
   

10. To make flowers, pick up a little burgundy acrylic paint on a brush, then dip the brush into buttermilk acrylic paint, and use the brush tip to create five or six petals (figure F).
    

11. Make a rose by dipping the tip of the handle into the burgundy paint, then into the buttermilk paint and swirling the end of the handle in a circle onto the birdhouse (figure G).