How to Craft a Mosaic Birdhouse

Mosaic craft projects are a lot of fun and a great way to tap into your creative side. There are many surfaces that can be easily transformed into a work of art by adding a mosaic. This project is for crafting a mosaic birdhouse. A mosaic birdhouse can be a decorative accent, indoors and out. You can design your mosaic birdhouse in a fun and whimsical design, give it a rugged textural appeal or keep it sleek and modern. Just follow the easy steps below to create your own unique mosaic birdhouse.

Materials
birdhouse
pencil
mosaic pieces
tile adhesive
tile grout

Hints: Inexpensive wooden birdhouses can be purchased in craft stores. The mosaic pieces can be tile or broken dishware. To create your own tile pieces, wrap the tile or dish in a towel and hit with a hammer. Open the towel and remove any desired pieces. Continue this procedure until you have enough tile to cover the birdhouse.

Tools
tile nippers or hammer
plastic knife or craft stick
rubber gloves
bucket and sponge

Before you can begin to craft your mosaic birdhouse, you will need to prepare your work surface. Cover your work surface with newspaper or plastic, assemble all of the materials and tools you will need for your mosaic birdhouse.

Directions
Using the pencil, sketch an outline of your design on the birdhouse. Just a rough draft, to help you determine what size tile pieces you will need. You can use the tile nippers to clip pieces to any size or shape you might need. To begin attaching the tile to the birdhouse, apply a small amount of tile adhesive to the backside of the tile and press firmly in place. Try to keep the spacing between the mosaic pieces consistent. Once you have finished covering the surface of the birdhouse with the mosaic tile, let the adhesive dry thoroughly.

The next step is to grout the tile. Begin by mixing the grout according to the package directions. Using the plastic knife, gently apply the grout to the birdhouse. Wearing the rubber gloves, use your fingers to press the tile grout into the spaces between tiles. Smooth the joints with your fingers and remove the excess grout. Let the grout set for approximately 15 or 20 minutes. Now using a damp sponge, carefully wipe the mosaic tile to clean and remove any grout haze. You will need to rinse the sponge several times throughout this step. Let the grout dry thoroughly. Your mosaic birdhouse is complete.

Tips: You can use many different materials for your mosaic birdhouse. You might consider adding a metal roof. For the sides, instead of tile you could use polished pebbles. There are no limitations. Design your mosaic birdhouse with any materials and any style to suit your taste.