Who needs expensive centerpieces when you can make your own? March 11, 2022 09:57

Spring is coming soon and today I have a statement-sized decor piece you can make for only a few dollars. It’s perfect for your Easter tablespace, perched on an entryway table or adorning your kitchen countertops for Springtime. You can easily create multiple to decorate around your house because when you see how easy this project comes together, you’re going to want to make MORE! 

 

Let me tell you about the supplies we need for today's project:

  • 3- Small wire wreath forms from Dollar Tree (they come in packs of two and you need 3 wreaths total)
  • One part of an embroidery hoop 
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Base for your birdcage (lots of possibilities for this from wood disk to glass plates)
  • Crop-a-dile tool or drill for making holes
  • Chalk Paint in the color of your choice

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start by taking the small wire wreath forms from Dollar Tree, and a pair of needle nose pliers. You just need the largest ring that's around the outside of the wreath form for this project. Find the point where the wreath is welded together and snip, then you're going to go around the whole border and clip off the outside ring of wire from the wreath form as close as you can. Repeat on each of the wreath forms until you have three of the large rings loose.

Next, you’ll need your wood embroidery hoop to make our birdcage come together. Use a ruler to mark the spot for 6 holes evenly spaced around the diameter of the embroidery hoop. Then you’re going to create a small hole to feed the wire through at each place you marked your embroidery hoop. You can either drill or punch the holes into the hoop by using the Crop-o-dile. 

Once your holes are punched, make a bend in the wire about 1/2” from one end and feed through a hole in the hoop. Create a similar bend in the wire on the opposite and feed through the hole directly across. Crimp the wire with the needle-nose pliers to secure to each side of the hoop. Repeat the process with the wire until all the holes are filled and the wire is securely attached.

Once all your wires are secure, you can see how quickly this birdcage is coming together. We’re ready for some paint!  I used Elephant Gray Chalk Paint by Waverly. I like that chalk paint sticks to everything. So I feel like it’s a good choice when you're painting metal for sure and it’s available at Walmart. 

Take a makeup sponge and just start dabbing on paint to get a coat of coverage. I prefer rustic and chippy decor so it's not necessary it be perfect for me. I know I've shown recently in a video how to make faux rust with cinnamon and this would be a really fun project for that if you like rustic decor. You could do this base coat of gray and then add cinnamon to achieve that, here is the video to watch if you need further instruction.

Once the top of your birdcage is painted to your liking, set it aside to dry while you create a stand or base for the project. You could use anything from wood risers, or a wood slab slice from a tree, even a thrifted candlestick with a plate on top would work.  What I had on hand in my craft room was a couple of spare wooden circles, and a candlestick so I used these to create a stand similar to a cake stand. If you happen to have a cake stand in the pantry it may work well to set your birdcage onto for display. Use what you have!

As far as what to set inside your birdcage, it’s completely up to you! I had a ceramic bunny that fits perfectly so I set him in the center and I embellished my birdcage with a bow & some faux greenery in my go-to neutral color scheme. 

If you love more color for spring, you could adorn yours with colorful plaid ribbon and some faux tulips. A birdhouse, ceramic bird, or faux nest would look beautiful inside your newly created birdcage. The possibilities for decorating and embellishing this cloche project are endless!

Ready to decorate? We created a statement size piece for just a few dollars and I think it's beautiful for Spring decorating, especially as a centerpiece or nestled in the corner of a kitchen. If you create one, please send me a pic, we’d love to feature your project on our social media.