Birdhouses with MMSMP wash
When my kids were smaller, they went to bed a lot earlier than they do now. I would have them all tucked in and be back downstairs by 7:15. There were still hours left until my own bedtime - sometimes five or sixor seven hours - it was like having another whole day to get stuff done.Somehow our world has shifted.The kids got older and they stay up later. I got older and I go to bed earlier. There is no longer an extra day in my evening. There's hardly even any evening in my evening. By the time they go to bed (way later than 7:15)...I'm beat. One of my kids is bigger than me. I mean...this is getting serious.I'm not really sure when all of this growing up stuff happened (probably all that sleep they got when they were little) but I find myself looking around sometimes and thinking...weren't there some little kids who used to live here?Where are they?Sigh...Last year we took down our play structure. And I didn't even feel that nostalgic about it at the time. I was fine. It got a lot of use in the early years but it had gotten a little shaky and the kids never went on it anymore. As we dismantled it we saved a bunch of the wood - it's all cedar and not rotten. It's been stacked up out in the barn for a year - just sitting there. So, when I went out there (to our "workshop" in the barn) to make some things for my Etsy shop this spring, I saw that wood and wondered if I could use it in any way. As it turns out the really aged and weathered pieces of my kids' old swing set make for some really excellent repurposing!And wouldn't you know?! Very dry, very old cedar planks make an amazing canvas for...MILK PAINT!!I was actually trying to figure out the angles on my chop saw to cut one of these planks to make a small arrow shaped sign, when I realized that if I made a 45 degree cut on both sides of one end, I'd have a point like the top of a little house... The idea just sort of took off from there and I used some other little scraps I had to make the roof and put the little detail decoration across the front for interest. The nails I used for "perches" are actually very old square cut nails that came out of my house during one of our renovation projects. I always save them when we remove them.Here is what the boards looked like when I pulled them out of the barn.
What I did with the boards:I gave them just a whisper of a sanding with my random orbital sander and applied my Milk Paint. After the paint dried, I gave them just the tiniest bit of sanding. I think it really makes them look like old barn boards. Especially the one painted with Tricycle. I cut one end into a point with a 45 degree angle.It only took me a few minutes to turn them into this cute little birdhouse facade decoration. After I made the first few I decided to see if I could improve upon the concept with some color - and I really love the way they came out. It's a completely different look than any milk paint project I've done before.
What I did with the Milk Paint:I mixed the paint with TWICE as much water as usual. So, instead of 1:1 water and MMSMP powder, it was 2:1 water and MMSMP powder.Or, 1 Tablespoon of powder and 2 Tablespoons of water. You could use even more water if you like - I find that some milk paint colors mix up a bit differently - just know that the more water you add - they more of a "wash" look you will get.Here are my results with Tricycle, Mustard Seed Yellow, and Artissimo:I have a rather large collection of old farm tools...I use them as decoration all around my vegetable garden.I quickly attached these three little "birdhouses" to the handles of two pitchforks and a shovel and...Aren't they adorable? In a couple more weeks those yellow squash and zucchini plants will fill up that entire raised bed - and the little Milk Painted birdhouse decorations will be there watching over them.I have to say - making a few pieces of the old swing set into something new - something I can look at and appreciate for a few more years - really made me feel better - a little less weepy about my giant children... I love that the the swing set has come back into play - just a little.
What I learned during this project:Don't forget to look for beauty in unusual places.Don't throw things away if you think they might be useful later.Don't blink when your kids are little - it may be a cliche - but they really do grow up so fast.Have you done a repurposing project? Did you use Milk Paint? Tell me about it!-b.
