Macabre Birdhouse

$20 - $25 (based on 2016 prices)

Makes one bird house

2016’s haunted farm was littered with skeletal birds and I created this morbid birdhouse to expand upon the theme. Unfortunately, it ended up hanging in an inconspicuous corner of the haunt. In hindsight, I should have purchased a large shepherd’s hook and placed it along the walkway leading to the front door.

• One wooden birdhouse (roughly twelve inches tall)
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in classic gray*
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 8 oz. bottle of wood glue*
• One 8 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying latex paint in flat yellow*
• One 8 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying latex paint in flat orange*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One 1.75 oz. bundle of tan raffia
• One to two yards of dark-brown twine
• Three aged bones (learn how to make them here)
• Two severed fingers (learn how to make them here)
• One severed ear (learn how to make it here)
  

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well ventilated area, apply a wet coat of stain to the birdhouse and wipe off the excess with a rag or paper towel. To achieve a blotchy appearance, allow the stain to dry slightly in certain areas and quickly dab it off.

2. Once the birdhouse has dried, darken the inside with a few blasts of black spray paint. This step is entirely optional; however, it adds an additional level of detail to the prop.

3. If you desire a rustic look, leave the stain alone and continue to step five. I wanted the house to match the haunted farm sign (to help tie the haunt’s theme together), so I crackle painted it with the same colors. To do this, use a thick brush to smear a smattering of wood glue to the prop. Try not to over think your application (a random pattern produces the best results). Let the glue sit for a minute to become tacky and then cover the house with the paint. Although I only used one coat, you may want more. As the glue and paint dry, they will form cracks.

4. Once the glue and paint have fully dried, brush a light coat of brown paint onto the prop to simulate dirt. During this process, try to focus on areas where dust and grime would normally accumulate. For example, around the edges of the perch and along the lines of the eaves.

5. Cut a cluster of raffia and glue it into the house’s opening. You can add additional detail by brushing on brown paint for grime or smearing the edges with red paint for blood.

6. Cut the twine into strips. Their length depends on how low you want the bones and severed fingers to hang. I cut mine into twelve-inch sections (the excess gave me room for error). Tie the twine around the body parts, knotting the strings together, and glue them to the perch.

7. If the birdhouse did not come with a hanging loop, use the extra twine to fashion one. You could also use rope for added support.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.