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How to Make a Paper Mache Birdhouse From a Gourd

Paper mache is utilized in the construction of many objects requiring a solid form with a minimal amount of weight. Literally translated to mean ̶0;chewed paper,̶1; paper mache is a composite material made up of pieces of paper joined with an adhesive, such as paste or glue. Constructing paper mache objects from a template, such as making a birdhouse from a gourd, will allow you to replicate the exact size and shape of the original object as any times as needed.

Things You'll Need

Newspaper
Scissors
Gourd
Plastic food wrap
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
Bowl
Fork
Coffee can
Utility knife
Paracord
1-inch diameter washer
Masking tape
Drill
1/4-drill bit
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Cut newspaper into 1-inch-wide strips with a pair of scissors.
- 2
  Cover a gourd completely with plastic food wrap.
- 3
  Mix a paste of 1/2 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 3/4 cup of water in a bowl. Stir the mixture with a fork until the flour and salt are completely dissolved. Dip the newspaper strips into the paste and cover the gourd completely with one layer of newspaper strips.
- 4
  Stand the gourd up, on the bottom end, in an empty coffee can and allow the paste to dry to the touch. Carefully remove the gourd from the can and apply a second layer of paper mache. Return the gourd to the can and allow the paste to dry overnight.
- 5
  Cut through the paper along the sides of the gourd with a utility knife, making one long continually cut around the circumference of the gourd. Carefully separate the halves of the paper shell from the gourd with the utility knife and set the sections, open end up, on the work surface.
- 6
  Tie a 1-inch diameter washer to the end of a 2-foot length of paracord. Lay the cord over the top edge of one section of the birdhouse and affix the washer to the inside surface of the shell with a piece of masking tape.
- 7
  Line up the two sections of the shell and tape the edges together with masking tape. Apply two more full layers of paper mache to the birdhouse; allow the first layer to dry completely before adding the second layer of paper.
- 8
  Cut an entrance halfway between the top and bottom of the shell with the utility knife. Cut the entry hole to a size suited to the specific species of bird the house is intended for. For example, smaller wren species will use houses with 1-inch diameter holes, whereas some woodpecker and martin species require an opening as large as 2 1/2 inches.
- 9
  Drill a hole for a perch 1 inch below the entrance with a 1/4-inch drill bit. Roll up a 2-inch-wide piece of newspaper into a 1/4-inch diameter tube; test fit the perch into the perch hole. Cover the perch with paste, insert the perch into the hole and allow the paste to dry for 24 hours.
- 10
  Spray the birdhouse with three coats of paint rated for exterior application, allowing each coat of paint to dry according to the manufacturer̵7;s instructions.
- 11
  Hang the birdhouse up by the paracord.

Animals & Science