One of my favorite things to do when I craft is to really transform the material into something so different than it was when I began. Whether it’s using it in a different way, deconstructing it and rebuilding it, or adding a material to change it’s shape, it’s fun to play with the possibilities.

This DIY yarn birdcage is such a cool AHA! project that kids will love! When we made the cage, we left the bottom open, because why cage up a bird that wants to fly around, even if that bird is made from paper? You can have fun experimenting with fun bird crafts like origami birds or pom-pom birds.

This project is an excerpt from my first book, Project Kid: 100 Ingenious Crafts for Family Fun. This post contains affiliate links.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Balloon
• Vase (approximately 5 by 5 inches)
• Painter’s tape
• Plastic wrap
• Cookie sheet lined with wax paper
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Aleene’s Fabric Stiffener & Draping Liquid
• Disposable cup
• Large bead
• Hot-glue gun
• Cord or twine 
• 2- to 3-inch long dowel or stick

Let’s make it!

1. Blow up a balloon until it fits snuggly in vase. (If you don’t have a vase, you can cut off the bottom of a 2-liter drink bottle.) Adhere a piece of painter’s tape around where the balloon meets the edge of the vase, then cover the whole thing in plastic wrap. Place this on the cookie sheet.

2. Cut 4 pieces of yarn that stretch from the bottom edge of vase to the bottom edge of the vase on the other side. Cut 2 of these in half. Then cut 3 pieces that wrap around the circumference of the vase. Lastly, cut 1 4-inch piece.

3. Pour Mod Podge into a disposable bowl. Dip one of the long pieces into the glue and squeeze off the excess with your fingers. Drape the yarn over the top of the balloon, centered, until it reaches the bottom edge. The yarn will stretch out a bit when wet, so just lay the excess on the wax paper. Smooth it down over the surface of the balloon and vase. Repeat, adhering the next long piece exactly perpendicular to the first. 

4. Take one of the 4 half pieces, dip it in Mod Podge, and adhere it centered in between 2 of the lines. Repeat in the next 3 spaces.

5. Dip one of the other 3 pieces of yarn, and wrap around the base of the vase. Smooth it down. Dip and wrap the other two pieces where the balloon meets the vase, about a ½ inch apart. Set cookie sheet aside and let it dry, about 4 hours.

6. Dip 4-inch piece of yarn and make a circle flat on the wax paper. This will become the hanger.

7. Once it’s hard and dry to the touch, use scissors to pop the balloon. Wiggle the vase, plastic wrap, and balloon out of the cage. With your fingers, scrape off the excess dried Mod Podge. Trim off excess strings on the bottom.

8. Hot glue bead to the top of the cage, then glue the dried yarn circle on top of that.  Thread cord through the top loop for hanging. Tie dowel to 2 pieces of cord, thread the cords through the holes in the cage, and knot behind the hanger.

April 24, 2020| Animals, Decor, Everyday Crafts, Kids Rooms, Nature, Older Elementary, Tween to Teen, Wall Decor, Yarn & Fabric