How to Make a Paper Brid
In the poem about Valentine's Day, "The Parliament of the Fowls," Chaucer tells the story of the "goddess of nature" who is a caretaker of "brids." "Brids" is the Middle English spelling for the word "birds." In Chaucer's poetic tale, three male eagles beg the goddess for the "wing" of a female eagle. Ultimately, the female eagle asks to wait a year to make her decision. The message is one of giving love a chance but waiting on the right time. This Valentine's Day, fill your house with "brids" and be reminded of the moral of this poem from ages past.
Things You'll Need
- 1 "brid" template
- 1 pair of scissors
- 1 sheet of standard white poster board
- 1 pencil
- 10 sheets of pink, red or Valentines-themed scrap book art paper
- 1 old magazine
- 1 washable glue stick
- 1 package of adhesive back, small faux jewels
- 1 bottle white craft glue
- 1 bottle of pink, red and silver glitter
- 1 hole punch
- 1 roll of jewelry wire
- 1 package of beads of your choice
Instructions
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Go "bird watching." The first step is to find a bird template that you like. Living the Swell Life gives a great pattern for a tree ornament that you can use to model your Valentine's Day "brid" decoration (see resources for address). Start there. If you would like to try a different bird template, you can type "bird template" into your search engine box. There are side views of birds, aerial views, and different kinds of birds--such as doves. One template comes from illustrator Tricia Rennea (address in resources). Choose a birdie you like, and print it out.
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Cut out your template. Using your scissors, carefully cut around the edges of the bird template. Some templates have separate parts, such as wings. Cut out all parts and set aside.
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Trace and cut again. Place your template on the corner of your white sheet of poster board, which you can purchase from grocery or craft stores. Trace the template with a pencil, and cut it out. This is your base.
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Cover your bird with colorful paper, and cut it out again. To do this, rub glue on the white poster board cutout, then stick the bird onto a sheet of colorful art paper or beauty magazine ad. Colors and designs of the paper are up to you. Be creative. Press firmly, and then trim off the excess paper.
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Add decorative details. Use a self-adhesive faux jewel for the bird's eye. If your bird has wings, consider decorating with jewels or glitter. To apply glitter, cover your bird with craft glue and then gently shake glitter onto the surface until the bird is covered with glitter. Allow everything to dry.
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Attach a wire hanger. Living the Swell Life offers a creative twist on bird decorations. The site suggests punching a hole at the top of the bird's head and slipping a ribbon through it to make the bird into a tree ornament. A glitzy spin-off to this idea is to cut a six-inch strip of jewelry wire, slip beads along the wire, run the beaded wire through the hole and twist the ends a few times at the top. Now your bird is ready to hang on doorknobs throughout your house on Valentine's Day.
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