Lisa is a North Carolina blogger who shares
recipes, crafts, and random thoughts.
You have to see her Best Fried Pickle recipe!
Hop over to Life Away From The Office Chair
and leave a congratulatory comment for Lisa on
winning the white ceramic message board.
Then come back to read how to create
Bird Ornaments.
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More inspiration from
The Graphics Fairy...
Using Microsoft Word and
free (yes, free... can you believe it?)
images from The Graphics Fairy,
I created four small bird ornaments.
Supply List
- Free images from The Graphics Fairy
- Computer Color Printer
- Canvas Cloth, 8.5" x 11"
- Mod Podge glue
- Art Mat Board
- Paper Cutter
- Ribbon, four 6-inch lengths
- Hot glue gun
Here the little birds sit before getting their hanging ribbons.
Step 1: Create the four bird images to print.
Using landscape in Page Set Up, I copied the four images from
The Graphics Fairy and pasted them onto the same
Microsoft Word document.
Bird print #1:
External Parts of a Bird
The Graphics Fairy image was black and white.
To change its color, I used the Picture formatting options in
Microsoft Word.
There are so many kinds of computers, but there is a
strong possibility that Microsoft Word
works similarly on all brands of computers.
I use a MacBook Pro laptop.
TIP: Make a copy of the downloaded image.
Make your changes to the COPY so if you
are not happy with the results, you can start
over with another COPY of the downloaded image.
First, click on the bird print you want to change.
You should be able to see an outline around the image.
A "Picture" submenu appears in the Formatting Palette.
Above is what the screen looks like on my computer.
The very first option is titled, "Recolor."
Its drop-down menu has three more submenus,
"Color Modes, "Dark Variations," and "Light Variations."
I could not get a picture of those.
The third submenu titled, "Light Variations" has
several options. I chose "Accent Color 3 Light."
You know, I just discovered this feature within
the past week, and I've been using Microsoft Word
for years and years...
So much to learn...
I added a Box behind the image and
added a colored line Border around the image.
I did not see a list of what the external numbered parts are on a bird.
Bird print #2:
Tulip Soap
The Graphics Fairy image is exactly as you see.
All I had to do was to resize it.
The canvas cloth texture makes these photos extra special.
The colors seem much brighter on the canvas cloth than
the colors looked on the practice paper pages.
Bird print #3:
Bird with Mistletoe
Superimpose the bird image over the mistletoe image,
both from The Graphics Fairy.
Use Microsoft's "Ordering" options and
adjust "Transparency" to allow the bottom image
to show through the top image.
Bird print #4:
Bird with Fleur-de-Lis
The Graphics Fairy has links to sets of
free fonts.
One set is called, "Best French Free Fonts."
The French font is all fleur-de-lis characters.
Create a Text Box and fill it with fleur-de-lis.
Create a Rectangle Box behind it as a border.
Use "Layer" options to place the bird image
over the Text Box which is over the Rectangle Box.
Create colored line Borders around the Rectangle Box
and the bird image.
Use "Transparency" to show the Text Box image
through the bird image.
Step 2: Print the four birds.
After formatting the bird images, print practice pages
to check placement, colors, and sizes.
Then print out these fine-feathered friends on
canvas cloth paper from Office Depot.
I printed all four prints on one canvas cloth page.
I use an HP Photosmart C5500 printer.
Let the printed canvas cloth images dry for several hours,
preferably overnight.
Notice the packaging descriptions:
brilliant color printing
quick drying and fade resistant
When I glued the birds to the art mat boards,
I used a slightly damp heavy paper "shop" towel to smooth down
the canvas and to clean off stray Mod Podge glue
that was on the canvas from my fingers.
The color did not run,
and it did not rub off onto the paper towel.
No compensation from Office Depot;
just thought you would like to know.
Step 3: Attach the four canvas birds to art mat boards.
Cut out the four bird rectangles from the canvas cloth.
Trace around the perimeter of the four birds
onto art mat board.
Use a paper cutter to cut the four art mat boards
that will be the backs of the images.
The mat board makes a nice stiff board for
hanging on a tree, the wall, on a hook, etc...
I glued the bird prints to the BACKs of the mat boards,
allowing the fronts of the mat boards to show as the backs
of the bird canvas ornaments.
This is a nice finish on the back of the ornaments.
Cover the back of the mat board and
the back of the bird-printed canvas cloth
with Mod Podge glue.
Smooth down the bird canvas cloth image
onto the art mat board BACK making sure
there are no air bubbles and
all the edges are firmly attached.
Allow to dry.
Step 4: Attach hanging ribbons to backs of the art mat boards.
Find the center of the back of each of the small canvas bird/art mat boards.
Use a hot-glue gun to attach both ends of a 6-inch ribbon at the
marked center back.
I glued my ribbon ends about one-quarter inch to one-half inch below the
back top edge of the bird canvas/art mat boards.
This allows the ribbon to be folded down behind
the bird canvas ornament in case you want to display
the bird canvas ornament
on a small easel instead of hanging it.
Hang or prop and enjoy!
Missed the tutorial on how to make the mossy hydrangea heart?
That little blue Eiffel Tower in the background
will be discussed in a tutorial in an upcoming post.
Oh, what fun I am having!
❦
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