I decided to get my brother a gift certificate for his birthday this year, so I knew I had to package it in a cool way. I had recently seen this post on Nichole Heady’s blog which inspired me. See, my brother’s house has an uncanny resemblance to her bird house! I always joke that it is the Swiss Family Robinson tree house. It really is the coolest house though, and my brother loves living there. So that is how I got started in making this:

I used her template on kraft card stock that I stamped with a woodgrain stamp. Then for the front I cut “slats” and inked the edges in chestnut chalk ink. I glued them overlapping each other. I then cut a piece out of those boxes that the PTI sets come in for the window. I think it turned out so cute!

For the roof I cut out a bunch of strips and punched them with my scallop edge punch. I inked those edges with the chestnut chalk ink and glued them to overlap each other also. My brother’s roof really does look like this too!
I then glued down one side permanently with glue dots, but I only used removable adhesive for the other side. I love how it opens!

    
Here is a little mosaic of me putting the gift card in. I just love it! After my brother took out his present, he wanted me to adhere the other side of the roof permanently also so he could enjoy it all put together!

I don’t usually make 3D objects because it tends to be a disaster for me, but I am really proud of how this turned out! My next entry will have his card and the whole gift all together.

Thank you so much for visiting!

Have an amazing day,

kelly marie

PS. Do any of you know how to make a nice 4 x 4 grid like this in photoshop? Are there templates around for that kind of thing? I see people put together the best little mosaics, and I would love to learn how to do it! Thanks, guys! 🙂

PPS. I am laughing so hard because when I published it doesn’t look like a 4×4 grid at all! jajaja! I definitely need help!