Brighten up a mantlepiece with Corinne Bradd’s sweet birdhouse project

What you need...

• Cotton fabric, Tilda Circus, assorted fat quarters
  Cardstock
  Coloured felt
  Pompom trim
  Embroidery thread
  Adhesives

instructions

1. Birdhouse Box - 1 Cut four rectangles from cardstock, 8.5cm x 10cm. Mark 12mm in from each top corner, then snip a line from this point to the adjacent bottom corners to slant each side. Cut 8.5cm square card for the base. Draw around each rectangle onto felt and trim 2mm inside the guideline. Glue each piece to the reverse of patterned fabric and cut, leaving a 1cm border. Fold in the excess, then adhere before covering the edges with felt. Leave to dry.
   
   2 Match the bottom of a side panel to one side of the base square, right sides out. Oversew using two strands of coloured embroidery thread; use small stitches that just catch the folded edges of the fabric and do not pass through the card. Stitch the remaining pieces to the base. Fold up the sides and oversew the long edges of each panel together to create a box.
   
   3 Cut a 3.5cm circle of felt, blanket stitch around the outside and secure to the top centre of the box. Trim card, 8cm x 13cm, then fold in half to make a roof. Cover the outside as before and line with two pieces of felt, 6.3cm x 7.8cm. Oversew pompom trim around the edges with embroidery thread.
   
   4 Cut 4.5cm square card and divide diagonally to make two triangular gable ends. Cover with fabric and line with felt, as before. Place the roof felt side down and glue one edge of each gable to one side of the roof, 5mm in from the edge. Once dried, secure the opposite gable edges and fold up the roof to meet them. Place the finished roof over the box.