Outdoor Bird Cage Lampshade

by Magda Agenbag

With Christmas around the corner, I thought it might be a good time to create something to hang above my outdoor table. With Australias weather it’s almost a done deal that it would be an outside affair.

This projest is quick and easy, and you only need a few items to create this. And the nice thing about it is, you could make it as normal or glamorous as you wish.

You will need:

2 Metal rings in the same size. Different sizes available.

I found mine at Spotlight and it is 450mm.

Netting Wire

Bunnings Warehouse (hardware store)

Chain to hang the end product from, around 1.5m

Hardware stores like Bunnings sell chain per meter

Polistyrene birds.

I found mine at K-Mart and Neds(SA) for $2 per two pack, in the Christmas décor section.

Feathers

K-Mart or Craft Stores

2 Branches to fit inside your bird cage. Dried out or green and leavy.
Things to hang on the bottom of your bird cage. I used my collection of hearts, but you can hang a string of pom poms, feathers, strips of ripped material knotted through the holes, lace or nothing at all.
A string of white battery operated fairy lights.

Also from the Christmas section in K-Mart.

Hot glue gun
Pliers and a wire cutter

Instructions: *

Measure all around your metal ring and add 5cm to overlap.
With your wire cutters, carefully cut the length of netting you need. Be careful to not cut crookedly. It is a good idea to measure on the top and bottom of the wire netting and tie a small piece of string and use these as a guide.
Depending on how long you want the bird cage to be, you should now cut the netting in the length to get the height of your cage.
When you buy a small roll of Metal netting, you will get a piece of wire wrapped around the roll. You will now use that to attach the metal rings to your netting. First you have to fold the cut edge of the netting over the top ring. Around 1cm. Join the netting where it overlaps, by folding the sharp ends of the wire to the inside. Then take a piece of wire and start weaving all around the edge to keep the ring inside the fold. The bottom ring is easy to attach, because the edge of the netting is nicely finished.
Once the basic cage is done, you are ready to start with the decoration.

I used my K-Mart and Ned’s birds, and glued more tail feathers to them, using my hot glue gun.

I then inserted my branches. I was lucky to find a dried out branch with some moss still on it. Clip your birds where you want them. Some can be on the side of the cage, and some sitting on the branches.