I just love little bird cages and for the longest time have had a desire to make one.  I just hate soldering.  Soldering is not my friend.  I have made progress on getting some things to solder some of the times.   But I am not consistent every time.  So….I had to think of a different way to get my little cage done.   Paper, wire and glue are the main components.

Let’s have some fun.

 

Supplies:

1. wire 30 gauge
2. card stock
3. form  ( I used the glass from the bead landing cloches)
4. Bottom portion from a small gumball machine container.   This will be the bottom of the cage.
5. earring backs for pierced ears.   The bell shaped ones.
6. some small filigree bead spacers
7. paint
8. glue white
9. super glue
10. tooth pick
11. sand paper
12. 3mm wide wood strip for spacing.

Cut a strip of the white card stock approximately 1/8 ” wide and one strip 1/4 ” wide.  Use the 1/4″ strip to form a band along the bottom of the glass.  Form two 1/8″ bands /rings.   Placing one approximately 1/16″ above the bottom band and the other approximately 3/4″ above.  Right before the glass starts to curve.  Please note…do not glue the bands to the glass.  Over lap the strips ends and only glue the paper to paper.  

Cut a 1/2 circle of card stock and use a ball stylus to round out.  Use one very small dot of glue to hold to the top of the glass.

Cut 34 lengths of the 30 gauge wire approximately 2.5″ long.   You may need more or less depending on your spacing.  Apply glue only  to the paper and align a wire running from top to the bottom.

Try and have the wire run straight as possible from the top to the bottom.  Cut off  any excess wire you have hanging over the edge.   Mine is definitely crooked.

I used a piece of wood that is 3 mm in width to make a light mark for the next wire.

Glue your next piece of wire on the mark.

Keep the wires on the marks as close as possible.  The spacing at the top the wires will be closer together.   Continue on until you fill to the end.

Cut a 2 strips 1/8″, one 1/4″ and another 1/2″ circle.  Glue over the first strips.  Making a sandwich of the wires.

 

Let dry thoroughly. Gently work the rough cage off of the glass dome.  

Test fit the bottom of the bubble gum machine container.

Cut a 2.5″ piece of the 30 gauge wire and form a loop at one end.

Thread on an earring backing, small circle bead spacer and then pierce through the bottom of the circle through to the top circle.

This picture shows a test fit of the top filigree circles finished off with the earring back.  I changed to a flat filigree vs the dome in my finished project as below.

Once you have your choice of top filigree spacers, make a round loop for the top.

Next we will work on the door for the cage.  It will be a sliding door that slides up.   Cut four  wires right above the second band from the bottom and then cut again the same three wires about 1/3″ above.  You will have a small rectangle opening.

Cut a piece of the 30 gauge wire to frame the opening and  super glue (I use gorilla gel super glue) glue across the cut wires at the top. The picture above shows the wire in place painted white to see.

Cut four pieces of the 30 gauge wire approximately 1/2″ and two pieces 3/4″ long.

I used the back side of a piece of masking tape to hold the wires in place.  Four across vertical and then two across horizontal.   Be sure to use your spacing wood to space the bars for the gate so that they will match the cage.  The door will need to be just a tad bit taller then the opening.    Glue with the super glue.

I happened to find an interesting glue “helper” in the hobby store.  The sales team member said it would work with the liquid super glue, however, I found that it works with the gel super glue just fine.  It’s called Johnny weld.  You are supposed to pour a little bit of the johnny weld sand on the connection and then add a drop of the liquid super glue.  I , however,  did it the opposite way on my cage door.  I placed the gel super glue on the joins  ( very sparingly) and then with a paper towel under to catch the extra johnny weld, I poured on top of the joins.  The Johnny weld helps make a stronger bond.

Trim off the extra wire at the top and bottom.  The above picture shows the johnny weld on the back of the cage door.

Trim off the side wire to extend 1/8″ over the last wire. Bend you door around the glass shape so that it will be rounded slightly.

Place the door over the opening.  Making sure that the top wire of the cage door is above the door frame top wire.  Bend over the wires at the sides in a “u” shape around the vertical wires.  Not too tightly.  The door will need to be able to slide up and down.

Sand down a tooth pick to about half the width.

Measure a width across the cage for the bird perch.  Cut  and notch the ends to fit between the wires.

Cut another piece of the toothpick about a 1/4″ wide.   Use a t-pin to make holes in each end.

Cut a small piece of the 30 gauge wire and shape as above.   I missed a picture.  Trim the length to a little over 1/4″  bend the ends of the wire in toward the middle and trim off. Insert the legs into the ends of the wood.  This is the swing that hangs from the loop on the inside of the cage.  

 

All done with the hard part.  Now you can paint and decorate as you wish to finish up your bird cage.  I recommend sealing the paper with a sealer before painting  with acrylics to prevent warping.   I spray painted flat white primer on my cage for my sealer.

You can make a simple stand by bending wire to form a hook.

 

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter holiday!

 

Tina