You're never alone when you're
sitting in this catbird's seat.

Birds of a Feather

Equipped with twig-and-branch landing pads and a cup-holder nest, this chair supplies perches for a permanent papier-mache flock as well as room for you and a winged visitor or two. We painted our chair lavender to showcase the brilliant plumage of our fine-feathered friends.

• Unfinished Adirondack chair
• White primer paint
• Exterior latex paint, lavender or color of your choice
• Paintbrushes
• Instant papier-mache (available at crafts stores)
• Drill
• 1/8-inch dowels
• Hot glue or crafts glue
• Acrylic paints to paint birds
• Artist's brushes
• Polyurethane
• Branches and small twigs

1. Prime the chair with white oil-base primer and allow it to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.

2. Paint the chair with the exterior latex paint. Let the paint dry.

3. To create the birds, mix a batch of instant papier-mache according to manufacturer's instructions. Two cups of the mixture should make seven small birds. With your hands, mold the substance into bird shapes, and place the birds on a cookie sheet. Bake for 2 hours at 250 degrees F, or according to manufacturer's instructions. Let the birds cool.

4. Drill holes at the base of the bird for legs cut from 1/8-inch dowels. Coat ends of dowels with hot glue or crafts glue, and stick the ends in the holes. Let the glue dry.

5. Paint each bird with acrylic paints. Use black and white paint and a fine brush to paint the birds' eyes. Combine bold hues on the bodies with paint polka dots and stripes on the wooden legs. Let the painted birds dry.

6. Seal the paint on the birds with a coat of polyurethane.

Step 7

7. Hot glue small twigs into a circle on the edge of one chair arm for a nestlike cup holder. Hot-glue (and nail as needed) branches and twigs to the chair as extra bird-girders. As you go, sit in the chair to check that branches or birds do not obstruct your comfort or views.

8. Determine bird placement, drilling holes in branches and the chair for bird legs. Place a drop of hot glue or wood glue into the hole. Push legs into holes, and let glue dry.