I made this beach cabana for Alpha Stamps, and thought I’d
post about it here with a bit of information about how it was made.
I started with some chipboard houses from 7Gypsies. Each set
comes with three houses: a solid one, one with 4 small windows, and one with a
large cutout. I used two sets, because I wanted to have the large cutout in
both the front and back of the cabana. I covered all the sides with scrapbook
paper (Graphic45), and inked around the edges. On the front, I used a Travel Adhesive Border to create the waves, and images from the Bathing Beauties #3 collage sheet. I
added a metal frame, a seashell, a drink umbrella, and a Cream Resin Sparrow,
among other things.
To create the opening between the front and back, I used
matchboxes. I simply stacked four matchboxes like so, and covered the top and
bottom with the same striped paper as the front and back.
Using an ink pad and a color duster brush (similar to an old
fashioned shaving brush), I gave those stark white matchbox drawers a bit of
color. For drawer pulls, I used hitch fasteners, but you could always use
something like these banded end caps for handles. Simply glue them on with E6000. I painted the inside of the matchboxes
blue, and then decorated them with images and type from the Beachy Postage and
Words collage sheet and some seashells.
Next, I cut some images from some G45 Bathing Beauties
Scrapbook paper, and using some foam adhesive, stacked them within the windows
of the structure. I know it’s not comfortable for the girls, but I bent their
legs back like tabs so I could glue down onto the matchbox base. Sorry, ladies!
Once those were in place, I chose two images from the same
Bathing Beauties paper and glued them to the sides of the cabana. The chipboard
houses are thick enough that you can put a thin line of glue down and the
images will adhere. I cut each image a little wider than necessary so that once
they were glued them in place, I could trim them to fit with my X-acto knife.
Use a little ink on the sides to get rid of white edges.
The roof is cut out of shirt cardboard. Of course, I inked
those edges as well; I always ink my edges! I like the finished look it gives. I
drew the flag onto some scrapbook paper, and used a black colored pencil to
give it some shading to help make it look 3D.
The flagpole is a bamboo skewer, cut so it can rest on
that matchbox near the top of the cabana. Placing and attaching the flag was a
little tricky: I figured out where it should sit on the roof, and punched a
little hole in the roof’s fold. I fed the flagpole through that hole, and then
glued the it down along the side of the cabana while the roof was still loose.
Since it won’t be seen, I also used some tape to secure it. Once I was sure the
flag was placed correctly, I glued the roof to the top of the cabana using a
thin line of glue.
I stacked up some of the foam adhesive under the roof in the
front so that the Travel Adhesive Border I used for trim would have some
support. Simply peel and stick to the edge of the roof, and rest it on the foam
tape. At the apex of the roof, I added a shell I found on the beach in Florida.
It was the perfect size and color.
I wanted light to show through the cabana, so I glued a thin
sheet of blue tissue paper over the opening on the back, and then used BlueDresden Shell Border strips to cover the edges of the paper. A seashell cut
from a Travel Adhesive Border and an image from Travel Stamps Varnished Paper
complete the look. For the feet, I used some wooden beads from an old necklace.
And there you have it. All ready for some fun in the sun!
Bonus: I still have four chipboard houses left. I'll have to figure out something exciting to do with them.
