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.
Glue the matchboxes between the two sides of the cabana at
the bottom. I also added one to the very top near the point of the roof, to
make the structure stable. Because it sits under the roof, it will not be seen.
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.