For the Birds...turn a CD Stand Into a Bird-themed "curiosity Cabinet"

Barbara Stanley
by Barbara Stanley
6 Hours
Medium
I volunteer for a local non-profit thrift store, and occasionally make an up-cycled craft out of a donated item that they then raffle off or sell. I recently took this birdcage-style CD cabinet and made it into a bird-themed shadowbox styled after the Victorian "curiosity cabinet". I hope that it brings a good amount of money for a worthy cause!
CD holder/stand
The stand was a donation that we decided to up-cycle into a piece of art and try to "up-sell" to increase profit for the thrift store. First, I cut out some of the shelves with bolt cutters to vary the size of the cubbies. I then covered the back with burlap that I had left from our son's wedding, stapling it to the wood.
The completed cabinet!
The turkey feathers and moss are out of our yard. I already had most of the items on hand, including the vintage crocheted lace, craft bird nests and eggs, flower pots, bird house and mushroom birds. I bought the mason-style jar for $2.97 at WalMart and the white ceramic bird for about $1.50 at Michael's.
Burlap/chalkboard tags from a craft store add rustic charm. I wrote the letters with a white paint pen. The mason-style jar has an led candle with a timer
The graphics were all printed from free graphics sites. I made the paper nest from vintage sheet music, shredded in a paper-shredder, dipped in dilute white glue and molded over a bowl to dry. I grew the mini birdhouse gourds a couple of years ago to make some fairy birdhouses.
The wreath is made from grapevine from our woods. Items are fastened to the shelves and frame with brown twine, floral wire, hot glue and adhesive dots.
Another close-up.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Comments
Join the conversation
3 of 17 comments
  • Judi Judi on Jun 14, 2020

    Omg, I have the same one and was wondering what to do with it!! Great idea!

    Did you cut some of the wiring out to make the openings larger?

    • Barbara Stanley Barbara Stanley on Jun 14, 2020

      Yes, I used my handy dandy bolt cutters to remove a couple of shelves and vary the spaces for larger objects. Have fun!

  • Charlotte W Austin Charlotte W Austin on Sep 05, 2021

    I have wondered through The years what this was. I would have never figured a CD holder because it actually looked too old. I too used it as a birdcage. I had lots of little glass birds all in it

Next