(re)Purposeful: Mod Podge Toilet Tank Lid...wha?

I was absolutely inspired when I stumbled across the blog: Mod Podge Rocks! (http://www.modpodgerocksblog.com/) I think it may have changed my life! The very next day I sprinted to the nearest Hobby Lobby and bought the biggest jar I could find, ideas swarming through my brain as loud as a hive of honey bees! Alas, when I got home, life happened...the kids needed me, the laundry was starting to overgrow the bins, my husband was sure he was starving to death...sigh!
Last night something magical happened...the kids STAYED in bed and my dear husband went out with his brother!!! Oh yes, I had the house to MYSELF! It was if I could hear the lonely Mod Podge jar calling to me from my workshop.
I knew the first project needed to be more like a lab experiment. That way if something didn't worked or (gasp) was ruined, it would be a learning experience and not a giant blow to my crafty ego! Well we have a toilet tank lid in our downstairs bathroom that was dropped and shattered into three big pieces. You can't buy replacement lids...or so I was told at the 3 hardware stores I tried.  Out of desperation, I glued it together and put a dish towel over it.
                                                            Perfect starter project!!!

SO first I watched the tutorials for Mod Podging  on the amazing blog mentioned earlier! Then I got busy! I'm no seamstress so there's not a lot of fabric laying around but I scrummaged up a twin sized sheet that had seen better days.  I cut out enough to cover the whole lid and wrap around the bottom and coated the fabric with Mod Podge (MP) leaving it in the workshop to dry. This keeps the fabric from fraying and also hardens it so it's easier to adhere things to. After an agonizing hour I couldn't wait anymore so I covered the lid with a medium coat of MP and smoothed the (almost dried) fabric over it. (Lay it down slowly and rub all the bubbles out!) I treated the corners like wrapping a present and MP'd the folds to hold them in place.

Next step:  I scoured the internet for images of birds until I found one I liked and printed it out. Using the image as a template, I then cut out birds facing different directions from some fun scrap-booking paper. I took it one step further and cut out a different color for their wings and beaks, made branches for them to rest on and cut out a bunch of leaves in coordinating colors and patterns. I used the MP to glue the wings and things on the birds and then used it again to adhere all the cut-outs to the fabric-covered tank lid. (Just a note: lay out your design first so you can tweek it before you glue anything down, soooo much easier than starting over because it doesn't look right) After waiting 20 minutes or so I added another coat of MP over the whole thing to seal it.

It still needed a little something... a little black ribbon around the edge with a coat of MP to hold it in place, finished it all off nicely! I LOVE how it turned out and will probably be looking for excuses to use the downstairs bathroom from now on!