Bernie, what size are your little birds? Since Craft supplies quit carrying the little birds that I like I have had trouble finding the small birds less than 3/4" in length.
Those are cute, but those tiny turnings like that really tax my eyes... I keep a pair of old reading glasses in the shop so I can see details a little better, but they tend to slide down my nose and sometimes don't help at all...
John these are finish with deft spray lacquer. Usually 4 coats or so and the first coat must be light, light if you use dye or copic pens to color so the color doesn't run. Don't ask me how I know this. I make my own eyelets. I take some #20 gold beading wire and bend about a 1 1/2" long piece over a 1/8" piece of steel bar. I grab the ends with a pair of pliers and twist till it is tight on the bar but just loose enough I can get it off. I cut to about a 1/2" t 5/8" in length and CA glue it into my hole. I sit and watch TV while making these. I make about a 100 or more in a sitting for cheap. The thread like spools come with 10 yards so you can get many eyelets out of a spool.
Thanks Dale. I started making them from some wire my wife had. Now I sit in front of the TV and in 3 or 4 nights make around 500 for .0058 cents each. I have used fish hook eyelets when I was in a pinch and they do work well.