This easy DIY birdhouse is quick and fun to make from scraps, it would be a great afternoon project to make with the kiddos!
Materials needed to make a simple birdhouse
- Scrap wood
- DecoArt Patio Paint (I used Tuscan Red & Sunshine Yellow)
- Gorilla Wood Glue
- Perch (I used an old cabinet pull)
Tools needed:
- Saw (I used a compound miter saw)
- Drill with hole saw & small bit (to install perch)
- Nail gun (or finish nails)
- Paint Brush
Use scrap wood for this easy project
Because I do a lot of building I always have many “end” pieces of 1x6’s. I gathered some of these scrap pieces.
To make the pitch on the roof, I set my miter saw at 15 degrees. I have two pieces stacked in this photo.
Measurements for Easy DIY Birdhouse
These are my measurements for the back and the sides.
This is the front of the birdhouse. I used a 1 ¾ inch hole saw to make the doorway. I made the hole 3 ½ inches from
the bottom.
The measurements of the roof.
The measurements of the floor.
I did a dry fit to make sure all the pieces fit together. While the pieces were in place, I marked them with a pencil so I would know how to glue them.
Assembling your project
Gorilla Wood Glue was used to glue the pieces together. After the pieces set up, I added some finish nails with my nail gun.
Use Patio Paint
The DecoArt patio paints went on very smoothly.
I did not paint the inside of the birdhouse.
I prefer to use these kind of “chip” brushes on small projects. They don’t hold a lot of paint, so there is very little waste.
This is my favorite feature of using these small bottles of DecoArt paint. I squirt the paint right onto my wood, then use the chip brush to spread the paint around.
It is not shown here, but I used two screws to attach the roof, just in case I need to take the house down to clean it out.
NOTE: attach perch before securing the roof.
I searched through my hardware to find a “perch”.
I drilled two holes to insert the cabinet handle into the wood.
Looking down into the easy diy birdhouse. You can see that I added the perch before I installed the roof.
I drilled two pilot holes and screwed this house right to the tree.
I am happy to report that I got new residents within 3 days! The sparrows wasted no time building their nest. It makes me smile when I look out my window at my new birdhouse. I know that the patio paint (because it is an outdoor paint) will last a long time.
This is not the only birdhouse I’ve made, check out the one I made using a license plate for a roof.
Ohhh, there are baby birds!
gail
Gail Wilson is the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. She is obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believes that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again, including herself!
Gail reinvented herself during a midlife crisis and has found purpose again. She hopes you will find new ideas for old things and pick up a few tools along the way.
Anonymous
That's gonna be the best crack-pad for the birds at CS š
Laurie LW
Ok, I guess I will be making some of these with my kids. Actually, I have been wanting to do this, it is a good reminder to just do it.
Home Made Quilts By Granny
Thats the cutest birdhouse I have seen....my dad would like this he makes birdhouses. Trish
Anita @ GoingALittleCoastal
So cute, I will have to save this one for future building!
Mimi@blueroofcabin
Love the red and the perch is sooo cute, and you have birdies that is awesome!
Shellie
Wow! makes me wish I were a bird! š
Suzanne@Meridian Road
Cute! I love the cabinet pull for the perch!
allenaim photography and design
oh dear that is cute...but so doesn't look easy to me š You are such an allstar with a saw!!
Full Circle Creations
I'm so glad you had birds move in right away. I have several houses and one is empty-I think it might need to be moved.
Holly
Kathy
Ahhhh dorable! We need new bird houses. The ones my Daddy built for me when we first moved to our current place have either rotted or been chewed up by the squirrels. I feel another project coming on for the long Memorial Day weekend.
Amanda
What a lovely birdhouse, and so nice it's already being used!