I have made a birdhouse with my own hands at least once in my life. In Rus', the singing of starlings near the house was considered a good omen, so with the arrival of spring, the tradition comes to life in many families and manual creativity begins. Sometimes this hobby gives rise to a work of extraordinary beauty and the starlings can only choose a house or a castle. The singing of these birds is associated with spring, however, they do not sing for long until they call a female, and then they cease to be heard completely. When making a birdhouse, you need to think about safety so that cunning predators do not eat the eggs or chicks.
Wooden birdhouse can be of any type: birch, pine, larch. For example, it is easy to make simple houses for birds from logs. If you decide to place starlings in your yard, then it is important to take into account the length of the house, approximately 35-40 cm.
You need to select or saw off a log of the required size; pine is used in the photo.
Now we need to hollow out the inside of the log, and for this you can use a drill and a long wood drill, which we use to make an outline, and use a chisel to remove the inside.
It is most convenient to use a jigsaw to cut out the entry hole. We focus on diameters up to 50 mm.
The dimensions of the living bottom can be approximately 13*13 cm.
We nail the roof and bottom with self-tapping screws.
The roof of the birdhouse can be flat, with one slope or gable. If you want to protect the chicks from predators, such as cats, then you can extend the roof like a cornice.
There is no need to make the entrance hole large so that birds of prey cannot get inside and destroy the nest.
There are also different drawings with dimensions. Below I offer photo instructions on how to make a birdhouse. For the material you will need untreated hardwood boards.
So we cut it to the dimensions of the workpiece. We remember that they cannot be sanded from the inside so that the birds can cling to the wood with their claws and get out.
We screw the entire structure with self-tapping screws. We make sure that the sharp tip does not stick out anywhere.
And we’re going to choose a southern location to place such a house there.
How to make a birdhouse with your own hands from plywood
Plywood is also an excellent material for a birdhouse. All pre-prescribed dimensions must be transferred to the sheet.
If you are not making a house for starlings, then the dimensions may vary. For example, sparrows can build a nest in completely different conditions. But for singing starlings, a birdhouse depth of 35 cm is required.
We make a drawing on plywood from 6 mm, cut the plywood with a jigsaw or saw.
The front side can be processed sandpaper.
The inner wall should not be planed, because the chicks cannot then get out, so starlings do not live in such birdhouses.
We cut out a hole for the bird and sand it with sandpaper. You can glue it with PVA glue and treat it with stain. After 2 hours, after the first layer has dried, apply the second layer.
Use a drill to make a hole for the perch, apply PVA glue inside and insert a stick.
If a stick-perch is made, then it is a birdhouse for sparrows, and without a perch - for starlings.
How to make a birdhouse from a bottle
We will need: a 5 liter bottle, 1 skein of twine, double-sided tape, cosmofen, a piece of wool, two beautiful large buttons.
You need to wrap the bottle with twine. To do this, apply double-sided tape to the bottle and glue the end of the twine.
We make a hole in the bottle for the bird. Cut it out with scissors.
We decorate the roof of the birdhouse with fabric.
We decorate the roof with grass, which we sew on with thread and decorate the entrance hole by attaching the braid with double-sided tape.
Buttons are glued and millet or grain is poured inside.
How to make a birdhouse from a cardboard box for kindergarten?
Often in the spring, older groups in Russian kindergartens are given the task of making houses for birds. And sleepless creative nights begin for parents. We look at a lot of ideas, but we are always looking for something simple and aesthetic.
Therefore, I propose to do it in kindergarten birdhouse from a cardboard box.
Of course, it will be more decorative, because outside it will quickly get wet and become unsuitable for habitation.
We make a pattern according to size on cardboard.
Cut it out and cover the front side with fabric or paper.
We also cover the hole. We connect all the parts of the pattern using cardboard strips and glue. For strength we use a clothespin.
We measure and glue the roof and install it with PVA glue.
It turned out to be a very cute birdhouse. Any decor can be used: from decoupage to painting and rhinestones. I think kids will love making this craft.
Birdhouses should be attached on the south side so that the chicks are warm and feel comfortable.
Many people nail a birdhouse to a tree trunk, thereby injuring it. It is better to tie it around a tree or hang it from a branch using wire or rope. It is advisable to do this very firmly so that under gusts of wind the birdhouse does not dangle.
It can be screwed to a branch or to the trunk itself; be sure to check the integrity of the rope.
Photos of birdhouses made from scrap materials
Craftsmen make birdhouses - feeders from ice cream sticks.
Do you have an old boot? Great! It will also become a house for birds.
Anyone who has an old basin or ladle can also adapt it to house birds, the main thing is to lure them there.
An old chandelier can add an interesting touch to your garden, and if birds love it, you won’t want to take your eyes off such beauty.
Photos of original DIY birdhouse ideas
Wood is a very malleable material and real masterpieces can be made from it.
You can make not only a birdhouse from a log, but also a bird feeder, simply by placing it horizontally.
If you paint the birdhouse correctly, it will become a bright element of the garden.
Using the decoupage technique, you can make unique drawings. And such a birdhouse will look great and is absolutely harmless to birds.
Do you want to shelter a flock of birds? Combine three birdhouses into one apartment building.
An unusual version of a suspended house.
Quite a simple but interesting design of a birdhouse in the shape of a cat. Option for pet lovers.
Option for a designer bird house.
Hanging birdhouse. 
The entrance is shifted to a corner. 
Wooden green birdhouse.
If you have your own plot, then attracting birds that destroy harmful insects is a great solution. For these purposes, a birdhouse will be very useful to you. It can even be made from various available materials. To do this you will need the dimensions of the birdhouse and a drawing. For starlings and other birds, the dimensions of the product will be different. And it is important to take this into account in your construction work. Let's look at design options for such products, and also select the right materials.
You can make a beautiful birdhouse with your own hands from various available materials. But the best option, of course, is wood. But only deciduous trees will do, because conifers are too resinous. In this case, the resin can stain the feathers of birds, which will provoke their death. It is not the best solution to use plywood, OSB or. Birds rarely live in such structures. It is better to assemble blanks using screws and nails. Adhesives should not be used.
You can make the structure from boards or from logs. The photo shows what such products look like. It is important to take into account the dimensions of the birdhouse and the drawings and model of the product.
Manufactured from boards with a thickness of at least 20 mm. Such parameters are important for maintaining the required temperature for breeding. It is recommended to use unplaned boards. In this case, the inner surface should be rough. It is recommended to specifically scratch the front part under the tap hole. This will make it easier to lift the birds up.
birdhouse
You can build a structure from scrap materials, but it is important to follow certain rules.
The birdhouse device must have an elongated cavity, with a solid bottom and a removable lid. Under the roof there is an entrance, a special hole for birds.
The cover should be removable for easy inspection and cleaning of the product. In addition, unwanted animals can get inside.
The bird house must meet the following requirements:
- be opaque and durable;
- the walls must be rough so that the chicks can move for food brought by their parents;
- the material should retain heat well, be moderately sound-permeable and there should be no cracks in it.
The table shows standard and original materials for making a bird house.
| Image | Material | Peculiarities |
 | Plastic bottles | It looks original, but not the best solution. Birds do not like such smooth, transparent and unnatural material. You can only make a feeder out of bottles. |
 | Pumpkin | An unusual option is a pumpkin house. It is hung from branches or placed on special stands. This option will not last more than 1 season. |
 | Branches | From thin shoots you can weave a small basket with a lid. You need to leave a hole in it. Thick and massive branches can be connected using self-tapping screws. |
 | Log | Not a bad option. The structure can be made from a single log or from separate parts. |
 | Box or cardboard | This option is very unreliable. It is intended rather for decorative purposes. Before use, such a product is treated with special impregnations. |
 | Plywood and chipboard | Such materials can be harmful to birds and also do not retain heat well. It is better to make decorative structures from plywood. |
 | Tree | An ideal solution, but only hardwood. Coniferous varieties cannot be used. |
Birdhouse made of wood: naturalness and reliability
In nature, many birds settle in hollows made by woodpeckers, so artificial dwellings should not be large.
When deciding how to make a structure with your own hands, first of all, you need to choose the right material. Hardwood boards are most often used. The best option: alder, birch or aspen.
Other materials have different disadvantages. For example, fiberboard and chipboard can emit toxic substances, and plywood does not hold heat well.
In the photo you can see how to make a simple design. Before work, make a drawing with dimensions. High quality and simple circuits and drawings you can find on the Internet. This will reduce the consumption of materials, as well as perform correct cutting.
The diagram can be transferred to wooden blanks. Then prepare the following materials:
- untreated hardwood boards;
- long and thin nails;
- special impregnations and safe paints;
- The tools you will need are a hacksaw, a tape measure, a pencil and a brush.
All blanks are cut according to drawings. The boards should only be planed on the outside, leaving the inside rough. A hole is drilled in the front wall. A plank is mounted to the rear wall, onto which the house is secured in a suitable place.
For your information! The roof needs to be made protruding so that it protects the entrance from rainwater.
birdhouse
Birdhouse made of cardboard: ease of manufacture
This option is often used as a decorative house. This is more of a toy for children. A cardboard house is good for one season. It is better to choose thick corrugated cardboard to create it.
So, let's find out how to make such a design with your own hands. In addition to corrugated, you will need twine, starch and laminated paper. A pre-made template with dimensions will greatly facilitate the work.
The order of assembly of the product has its own characteristics:
- The blanks are marked, and then the parts are cut out in double quantities;
- made from starch;
- All parts are glued together in pairs. A hole is made in the front part. And holes are cut in the back wall for twine;
- all walls are glued end to end;
- the roof is made of two elements.
Birdhouse made of paper: decorative functions
Many people are interested in how to make a simple birdhouse out of paper with their own hands. This material is only suitable for decorative ideas. There are different schemes of unusual models.
Such houses are decorated acrylic paints. You can make a whole composition, for example “seasons”. In addition to drawing, you can use techniques or applications. All this beauty can be varnished.
The Christmas theme is suitable for the January holidays. This can be a wonderful garden decoration. You can make feeders this way, but not housing for birds.
Birdhouse from a bottle: an option for temporary housing
To make any birdhouse, the drawing and dimensions must be learned and prepared in advance. Product from plastic bottle made with your own hands is considered the most affordable.
This option is best used as a feeder or as a decorative garden decoration. The choice of options for how to make such a device is not varied. Two holes are made in the lid for the wire. The outside of the plastic surface can be pasted over or painted.
You can see the designs of models made from plastic bottles in the photo.
Birdhouse made of plywood: is it a good option?
You can make a bird house with your own hands from plywood. This option is suitable as a temporary home or as garden decor. When deciding how to make such a structure, first think about the drawings and size of the product. All elements are transferred from the diagram to plywood. In this case, the upper part should act as a visor. All cuts need to be sanded. The elements are connected using self-tapping screws and glue. In this case, it is necessary to glue the side walls and the facade, and then additionally fasten the product with self-tapping screws. The roof must be removable, since the internal cavities must be cleaned periodically.
The product can then be decorated to your liking.
Birdhouse out of the box: convenience and simplicity
How to make a structure out of a box with your own hands will be interesting to learn for those who do not want to spend a lot of time on work. This is a simple option, but it doesn’t last long and it’s better to use it as a... You can buy materials or just take a small box.
First you need to secure a strong roof and then cut the required hole. Its edges can be covered with tape. You can use plywood as the back wall, as it should be especially durable. The product should be painted with moisture-proof paint, but odorless. Then the product is attached to the base.
Choosing the right birdhouse sizes
If you don’t know how to properly make a bird house, then first you need to find out what the dimensions of the structure should be according to GOST. We make the product taking into account the fact that the dimensions of the structure will differ for different birds.
When deciding how to build a product with your own hands, first choose a simple design that has standard dimensions for a birdhouse.
Before making drawings and dimensions, consider a number of certain conditions:
- the diameter of the hole in the birdhouse should be about 50 mm;
- the height of the structure varies between 30-35 cm;
- the length from the hole to the bottom must be at least 20 cm;
- the bottom must be at least 15*15 cm.
Using these parameters, you can build strong birdhouses for birds with your own hands. The drawings assume the designation of all elements. The sizes given are more suitable for birds such as sparrows and starlings. It is also necessary to indicate the dimensions of the taphole on the drawing. In the photo you can see what similar structures look like.
Dimensions of a birdhouse for starlings
When making a birdhouse with your own hands for starlings, you need to take into account that this is a fairly large bird. This design should be deeper and larger than other options. To correctly complete the drawing, you need to find out the main dimensions of the product.
The size of the hole in the birdhouse is of great importance. It should be about 5 cm. The height of the feeder or birdhouse should be 35-40 cm. The bottom dimensions should be about 15*15cm. It is better to make the entrance round in shape. In this case, the diameter of the hole in the birdhouse for a starling depends on the overall dimensions of the structure.
Titmouse: drawing and dimensions, some features
How to make the design of a titmouse depends on the selected materials and its size. There are standard birdhouse sizes for tits. The bottom should have dimensions of 10*12 cm, the height of the structure should be 25-35 cm, and the dimensions of the taphole should be about 30-35 mm. The depth of the product should be about 50 cm. Using this data, drawings are made.
For your information! Such a house must be mounted on deciduous trees with a dense crown. This should be done at a height of 3-4 meters.
House for a wagtail: drawing and dimensions
When making a house for wagtail birds with your own hands, you will also need to know the recommended dimensions. The bottom must be made with dimensions of 10*8 cm, and the height of such a structure is within 20 cm. The taphole has dimensions of about 35-40 mm. When deciding how to make such a design, it is worth considering that the taphole should have the form of a slot, the width of which is no more than 40 mm.
The kids make similar products during labor lessons. In this case, special drawings are used. A special feature of this design is the presence of a platform at the entrance, the width of which is about 10 cm.
For your information! You can place such buildings not only on a tree, but also on the roof of a house or on the top of a fence.
How to make a birdhouse yourself
You can see how to make the simplest version for birds in the video below.
You can try making a simple, beautiful DIY birdhouse with a flat roof.
For this you will need unplaned boards. We make this design only with gloves. This will prevent splinters from appearing. The cuts must be smooth and there should be no gaps. Remember that hatched chicks do not have feathers, so they can die from a draft. To prevent the manufacturing process from taking much time, it is recommended to make a drawing of the birdhouse with dimensions in advance. A flat roof does not require much effort. It just needs to fit tightly.
At home, you can make a nest box or bird house from a log. This option is more like regular housing for birds. This can be seen in the photo. In addition, such structures are practically invisible on the tree, which makes them safer for living. Such a product can also be made according to the scheme. To do this, you can use a piece of dead wood. In this case, the core will have to be picked out by hand. It’s good if you come across a log with intact edges and a rotten middle. This will speed up the work.
Such wood has rotten bark that needs to be cleaned. The log is then sawn into suitable logs. For a bird house, the internal diameter should be 25-30 cm, and the external one 30-36 cm. For a titmouse, the internal size of the hollow should be 15-25 cm, and the external one – 20-30 cm. When sawing, the bevel at the bottom should be made even, and at the top parts at a slight angle. This will allow precipitation to drain from the roof. For the roof, use scraps from the boards. The middle of the log can be picked out with a chisel. To make the job easier, drill a few holes and then pick out the jumpers. The walls should remain 1.5-3 cm thick. The insides should be smooth without large chips. The bottom consists of pieces 2.5 cm thick. It is screwed on. Finally, the lid is nailed on.
For your information! Perches are not always a good solution for poultry houses, as cats can lean on them to reach the chicks with their paws.
How to build a birdhouse with your own hands
Let's find out how to make a birdhouse correctly. You can watch the working process in the video below.
How to make a birdhouse yourself and its design depends on where it will be hung. If the mounting will be carried out on a pole, under the roof of a house or, then it is worth planning special perches. If the structure is attached to a tree, then birds can walk along the branches.
To build a wooden house with your own hands, you will need certain materials. By the way, you can buy a birdhouse set with your own hands in a specialized store.
Here are the tools and materials you will need:
- boards and bars;
- carpentry glue, screws and nails;
- hammer, chisel, drill, hacksaw and drill;
- pencil and ruler.
You can see how to make a simple design in the photo. Drawings and diagrams will also help you make beautiful bird houses.
Before making such a design, you need to complete the blanks. To do this, markings are made on the boards according to the drawings. The correct house involves marking the dimensions of the roof, walls, bottom and holes. The following recommendations will help you when making preparations:
- since the roof is made with a slope, the front wall is made 4 cm longer than the others, and the side walls are cut with a bevel;
- the bottom is made in the form of a square with sides of 13 cm;
- the roof is made of two different elements. One part is made like the bottom, and with the help of the second a canopy is created.
Sawing is done carefully. All paired parts must be the same size. What did the house have outside? decorative look, the boards need to be planed. It is better to make the hole round so that it resembles a hollow.
Then the structure is assembled. To do this, you need to fasten the side walls and the front facade. This is done using wood glue. Nails and screws are used as additional reinforcement. Then the bottom of the birdhouse is attached. Finally, the back wall is attached. It is important to ensure that there are no gaps between the elements. If the roof is removable, then the parts are fixed only to each other. In this case, the roof is mounted using rubber or special hinges.
The finished product can be nailed to a suitable surface or tied with wire. To make it easier for the chicks to exit, it is recommended to attach the structure with a slight forward tilt.
There are also unusual types of birdhouses. Decorative options can be used to decorate the garden, and even taken to kindergarten.
Here are some original solutions:
- An unusual bird house can be made from an old barrel. In this case, you can make a hole and then decorate the structure;
- You can weave beautiful products from willow growth. The weaving technique is identical to the method of weaving baskets. But the house at the top should narrow. The roof should protrude 3-5 cm at the edges;
- For an unusual-looking nest, you can use plugs. They are dense, fit perfectly and retain heat. They can be used to finish the finished frame. You can glue the elements using hot glue;
- a decorative house can be made from a pumpkin. In this case, it is necessary to pull out the pulp, cut the necessary hole, and attach a canopy on top;
- a beautiful and decorative option is obtained from a flower pot. To do this, you need to braid it with a strong rope;
- Among the most unusual options, we can mention a product made from old shoes;
- used vessels with necks. In this case, the neck turns down;
- It's a good idea to use tubes.
How to decorate a birdhouse with your own hands
A birdhouse can become not only a useful item, but also a wonderful one. Let's look at how you can decorate a bird's house.
Photos show how unusual birdhouses look. You can make similar products with your whole family. For children you can make a product with a picture. For example, beautiful flowers, ornaments will do, or you can depict how a starling looks out in a birdhouse.
Using original ideas, you must remember that such a product should not attract the attention of various predators. You should also not overuse with various shiny and rustling parts that can frighten your feathered friends.
Unusual decor can be made using wine corks. This material has a porous but durable structure, which protects the structure well from moisture. In addition, such a coating allows you to retain heat. Cork is also easy and simple to process.
To make this option, you will need corks, a finished frame, a device with hot melt glue and twigs. You should not nail or screw such elements. Because the tips of the screws can penetrate the walls and injure the birds.
The work is carried out like this:
- the adhesive composition is applied to the plugs, which are glued in rows to the wall;
- the plugs are glued all the way to the roof. In narrow places you can use parts of plugs;
- on the front side, the central row can be laid out vertically;
- for the roof, you can cut the corks in half and lay them on the surface like tiles.
The sides of the structure and joints can be decorated with twigs, moss or pieces of cork. You can see in the photo how beautiful the birdhouses are.
Not everyone knows whether such structures can be painted. It is better to use odorless, moisture-resistant compounds. You can see in the photo how to paint surfaces with acrylic paints.
Article
All over the world there is a tradition of hanging birdhouses on Bird Day. This fashion came to us during the time of Peter the Great, who first saw bird houses in Europe. In terms of nests, starlings are unpretentious and therefore can settle in crevices of buildings, burrows or hollows.
In fairness, it must be said that these beautiful birds are very grateful creatures that provide invaluable assistance to gardeners in pest control. Therefore, many owners of household plots specifically attract starlings by making birdhouses with their own hands. Having the appropriate drawings and studying the video instructions, anyone can make bird houses.
The most desirable and most common inhabitants of birdhouses are common starlings. These are quite large birds, so the house for them must be extended upward, have the appropriate dimensions, a removable roof, a solid bottom, a notch (hole) and a pole.
The size of the house for feathered friends depends on the type of birds for which it is intended. Standard birdhouse sizes:
- 20−40 cm - height;
- 13−15 cm - bottom width;
- 3.8−5 cm is the diameter of the tap hole.
It is not recommended to make a more spacious structure. Of course, a large house will accommodate many chicks, but it will be quite difficult for parents to go out and feed them. Only two or three chicks can fit in a compact birdhouse, but they will grow up healthy and capable of long-distance flights.
Roof needed make it removable so that you can easily inspect and clean the house in the fall. Of all the birds that can settle in it, only starlings, nuthatches and tits do “spring cleaning”. The rest of the birds leave behind garbage, and no one may move into uncleaned housing next year.
Materials for making a birdhouse
It is advisable that the bird house be made with your own hands from natural materials. Most often, dry boards are used, prepared made of oak or birch. Coniferous trees are not recommended, as they emit resin.
Boards should be rough at least on the inside, so there is no need to sand them. It will be difficult for birds to get out on smooth boards, so the sanded material should be scratched with a knife. The thickness of the board should be from 20 mm, in this case the birdhouse will retain heat well.
It is not recommended to use laminated or compressed wood for construction, since it toxic and short-lived. Plywood is also not suitable for construction. It retains heat poorly and practically does not allow sounds, which are very important for birds, to pass through.
DIY birdhouse: stages of work, video
The design of the house depends on where it will be hung. If to a pole, balcony or under the roof of a house, then in order for feathered friends to have a place to walk, it is necessary to provide additional perches in the form of a triangular shelf or thin sticks.
For a birdhouse hanging on a tree, such perches need not be made, so the birds will sit on the branches and delight their owners with chirping.
To build a convenient and compact birdhouse with your own hands, the drawing of which must be prepared in advance, you will need the following materials and tools:
- Boards.
- Wood glue.
- Nails or screws.
- Two blocks and steel wire for hanging the house.
- Chisel.
- Hammer.
- Wood drill.
- Drill.
- hacksaw for wood.
- Ruler.
- A simple pencil.
Work on making a tower for starlings should be carried out in several stages.
Stage No. 1 - preparing wooden elements with your own hands
On the prepared boards, according to the drawing, using a simple pencil and a ruler, mark the dimensions of the walls, bottom, roof and hole. In this case, you must follow some recommendations:
- The roof must be made with a slope, so the front wall must be made four cm longer than the back, and the side walls on top must be cut downward.
- The bottom should be made in the form of a square with a side of 13 cm.
- The roof is made from two different elements. One of them should look like the bottom of a birdhouse, and the other should be made in the form big size rectangle with which the canopy will be created.
Having drawn and checked all the design details with the drawing, you can start cutting them out. To ensure that paired elements have the same dimensions, they are recommended prepare sequentially.
To make the starling house look beautiful from the outside, the boards on one side can be additionally planed.
Tray preferred make it round, since then it will look like a hollow; birds live in natural conditions. To protect the chicks from encroachment by cats, the entrance to the birdhouse must be located five cm from the top edge.
Stage No. 2 - assembling a house for starlings with your own hands
First of all it is necessary fasten the front facade and side walls designs. This is done using wood glue, and as it dries, the elements are additionally fixed with screws or nails.
Next, using the same principle, the side ends of the birdhouse bottom are attached to the side and front walls. Lastly, it is glued to the structure and the back wall is nailed. During work, it is necessary to ensure that there are no gaps between the elements.
If the roof is removable, then its parts are attached only to each other. There is no need to glue or nail it to the birdhouse. It is installed on the structure using rubber or door hinges. In this case the birds will protected from visits from cats.
Stage No. 3 - installing a birdhouse
The finished bird house can be tied with wire or nailed to the selected surface. To make it easier for the chicks to exit and provide additional protection, the design is recommended lean forward a little. If the birdhouse will be installed on a tree, then it is better to wrap it with wire.
Basic rules for placing an “apartment” for birds:
- optimal height- 3−5 meters per summer cottage or in the village and from 8 to 10 meters in the city;
- the birdhouse should not be exposed to direct sunlight in the midday heat;
- the entrance to the house should be turned to the side with a minimum amount of wind;
- tilting the structure backwards is not allowed;
- it is necessary to ensure that there are no branches near the birdhouse through which a cat can get to the birds’ home;
- It is recommended to install houses for feathered friends in early April.
The birdhouse was made and installed with your own hands, all that remains is to wait for the residents to move in. But what to do if there are no boards, but you want to make a house for birds? In this case, materials that are always at hand will come to the rescue.
Birdhouse made from plastic bottles
To make such a birdhouse you will only need one large plastic bottle, scissors, wire, paper or paint.
You will need to make two holes in the bottle cap for the wire with which the house will be suspended. At the top it should be cut a hole for entry. To make your home comfortable and cozy, the outside of the bottle can be painted or covered with paper.
You can make a birdhouse with your own hands in much the same way. from juice boxes or milk, the capacity of which is more than one liter. When using such materials, they must first be prepared. To do this, the container is thoroughly washed and dried.
Having made a birdhouse with your own hands, you should keep in mind that birds may not move into it right away. It will take some time to settle into the new housing. There is no need to worry about this. Sooner or later, the starlings will appreciate your work, and after they move in, you will be able to enjoy the singing and bustle of the birds, and not worry about your harvest.
Not every person is an inquisitive naturalist, but almost everyone is crazy about the magical singing of birds. Since ancient times, people have tried to attract these wonderful musicians to themselves, and the fruit of these attempts was a product called a feeder. Many people are still thinking about making a birdhouse with their own hands, but due to ignorance of the technology for its simple and quick production, they abandon this idea.
This article provides a comprehensive guide that explains step by step how to make a birdhouse with your own hands, without any outside help...
Selection of materials
First, you will need to prepare the materials necessary to build a birdhouse, which will later make up the structure. Coniferous wood, processed and presented in the form of edged boards, would be ideal for these purposes.
To avoid unnecessary work later, it is recommended to select two boards of different widths, about one meter long each. It is better to take a board 200 mm wide for the front and back sides of the future birdhouse, and 150 mm wide for the flanks. It is best to fasten the birdhouse with self-tapping screws, but you can also use nails.
When constructing a home for birds, both mechanical and electronic devices will be useful. For obvious reasons, using the latter will make the work faster and more efficient.
You must have the following tools: a jigsaw or hacksaw, a drill with a 5 mm drill, a screwdriver or a Phillips screwdriver, a hammer, a square and a simple pencil. In one form or another, all of these devices, if desired, can be found practically in your home or borrowed from neighbors.
Now that you are “armed to the teeth,” you can safely get to work, having previously determined the desired dimensions of the birdhouse. It must be remembered that a standard birdhouse reaches 300 mm in height and 200 mm in width.
Step-by-step instruction
A wider board should be cut into three parts: 30 cm for the back wall and 25 cm for the pediment and top cover. The narrow board should be divided into two square-shaped parts, which will be needed to construct the floor and roof (15x15 cm), as well as into two shaped parts for the side walls.
The parts intended to create side walls should have an uneven top and sawn at a slight angle so that the roof of the birdhouse, placed on top, forms a slope for rainwater.
Creating such an angle is simple; just step back 5 cm from the top of a 30 cm long board and draw a line perpendicular to the length. In the end, all you have to do is connect the edge of this line to the opposite corner of the top of the board, and then cut off the excess.
If you did everything correctly, the front end of the flank board is 25 cm long, like the front wall, and the rear end is 30 cm, like the back wall.
To avoid confusion, all wooden parts of the future birdhouse must be signed, or better yet, a preliminary drawing must be made.
Before assembly, make sure your birdhouse has an entrance hole. If you forgot about it, then urgently correct the situation. To do this, you will need to find the middle in the upper part of the front board and measure down 50 mm from it, then draw a horizontal line perpendicular to the longitudinal section. The intersection point of the vertical and horizontal lines will become the center for the future entrance.
Having marked the place where the entrance to the birdhouse will be located, proceed to form a round hole in this place, which will be convenient to make using a drill. Dot the perimeter of the future hole with frequent holes made with a drill, and then knock out a wooden circle with a hammer or squeeze it out with your hands (use it carefully).
Depending on the location where your piece of art will be displayed, it may or may not be equipped with a special bird perch. If the birdhouse is located near the window opening of a city apartment, away from dense vegetation, the birds will simply need a perch for resting. But if the feeder is attached to a tree, then the accessory in the form of a perch will be of no use to the birds.
You should pay attention to the surface of the bird's house. It definitely should be rough. Otherwise, your craft, from a cute house, can easily turn into an insidious trap that can kill many birds.
If, suddenly, you come across sanded wood, it is recommended to “spoil” it with notches, at least on the outside of the feeder.
When all the parts are made and ready for assembly, first of all you will need to alternately combine the front wall with the right, and the back with the left. A hammer with nails or a screwdriver with self-tapping screws can handle this task best. When the “corners” are ready, all that remains is to fasten them together.
The birdhouse is almost ready. The only thing missing is the bottom and the roof. This is where 15x15 cm wooden squares come in handy. The floor of the birdhouse should be carefully inserted into the bottom hole, then securely fastened, and the ceiling should be combined with the roof.
The resulting structure will have a roof canopy extending forward about 5 cm from the gable, providing protection for birds from the weather and cats scurrying around everywhere.
Rules for installing a birdhouse
Separately, mention should be made of the rules for placing a birdhouse. It is usually installed on hills (trees and poles). For these purposes, a relatively long beam or board is attached to the back surface of the feeder, with the help of which the house is tied with wire to a surface of suitable height.
Those who want to make their own birdhouse do not have to wait for spring. By making it in advance, you will act more wisely, since in this case your product will lose bird-repellent human odors and acquire natural aromas that do not disturb birds.
As you can see, making a birdhouse is not such a difficult matter. Just look at the instruction picture (the dimensions on it differ from those indicated in the article) and it immediately becomes clear how to make a birdhouse with your own hands.
Photo of a birdhouse with your own hands
You can take care of birds by throwing them bread crumbs or seeds. Pigeons and sparrows flock with pleasure to such a treat. What else can we do for the birds? In the city and at your dacha? Of course, build them a house to live in - a birdhouse. Why do people build birdhouses? In fact, titmice also build. They are similar to birdhouses, only smaller in size and have a slightly different architecture. But why do we still call birdhouses birdhouses and not use other names? The fact is that not all birds will agree to live in a “house” built by strange creatures on two legs. Clearly, this does not apply to freeloading sparrows. And the starlings are settling in.
Starlings live as a friendly family without noisy sparrow squabbles. They are able to perfectly imitate the singing of other birds, including the famous nightingale trills. And no one cleans our squares, parks, forests and garden plots from insects. Do you know how many cockchafers one starling can eat during the nesting period? 8 thousand beetles with larvae! And caterpillars, slugs, snails are simply absorbed by it without counting. Therefore, when building and hanging birdhouses, a person cares not only about birds. A man cares about his future harvest. And you should be happy if a couple of starlings choose your house. This is great luck!
But it’s not enough to build a birdhouse. It must be built correctly and hung correctly.
A few simple rules you need to know
Here are a few rules to follow before you start building a starling house:
- The birdhouse must be checked, otherwise the birds will not be able to live there in the summer. For ventilation, a couple of small gaps between the roof and the walls of the house will be enough. For the same reason, making a birdhouse out of metal is a bad idea.
- It is necessary to organize “drainage” in it. Any water that enters the house must leave immediately. To do this, drill very thin holes in the floor, and to protect the entrance hole, install a small canopy over it.
- The best time to hang a new birdhouse is in early April. And in the old one, through the removable roof, carry out “general cleaning” at the same time. Birds will not return to a birdhouse if it has not been cleaned for almost a year.
- IN rural areas The optimal height for a birdhouse is about 4 meters. In the city it should be weighed higher. Make sure there are no branches nearby. This way, cats and other starling lovers will have less chance.
- The birdhouse should be covered with foliage from direct sunlight.
- Your creation must be nailed strictly vertically, no Prague “dancing houses”. The entrance should look in the direction from which the wind least often blows.
- Very important! It should be remembered that nailing the birdhouse is not enough. It must be cleaned every spring before new guests arrive.
Classic wooden birdhouse
The best material for making such a house is wood. However, not every tree will do. Boards made of birch, oak and alder work well. Conifers trees are not suitable because of the resin they secrete. Chipboard and fiberboard should not be used for the construction of birdhouses - the chemical components used in their manufacture are harmful to birds. Not the best option There will also be plywood.
There is a birdhouse standard. The board should be used with a thickness of at least 20 mm, so the house will better retain heat. Do not use a sanded board - this will make it difficult for the chicks to leave the birdhouse. If the board is sanded, you need to scratch the inner side with a knife or nail. Typically, birdhouses are made from 120 to 150 mm wide, 300-350 mm high, and side wall length 150-160 mm. It is important to observe two more dimensions: the diameter of the taphole (inlet) should be 40-50 mm, the distance from the taphole to the bottom of the house should be at least 150 mm.
A larger birdhouse will accommodate more pets, but natural selection will work against your plan in this regard. The parents will not be able to feed all the hatched chicks, and even those that survive will not survive the flight to wintering in warmer climes - they will grow up weak. Trust this question to Nature and try to adhere to standard sizes when building a birdhouse. In this case, out of all the offspring, only a couple of chicks will survive, but they will be strong and strong.
The indicated dimensions are well suited for starlings' homes. The sparrows will happily settle in. And for great tits, the diameter of the entrance will have to be reduced to 35-40 mm; for small tits, an entrance hole with a diameter of 30 mm will be enough.
Of course, you can make changes to the design of the birdhouse and show your imagination, but then you should adjust the given dimensions. Compliance with the basic dimensions is very desirable; the very life of the bird family may depend on them.
Below are several drawings of the simplest birdhouses:
Prepare in advance a ruler with a pencil, a wood saw, a screwdriver, a hammer, self-tapping screws and a drill. We cut the boards to fit the dimensions in the selected drawing and begin assembling the birdhouse (in this photo there is a notch near the birdhouse rectangular shape).
To fasten the elements of our design, we pre-drill holes for self-tapping screws with a thin drill.
We fasten the walls together with self-tapping screws. You can also use nails in your work, but you must watch carefully so that any of them do not accidentally come out. We remember what kind of miniature guests should live in our house.
The perch below the tap hole can be made from a planed stick and then tightly inserted into the prepared hole. The perch may have the shape of a triangular shelf. A perch is especially needed when the house is attached to a pole. After all, the head of the family needs to sit somewhere with food for the younger generation in his beak. You also need it to sing songs at the entrance to your house. The perch is made with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 40 mm.
We make the entrance round or rectangular. We remember that its diameter should be 50 mm. We drill out the tap hole using a drill or cut it out with a jigsaw.
Unlike the internal walls, we thoroughly sand the edges of the taphole. There are known cases when starlings expressed dissatisfaction with the poor quality work of the owners of the site and demanded that the deficiencies be eliminated. First of all, this concerned the size of the taphole and its raw edges. I'm not kidding.
The entrance should be located so that the cats cannot reach the chicks from the roof of the birdhouse (see dimensions).
Important! The fixed roof is inconvenient for annual cleaning of the birdhouse. And this must be done every spring before the birds arrive, otherwise you will end up with a “disposable” birdhouse. Converting the roof into a removable one is quite simple. A bushing corresponding in size to the bottom of the house is attached to it from below. The sleeve should fit snugly against the walls and fit into the hole they form with some effort, then the lid will hold well. For reliability, you can screw the lid to the house with wire. In this case, the wind will not blow it away, and the cat will not be able to remove it. And cats and crows will show increased attention to your birdhouse. It is easier to make a pitched roof. It definitely won’t leak (unlike a gable one). Make the roof slope slightly back.
The last stage of our work is attaching the finished house to the tree. It is convenient to attach it to the back wall birdhouse with a long plank and then nail or screw this plank with self-tapping screws to the tree. For reliability, we also fasten the house with wire. The height is about 4 meters, in the shade, without direct sunlight, there should be no branches nearby.
The finished birdhouse can be pre-decorated on the outside. Contrary to popular belief, a painted house will not scare away birds, but it will decorate your area. However, be prepared that starlings will not immediately move into their new home; some time will certainly pass. And this may take more than one month.
Birdhouses made of unusual materials
A birdhouse can be made not only from boards, but also from completely unexpected materials.
Birdhouse made of cardboard
In our minds, cardboard is poorly associated with a building material for constructing a home. However, as experience shows, cardboard can quite cope with the task of urgent construction of a birdhouse with a service life of at least one season. Just use not the ordinary cardboard we are used to (it will quickly get wet under the influence of precipitation), but thick corrugated cardboard.
In addition to corrugated cardboard, we will need self-adhesive paper, rope, pencil and starch. And, of course, a tool: scissors, a ruler, a square, a knife and a compass.
We will need to cut out all the elements for assembling the house (roof, walls, bottom) from corrugated cardboard, only in double quantities. Starch is needed to make paste. The paste has a natural smell and, unlike synthetic glue, it will not scare away birds and instill in them the idea that they have chosen an environmentally unfavorable home to live in.
Each pair of parts is glued together with paste, due to this they acquire increased strength. The only problem will be the lack of ventilation in the house. We cut a hole for the tap hole in the front wall. We can make a perch in such a design, but it will not hold very firmly. We need four holes in the back wall through which we will pass the rope. Rope or twine can be replaced with wire. We need them to tie our house to the tree.
We glue the walls end to end, maintaining a right angle.
We should end up with a box like this:
While the paste is still wet, wrap the box with thread. This way it won't lose its shape. After the paste has dried, we will no longer need the threads.
We glue the roof of the house in two parts. The design will be somewhat reminiscent of the roof of a wooden house with a sleeve that we nailed to make the roof removable. When making a house from corrugated cardboard, the smaller part of the roof should be inside the structure, and the larger part, with allowances on all sides, forms a kind of overhang that will protect the house.
We cover the house with laminated paper. It will add density to the entire structure and at the same time serve as a decorative element.
Well, it turned out to be a good house?
House out of a box
An unexpected (albeit temporary) solution would be an empty juice or milk container. Using ready-made containers will allow us to solve the problem that has unexpectedly fallen on our heads even faster. Or rather, an incoming problem.
Quickly empty the container of its contents, wash and dry. While the container is drying after washing, prepare the wire, scissors and awl. A regular taphole is cut into the front wall. We poke holes in the top of the box for the wire - our makeshift house will hang on it. The bottom must be reinforced with cardboard or corrugated cardboard, which is attached to the bottom of the container.
All that remains is to decorate our house with laminated paper or craft paper with a protective layer. We hang the house in a suitable place, wait for the singing guests and tell the neighbors that this is the most fashionable house design that you personally found in the Belgian society of birdhouse building enthusiasts.
Home with panoramic bottle windows
We are used to empty plastic bottles being used as bird feeders. A hole is cut in the bottom of the bottle, into which food is poured, and the bottle is hung. Using the same principle, you can make a bird house out of a plastic bottle. In this case, the hole in the tap hole is cut where it should be - in the upper part of such an unusual building material. We make a couple of holes in the lid for the wire, with the help of which the house will be suspended from the tree. To prevent the life of a starling family from looking like the “Behind the Glass” show, the bottle can be covered with beautiful paper or a decorative design can be applied. Although the starlings themselves, judging by observations, treat the “transparent” walls of their home quite calmly.
As you can see, building housing for starlings is a simple matter. At the same time it is very exciting. And also useful for raising your own offspring. Join us! Just not like in the stupid advertisement about sausage. After all, it’s really a good thing to make birdhouses with your own hands.
