Birdhouse made of wood, cardboard, scrap materials with your own hands. Drawings

Birdhouses are closed nests for birds that prefer to nest in tree trunk hollows. DIY Cutouts from wooden boards, they are quite simple to manufacture, placed in urban and park areas, painted in bright or, on the contrary, maximally masking shades and decorated with ornaments from natural materials, providing representatives of birds with natural conditions for life, searching for food and breeding offspring.

Necessary materials

A DIY birdhouse is one way to demonstrate your craft and creative skills when working with wooden boards or other materials at hand.

First mentioned in the 1774 manuscript “Book for Hunters” by Vasily Levshin, it was intended for the life of starlings, cut out in the form of various figures and painted in different colors.

Professional ornithologists recommend making modern birdhouses from deciduous trees (birch, alder or aspen). Any conifers are considered undesirable material due to the constant release of large amounts of resin, which can damage the plumage of birds.

Experts also do not recommend installing a structure made of chipboard or fiberboard, which quickly becomes soaked when exposed to moisture and contains a large amount of toxic substances that got into it during the processing of the material.

It is permissible to use plywood when making a birdhouse, but such a birdhouse should be installed at a height of no less than 4 m, since due to its soundproofing properties, the material does not allow birds to prepare in a timely manner for the appearance of predators.

To create the structure it is recommended to use:

• Dry wooden boards with a thickness of 2 cm, which will allow the finished product to retain heat for a long time.
• Nails and screws no longer than 4 cm. Longer fasteners will stick out from the wooden base and may cause injury to birds.

Ornithology experts note that birds do not pay attention to the color scheme of the birdhouse, but are very sensitive to foreign odors, so they advise choosing water-based acrylic paints for decoration.

Ornithologists also do not recommend additionally processing wooden boards with a plane, since the presence of a rough surface will allow birds to easily move along the walls of the birdhouse.

Criteria for making a birdhouse and safety rules

The sizes of the finished product recommended by ornithologists:

Height	40-45 cm
Width	15-20 cm
Length	16-18 cm
Diameter of the opening for entry and exit of birds (flight holes)	5-7 cm (depending on the size of the representatives of the bird family).

The final size of the model may vary depending on the type of bird. Thus, for tits and sparrows, it is recommended to make a birdhouse 30 cm high. For wagtails, the width of the house should be increased to 25 cm.

The finished product must also meet the following criteria:

• Strength. The walls of the finished birdhouse should be tightly fitted to each other to prevent moisture and wind from getting in. It is also not recommended to make a disproportionately large box due to its particular vulnerability to weather conditions and accidental damage.
• Security. When making the entrance hole, you should focus on the size of the bird, since a very large diameter of the entrance hole is also accessible to predatory animals. Specialists advise paying special attention to the processing of cuts and external protrusions, due to the risk of chips getting into the birds' paws.
• Silence, isolation and opacity. Ornithologists recommend hanging the birdhouse in quiet places, which will provide the birds with the necessary privacy and allow them to calmly raise their offspring.

Experts advise:

• When manufacturing a product, provide the necessary gap in it or additionally drill 2-3 small holes to ensure optimal air circulation.
• The roof of the birdhouse should be removable, which will allow the structure to be cleaned and treated from parasites in a timely manner, and it should be placed with a small canopy to protect it from rainwater. In the floor of the model, 2-3 holes should also be made for drainage.
• Attach the roof to the product using wire.
• Additionally, make a perch if you plan to hang the birdhouse above a balcony, on the back wall of a house (garage) or on a pole. When attaching to a tree, such a structure is not necessary.
• The product should be fixed at a height of 3-4 cm in summer cottages. In the city, experts advise increasing the distance from the ground by 5-6 m, which will protect birds from the danger associated with domestic cats.
• When installing the birdhouse, choose a windless and shady side, without exposure to direct sunlight.

When manufacturing the product, special attention should be paid to safety regulations, because:

• Wearing cotton gloves and safety glasses while working will help prevent wood particles from getting into your eyes and under your skin.
• The power tools used must be in full working order, and the knife and saw must be well sharpened, which will not only facilitate the process of making the product, but also prevent them from slipping.
• When hanging the birdhouse, it is recommended to use a ladder with a wide, stable base. The work should be carried out in the presence of a partner who is insuring from below, having previously secured a safety belt tied to the trunk around the waist.
• The product should be painted with water-based paint, without a strong odor, a neutral (protective) shade, which will protect the birds from excessive attention from predators and the release of toxic substances.

Made of wood

Ornithology experts advise making a birdhouse with your own hands from oak or birch wood, which will allow birds living in the city to create the most comfortable conditions for living and breeding, close to natural ones.

The design is manufactured in accordance with the drawing below, and for its creation requires the use of:

• wooden boards, 2 cm thick;
• hand saw or electric jigsaw;
• hammer and nails 4 cm long;
• drills with a 5 cm cutter;
• chisels;
• ruler or measuring tape;
• pencil;
• wood glue without a strong smell.

Based on the drawing, the product requires:

1. Using a tape measure or ruler, transfer the drawing details onto the wood, and then use a hacksaw (jigsaw) to cut out the blank.
2. Drill a 40 cm diameter hole in the upper part of the front wall, and then glue it to the vertically located side parts of the product. During gluing, it is necessary to press the component parts of the model tightly with your hands to avoid gaps. After the glue dries, you should fasten the joints between the front and side parts with nails.
3. Apply glue to the tops of the side walls and the joints of the base of the product, attach the bottom of the birdhouse and its back wall. After the adhesive has dried, they must be attached with nails.
4. Connect the lid to the retaining pin and place it on the prepared workpiece. There is no need to fix the lid with nails.
5. If desired, you can attach a pole or a bar to the bottom of the flight hole using a drill.
6. Using a brush, apply brown (greenish) water-based paint or non-toxic wood impregnation to the finished product, and after the composition dries, decorate it with any natural materials.

How to fix

To secure the birdhouse, you need to use a stable ladder and metal wire. It is recommended to hang the product on a wide tree trunk or branch at a height of 3-4 m with a slight forward tilt.

This height will help to avoid unwanted encounters between birds and wild or domestic animals, and will prevent rainwater from getting in.

It is not recommended to nail the product to avoid damaging the tree bark and starting the rotting process. Instead, it is recommended to place a wooden crossbar between closely spaced branches and, using metal wire, hang the birdhouse from it.

The structure should be placed away from thick branches that could damage the product in strong winds.

From cardboard

A do-it-yourself birdhouse made from thick cardboard is recommended to be placed under awnings, which will prevent excess moisture from getting in and can be used as a summer nest for birds.

Required materials:

• thick cardboard (parts of a cardboard box);
• wide tape or PVA glue;
• scissors;
• pencil, tape measure or ruler;
• wooden pole for fastening the product.

When manufacturing a product, the following is required:

1. Take a sheet of thick cardboard (it is acceptable to use cardboard boxes) and transfer the product drawing onto it with a pencil.
2. Using scissors, cut out parts of the product from cardboard and carefully bend them strictly along the fold line.
3. Cover the inside and outside of the parts with wide tape.
4. Apply adhesive to the places where the product is fixed and connect its parts. The corners of the birdhouse can be additionally secured with wide tape.
5. Using scissors (a stationery knife), cut out a hole in the front part of the structure for the birds to enter and exit, and then cover it with tape. A piece of rough fabric can be glued to its inner side to facilitate the movement of the birds.
6. Attach a wooden pole to the back of the product with a strip of tape.
7. Attach the roof of the birdhouse to the finished product using glue.

You can decorate the product with multi-colored paints, pencils or felt-tip pens.

It is recommended to attach a cardboard birdhouse under a canopy, using tape or buttons. To make a cardboard birdhouse, you can use parts of a shoe box, after applying water-repellent paint or pasting them with waterproof film.

In this case:

1. In the removable part of the cardboard box, use scissors or a stationery knife to make an opening for entry, stepping back 3-4 cm from the base of the box, and then, using sandpaper, remove all sharp parts of the product that can harm the birds. Instead of sandpaper, you can use scotch tape or adhesive tape.
2. Using strips of tape or 3 cm long nails, carefully fasten the parts of the shoe box, and then, using wrapping paper, decorate the birdhouse.
3. Step back 2-3 cm from the bottom of the box (under the flight hole) and attach a square cut out of cardboard with tape, which will serve as a perch.
4. On the inside of the box, under the hole, you can place a piece of sackcloth to make it easier for the birds to move.
5. The birdhouse should be fixed to a wooden pole, using tape or nails with rounded heads to the back wall of the product.

From a log

Experts recommend making a birdhouse with your own hands from a thick wooden log with a cylindrical shape reminiscent of a tree hollow.

Materials required:

• a part of a log with a width of 45-55 cm and a log diameter of 25-30 cm;
• chainsaw;
• drill with a wide drill bit;
• hammer and nails, 8-10 cm long;
• clamps.

To make a birdhouse, you need:

1. Clamp the log with clamps and cut off two circles (from the top and bottom).
2. Use a drill to drill out the inside of the log, leaving 4-5 cm wide walls along the edges, and then use a hammer and chisel to round off the structure from the inside.
3. Drill a hole in the front wall of the log for the birds to enter and exit. Additionally, you can install a pole or a bar underneath it.
4. Attach the bottom and top of the product to its main part and nail them down. For convenience, the top part can only be “baited”, which will allow you to easily remove it if necessary.
5. Using a brush, apply water-repellent paint or varnish to the roof, bottom and inside of the birdhouse.

The log product must be secured with nails or metal wire, hanging it from a wooden plate clamped between thick branches at a height of 3 meters. It is not recommended to use wet wood for the structure, due to the risk of cracking the finished model.

Made of plywood

A do-it-yourself birdhouse made of plywood, according to ornithologists, has poor sound conductivity, making birds more vulnerable to predators, and also requires additional insulation and application of a water-repellent impregnation.

Experts advise paying special attention to the choice of plywood, since FSF plywood may contain traces of formaldehyde used for gluing, which can cause irreparable harm to the health of representatives of the bird family.

Ornithology experts recommend using FC plywood when constructing products, which is made using urea glue, has a relatively low weight and is not inferior in its characteristics to wood.

In addition, you need to use:

• hacksaw or jigsaw for wood;
• with a screwdriver and a hammer;
• electric drill and drills;
• glue and paints and varnishes.

The design model is made in accordance with the drawing, transferred to a sheet of plywood, and then:

1. The product parts should be cut out with a hacksaw.
2. In the front wall, you need to drill a hole (flyhole) and then, using a jigsaw, give it the required diameter.
3. Using sandpaper, it is necessary to process all the walls of the product and the entrance hole from the remaining nicks. At the bottom of the flight hole, you can attach a small perch from a piece of plywood.
4. The joints of the walls of the product should be coated with wood glue, and then, using a hammer and nails, connect the walls of the birdhouse to its bottom. The side walls can be fastened with a screwdriver.
5. The back wall of the finished product must be attached to the support beam and installed on the shady side of the tree near small branches.
6. The inside of the birdhouse needs to be insulated by laying a layer of dry grass.
7. The lid of the birdhouse should remain removable, which will facilitate further cleaning of the structure.

From plastic bottles

You can make a birdhouse from a plastic bottle with your own hands and then use it both as a nesting place and as a winter bird feeder.

To be created, such a model requires the presence of:

• 5 liter water bottle;
• a knife with a sharp blade or scissors;
• needle nose pliers;
• glue gun;
• sandpaper;
• paints;
• pins for pins and wire;
• tow, cord and an awl.

To create a model you should:

1. Step back 10 cm from the bottom of the container and make a hole for the entrance (flight hole) with a diameter of 6 cm.
2. Its edges should be treated with sandpaper or covered with sticky tape, which will protect the birds from possible injury from sharp nicks.
3. Using acrylic paint, paint the surface of the bottle and, if desired, decorate it with natural materials.
4. Measure 3-4 cm from the entrance and secure a small branch with wire to act as a perch.
5. Having made a hole in the neck of the bottle, pull a cord through it, securing it in the form of a loop. You can make a lid for the birdhouse from tow or bast, attaching it to the model with a cord.
6. Insulate the bottom of the birdhouse by wrapping it with tape or felt, and sprinkle bunches of dry grass and bird food on top of the material.
7. The birdhouse should be hung using a cord or wire at a height of at least 3 m.

How can you decorate?

A birdhouse, according to ornithologists, should have thick, sound-permeable walls of an inconspicuous color.

Experts also note that birds can be scared away by:

• a strong smell of paint or varnish;
• the presence of shiny or rustling materials.

For decorating the product, professional ornithologists recommend choosing acrylic or aerosol paints in natural shades, which allow you to camouflage the house and the material used to make the birdhouse.

Also acceptable:

• decorate the product with painting or use decoupage technique;
• use craquelure varnish to create an “antique effect”, applied to a pre-primed surface;
• use wooden carvings to decorate the roof, or create an imitation of a tiled surface using wooden ice cream sticks;
• apply decoration to the product using wine corks cut into circles or imitating logs, pine cones, small pebbles, bunches of grass or branches.

It is also possible to create non-standard designs for birdhouses, in the form of:

• traffic lights decorated in different colors;
• mailbox or telephone booth;
• a fairy-tale hut with a stone roof.

A birdhouse is a nesting place for birds, made with your own hands from wood, cardboard or plywood. Placed in a summer house or within the city, it will provide the birds with a quiet place to live, feed and hatch chicks, and decorated with natural materials, carving or painting, it will become a real decoration of the territory of a country house or balcony.

Video about making a birdhouse

How to make a birdhouse with your own hands: