Barn Birdhouse

How to Build a Barn-style Birdhouse

I built my Barn Birdhouse to attract wrens and titmice, but other small birds have found the size of this birdhouse suitable for nesting. I created this barn-style birdhouse with natural western red cedar and a US license plate.

The only materials you will need to build this birdhouse plan are a 6-foot piece of 1x6 cedar fence board and an old license plate (for the roof). If you don't have an old license plate, use a 6-inch x 12-inch sheet of tin.

Barn Birdhouse Plans

To cut the half-round roof shape, measure up from the bottom of a 10-inch piece of 1x6 cedar, 6 1/4 inches, and make a mark in the center of the board. Assuming the 1x6 cedar is 5 1/2 inches wide, the center should be 2 3/4 inches from each edge of the 1x6. From this center point, use a compass (set to 2 3/4 inches) to mark the semi-circle shape of the roof. Use a jigsaw to cut it. Use the front piece as a template for marking and cutting the back piece.

Use the center point on the front piece as the location of the 1-1/8-inch entry hole. Use a paddle bit to drill the hole.

Cut the sides and base of the barn birdhouse to the sizes indicated in the birdhouse plans and assemble them as shown, using 16 gauge galvanized finish nails, except the right-side panel - it will be the cleanout door. Use 1-1/4-inch wood screws, screwed in from the front and back panels of the birdhouse, as hinges for the right-side cleanout door (the dashed in the drawing shows the position of the hinge screws). Secure the bottom of the cleanout door to the base using another 1-1/4-inch wood screw (not shown in the drawings). You can remove or back up the screw to raise the door and clean out old nesting material.

Once you assemble the wood pieces, you can paint the external parts of the birdhouse (optional) using an antique-red water-based exterior paint. Paint can be toxic to birds. If you paint the birdhouse, leave the inside surfaces natural wood.

Once the paint has dried, bend the license plate around the half-round roof shape and attach it to the front and back sections using the four holes provided in the license plate.

To hang the birdhouse, you can drill a couple of holes through the top of the license plate and thread a piece of wound wire through them. Of course, there are also other methods. Check out the other free birdhouse plans on mycarpentry.com to see more options.

Free Bird House Plans — Bewick's Wren at the Red Barn Birdhouse

The Bewick's Wren in the photo above appeared less than two hours after I hung the birdhouse. Shortly afterward, a Tufted Titmouse showed some interest.

This birdhouse is an easy project to build and will provide many years of habitat for local and migrating birds. The barn-style birdhouse is also an excellent small woodworking project and perfect for learning how to build a birdhouse and work with wood. Enjoy!

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