Craft Birdhouses

These craft birdhouses all share the same structural design, but as you can see, by simply changing the paint color, you can make them uniquely different.

Craft Birdhouses

I used water-based interior/exterior satin enamel house paint to paint the outside of the birdhouses while ensuring that all interior surfaces remained all-natural western red cedar.

You can build each birdhouse from one 1x6 (3/4-inch x 5-1/2-inch) cedar fence board at least 60" long.

Cut one piece of fence board 10 inches long to make the front panel. Find the middle of the board from one end and make a mark on the top edge. This mark will be the peak of the roof. To determine the two lower points of the roof, measure down on each side, from the top, 2 3/4 inches, and make a mark.

Using a straight edge, connect the lower roof points on each side of the board to the top center mark and make the two cuts.

To determine the angles of each side, from the bottom end, measure 1/2 inches from each side and make a mark. Connect the bottom marks to the two lower points of the roof and cut the slopes of both sides. Use the front panel as a template for the back panel.

To determine the location of the entrance hole, measure up from the bottom 6 1/2 inches. Drill the entrance hole with a 1-1/8-inch paddle bit.

For the perch, cut a 1/4-inch wood dowel 2 inches long. Drill a 1/4-inch hole in the front panel 5 inches from the bottom. Apply a few drops of wood glue to one end of the dowel and slide it into the 1/4-inch hole.

Cut the remaining pieces (sides, bottom, and roof) and assemble them using galvanized finish nails, except for the side cleanout door. Attach the cleanout door using two screws (or nails) at the top, through the front and back. The screws will function as a hinge. Use another screw at the base of the cleanout door to secure it to the base until cleanout time.

Painting the birdhouse is optional.

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