License Plate Birdhouse
The license plate birdhouse is an easy-to-build design that can be a home for wrens, titmice, finches, sparrows, chickadees, bluebirds, and other small cavity-nesting birds. If you don't have an old license plate, you can substitute the license plate roof with a piece of 12" x 6" galvanized metal.
You can construct the license plate birdhouse from a single 1"x6"x6' western red cedar fence board, an old US standard-sized license plate (6" x 12"), seven 1-1/4" galvanized wood screws, and about twenty 16-gauge galvanized finish nails.
License Plate Birdhouse Plans
Cut the birdhouse's front, back, sides, and base to the sizes indicated in the drawings. As shown in the diagrams, assemble the front, back, base, and left side using 16-gauge galvanized finish nails.
To attach the access door, drill a 3/16" diameter hole located 4 1/2" from the bottom of the birdhouse and 3/8" from the right side of the birdhouse through the front and back panels (see diagrams).
Position the access door in place and drill smaller holes, through the 3/16" diameter holes, into the access door. These holes are for the 1-1/4" wood screws that will function as the door hinges.
Finally, with the access door shut, drill a small hole through the bottom-middle of the door so that you can use one of the 1-1/4" wood screws to secure the access door to the base of the birdhouse (not shown in the diagrams).
Drill the 1-1/8" diameter entrance hole in the center of the front panel, centered 5 inches above the base. Drill another 1/4" diameter hole 3 inches above the base for a 1/4" dowel used as a perch.
Cut a 2 1/2" section of 1/4" dowel and apply a small amount of wood glue to approximately 1/2" of one end of the dowel. Insert the glued end of the dowel into the 1/4" hole until it is flush with the inside of the front panel of the birdhouse.
Attaching the License Plate Roof
To shape the license plate for the roof, find the center of the license plate, then hold the bending point of the license plate on the edge of a table or workbench and carefully bend it.
Bend the license plate to the desired angle and attach it with four wood screws through the existing holes in the license plate to the assembled birdhouse frame. If the holes don't align perfectly, drill new holes in the license plate as needed.
I hope you enjoyed building this license plate birdhouse. It is one of the easiest birdhouses to build and has an access door on the side for effortless cleanout after nesting season.
More Information About Birds and Bird Houses
- Visit The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and eBird to learn more about birds and birding.
Birdhouse Plans - See more birdhouse plans on mycarpentry.com.
Woodworking Projects - See more woodworking projects on mycarpentry.com.
DIY Projects - Check out the DIY projects on mycarpentry.com.
Outdoor Benches - Enjoy your new birdhouse from a wooden bench you built from plans on mycarpentry.com.
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