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Building a birdhouse is a great project for a kid. With supervision by an experienced adult, he or she can learn the proper and safe use of various tools and have some fun in the process. The following project is simple and the result will be a source of pride and pleasure for years to come.
Get your own free plan for this birdhouse as well as the list of materials required for the project. For viewing and printing, you will need to use Acrobat Reader software. |
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Choose the entrance hole diameter to fit the bird species you want to attract to your house. Here’s a list of hole sizes that correspond to some of the species you may wish to take up residence:
Tree Swallow (1 ½ inch)
Purple Martin (½ inch)
Eastern Bluebird (1 ½ inch)
Chickadee (1 ¼ inch)
Tufted Flycatcher (2 inch)
Red-crowned Woodpecker (2 inch)
Downy Woodpecker (1 ¼ inch)
White-breasted Nuthatch (1 ¼ inch)
House Wren (1 inch)
Other birdhouse plans are available. Visit the Shop section for more. |
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1. Preparing the front and back panels |
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Since the front and back panels are slightly more complicated, we’ll begin with those. Using the ruler and T square, start by drawing the two shapes 3" wide by 7" long on the pine board as per the dimensions indicated in diagrams 1 and 3. As you see in the diagram, these two finished pieces are not rectangular but come instead to a point. To draw the point, find the centre point at 1 1/2" along the bottom and draw a second parallel line from left to right up 5 1/2". Along both lines, mark off a point at 1 1/2" and join these two points extending the line up to the 7" mark. Join this point to the ends of the 5 1/2" extremities of the second parallel line and you have your apex point. Cut out both of these pieces with your saw.
On the front panel, use the same centre line to position the perch and entrance hole. Drill the 1/4" perch hole at the 1 3/4" level and the entrance hole at approximately the 2 ¾" level. The entrance hole height will vary according to the bird species size as shown above. |
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2. Preparing the side panels | |
As shown in diagram 2, the two side panels are identical in shape and must be cut in the mitre box. First, draw two squares 5 1/2" by 5 1/2" and cut them out with a saw. Next, place each one in the mitre box at the 45 degrees position and carefully cut a 45 degrees along one edge. The 45 degrees mitres will be the tops of your side panels. Note: You may have to have these 45 degrees mitres cut by an adult on an adjustable electric bench saw, as many mitre boxes sides are only 4" high. |
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3. Preparing the bottom panel | |
As shown in diagram 4 draw a 5 1/2" by 6 1/2" rectangle to form your bottom panel and cut out with the saw. |
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4. Preparing the roof panel | |
Finally, draw two 8" by 5" roof panels as shown in diagram 5 and cut out with the saw. As with the side panels, place each panel with the 5" side face down in the mitre box and cut a 45 degrees angle. |
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5. Sanding | |
Before assembling the pieces, it’s a good idea to sand the outside of each piece. You can use 80 grit paper to get a smooth surface and, for an even better job, sand a second time with 120 grit. |
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6. Installing the perch | |
Cut a 2 1/4" length of dowel for the perch and insert it into the front panel to a depth of 3/4". |
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7. Assembling the birdhouse |
Now start by assembling the front, back and sides. Place them upright on a flat surface with the front and back panels positioned on the insides of the side panels and glue all the edges. Make sure the panels are flush and square. To prevent the wood from splitting, it’s a good idea to pre-drill the nail holes using a small drill bit. If you can’t do this, blunt the nail point with the hammer. Use at least four nails in each panel.
Next, centre the front/back/sides assembly on the bottom piece, glue and fasten with nails.
Finally, position, glue and nail the roof panels. Leave a 1" overhang on the front side. Set the structure aside to allow the glue to dry. |
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8. Painting | |
Since your birdhouse is designed to be installed outdoors, be sure to use exterior grade paint for each coat. Start with at least one sealer coat to protect the house from humidity. From there, the sky’s the limit, as you can choose any single or combination of finishing colours that you desire. |
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9. Hook installation | |
The hook is installed at the apex of the two roof panels. Use a threaded hook so that it’ll hold tightly. You’ll need to drill a pilot hole slightly smaller than the hook diameter to avoid damaging the wood. The trick with hook installation is finding the balance point, so the house will hang straight and flat. This position should be back about 4 1/2 inches from the front edge, but you may have to experiment using a small nail and cord as a temporary hook. |
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All that’s left is to hang the house from the branch of a tree or a post and wait for a family of springtime visitors to take up residence. Hang it with a length of chain or rope high enough to protect the future occupants from predators. The birds will be safe, their chicks sheltered from the weather and you’ll have fun watching them grow over the summer. |
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