DIY birdhouse from a bottle. Birdhouse made from a plastic bottle. Materials and tools for manufacturing

Many owners of their garden plots spend a lot of effort fighting pests. To somehow make your life easier, you can attract starlings for these purposes. They mercilessly destroy not only caterpillars and beetles, but also their larvae. Thanks to this help, the dacha area is completely cleared of these pests within a week. To attract such useful bird, you need to make a house for her. For this, various available materials are used, for example, a plastic bottle, cardboard, box and others. Various versions of birdhouses can be seen in the photo.

Necessary materials

The lightest and most accessible material is considered to be a plastic bottle. To make a birdhouse out of it with your own hands, you will need the following tools and materials:

drill, drill bits;
stationery knife;
pliers;
2 liter plastic bottle;
waterproof acrylic paints(dark brown, beige, light brown, black and dark green);
unwanted CDs;
glue for plastic items;
wire;
brush or sponge for applying paint;
scissors;
Scotch tape, electrical tape.

These materials can be easily found at home.

How to make a birdhouse from a plastic bottle?

You need to take an ordinary 2 liter plastic bottle. Use a sharp utility knife to make a round hole. at a distance of 3 cm from the bottom. A little below this hole, you should drill a small hole with a drill and insert a long dowel into it. This is the future perch for the bird. After this, paint the bottle in two layers of brown paint. Starlings like their house to be cozy and dark, so the bottle birdhouse is painted over very well, without any gaps.

Then they take a bottle cap and drill two small holes in it, thread a wire through them and twist the ends well. The result should be a strong loop, with the help of which the house attached to a tree or pole.

Thus, the birdhouse from plastic bottle ready. To make it more beautiful, you can decorate it.

How to decorate a birdhouse

To decorate a birdhouse, take paper or thin flexible plastic and make a window stencil from it, the image of which will fit perfectly into the birdhouse. Then you need to make a beautiful roof. To create the look of a tile, a CD is heated and cut, and this is done in such a way that identical pieces are obtained. Each piece can be painted brown, and for greater effect, the tiles can be multi-colored.

Now you need to attach a roof to the house. The lowest layer is “set” with glue, and for strength, each piece is secured with tape. Then all subsequent layers are secured only with glue.

To make a birdhouse made from a plastic bottle more comfortable, the bottom is covered with various materials, such as:

rags;
twigs;
pieces of cotton wool;
hay.

You can be sure that the birds will appreciate such comfort.

Making birdhouses from other materials

Bird house made of cardboard

In addition to plastic bottles, a birdhouse can also be made from cardboard. To work you will need:

self-adhesive paper with laminated coating;
starch;
corrugated cardboard;
twine.

In addition, you will need tools such as scissors, a ruler, a pencil, a cardboard cutter, a square and a compass.

The work begins with the fact that on all workpieces markings are being made. Then the parts are cut out in duplicate. You should make a paste from starch, since ordinary synthetic glue has an unpleasant odor that can scare away birds.

The finished parts are glued together in pairs to form double walls. This is necessary for their strength. A hole should be cut in the front wall for the entrance, and 4 small holes should be made in the back wall for the twine, with which the birdhouse is tied to the tree.

The walls are glued end-to-end to each other, maintaining a right angle. The result should be a box. During drying, it is wrapped with threads. The roof is glued together in two parts. The smaller part is placed inside the structure, and on the larger part, allowances are made on all sides.

A birdhouse made of cardboard can last longer if it is covered on the outside with laminated paper. The surface is completely covered, resulting in a very beautiful birdhouse.

Bird house out of a box

If it is not possible to find basic materials, a birdhouse can be made from a ready-made item, for example, a box.

In this case, you will need an empty juice or milk container volume more than one liter. It should be washed and dried, and then a standard taphole is cut out. To strengthen the bottom, use thick cardboard or wood. Holes are made on the top of the box that will be used for wire. Using it, the birdhouse is hung on a tree. The outside of the house is covered with beautiful paper with a protective coating.

Before you start making a birdhouse with your own hands, you should protect yourself from all kinds of injuries. To avoid planting a splinter, be sure to use gloves.

The roofs of the houses are made single or gable, with a slight slope back. Birds are afraid of bright colors, so the covering should be dark tones.

Birds like their nests to be very high off the ground. Before hanging a birdhouse on a tree, you should make sure that the place is safe and trunks are thick and strong. It is best if the house is not conspicuous, because when the chicks are hatching, there is no need to pay too much attention to the birds. The birdhouse can also be attached to tall metal posts.

Thus, by making a birdhouse with your own hands, a person brings not only benefits to the birds, but also to himself, since starlings are able to destroy a large number of harmful insects in their summer cottage. A house made from a plastic bottle, if you make it cozy, will give the birds real pleasure.

Do you think you need to run a charitable foundation to help nature?

This is wrong!

Everyone can contribute by building a birdhouse with their own hands.

All you need is instructions and minimum set tools. The latter is up to you, and you will find the guide below.

DIY birdhouse: necessary materials

Bird houses are usually made from boards or plywood. Such birdhouses are more attractive to birds, but it is not always possible to obtain suitable material. Therefore, it is much more convenient to use improvised means.

To make a cool birdhouse, you need one or two plastic bottles and a little imagination. The amount of material and the list of tools depend on the method of manufacturing the structure.

Specifically for our example we will need:

two plastic bottles - 2 l and 5 l;
gouache paint;
glue "Second";
straight wooden stick;
acrylic lacquer;
sackcloth.

Note: The five-liter bottle must be intact, since due to the extra holes the birdhouse will be blown out, which will scare away the birds.

A set of tools for making a birdhouse can be found in any home.

All you need is large scissors, a utility knife, a marker, and a few brushes for applying paint and varnish.

How to make a birdhouse with your own hands from a bottle

Once the material has been collected, begin manufacturing. First, we’ll make the blank with our own hands, and then we’ll start finishing and decorating the birdhouse.

For convenience, we divide the process into several stages:

Stage No. 1. Making a roof.

At this stage it is necessary to make “tiles” for the decorative roof. Don't worry: you won't need clay or a kiln. We will cut out all the elements from a two-liter bottle.

Cut off the neck and bottom from it. Cut the middle crosswise and unfold. Using a marker, draw the outlines of the “tiles” onto the plastic and cut them out with scissors.

Note: To make it the same size, use a cardboard stencil.

Stage No. 2. Birdhouse base.

At the top of a five-liter container, draw an even circle with a diameter of 4-5 cm. Next, cut a hole along the contour.

Down from the entrance, at a distance of 2-3 cm, make two intersecting short cuts. Secure a wooden stick in the resulting hole using glue.

Important! Glue the burlap on the inside of the bottle. This is necessary so that the birds can get out. If you ignore this step, the slippery walls will make the birdhouse not a home, but a death trap.

Stage No. 3. We lay the “tiles”.

Start gluing the roof elements from the bottom edge and gradually move towards the neck of the bottle.

Do not forget that the lower part of the roof should serve as a canopy, so do not glue these parts completely.

Stage No. 4. The final.

Birds prefer shady places to make nests, so it is necessary to darken the plastic bottle.

Cover the base with light paint, and the “tiles” with dark paint. When the gouache is completely dry, treat the birdhouse with acrylic varnish. This is necessary so that the gouache is not washed away by the first rain.

The birdhouse is ready, all that remains is to make it more attractive.

How to decorate a birdhouse

When decorating a birdhouse, try to make it look like a natural object that birds will prefer.

Use wooden sticks, branches, twine, decorative leaves, insects, etc. for decoration.

Wrap string around the perch to make it easier for the birds to sit. Paint the bottle cap under the chimney, and hide the places where the “tiles” are attached with the same twine.

Make a makeshift fence at the bottom of the birdhouse. To do this, glue sticks around the bottle and tie them with felt. If desired, cover the decorative fence with paint or varnish.

Cover the entrance to the birdhouse with branches in a circle in the shape of a nest. Tie them with rope and secure with glue.

The end result will be a cozy home for which the birds won’t even have to take out a mortgage.

To protect birds from predators, secure the birdhouse as high off the ground as possible. Poles are not the best choice for this, so give preference to trees.

Birds bring great benefits to both the garden and the vegetable garden. Therefore, many try to attract feathered friends to their summer cottage. The easiest way to do this is to place a birdhouse in your yard. You can make it from different materials or buy ready-made in a specialized store. Although simple and lightweight birdhouses made from improvised materials are especially popular.

Required tools and materials

To build a birdhouse, you will need very few materials and the right tools. In addition, they can be found in almost every household. For this you will need:

1 plastic water bottle;
1 two-liter plastic bottle required for finishing the roof;
string or twine;
burlap or any other rough material needed to decorate the inside of the birdhouse;
various decorative elements that can be made by hand;
regular scissors or a very sharp knife;
A marker of any color is suitable for markings;
quick-drying glue;
a brush for applying fine patterns, as well as an ordinary sponge for surface treatment;
multi-colored paints;
a perch that can be made from a simple branch.

How to do it yourself?

Building a bird house at home is not difficult. However, before this, it is necessary to remember to protect future birds that will settle in it. Therefore, it is better not to make a perch just before the hole, since the cat can catch its paw on it and pull out the emerging chicks. In addition, for the same reason, the visor should be made a little longer.

Then you need to prepare all the above materials and tools, and only then begin the work itself. The best way to make a birdhouse is from a five-liter bottle. To understand how it is done, it is necessary to consider the entire process step by step. There are several options.

Option #1

First you need to take a 5 liter bottle and rinse it thoroughly. Next, you need to dry it and remove all the labels so that they do not interfere with your work.
Then, on one side of the workpiece, you need to mark the middle and draw a small circle with a marker. Next, you need to cut it out with a sharp knife or scissors, and either carefully smooth the edges through a light cloth with an iron, or simply sand it sandpaper. This is necessary so that birds do not get hurt when they fly inside.
After this, just below the entrance you need to mark two small holes for the perch. Then carefully do them. This can be done with a hot nail. Then you need to insert a wooden perch into them. It must be held very tightly so that the bird sitting on it does not fall.
Now it's time for the twine. It must be coated well with glue and wrapped around the entire birdhouse. But if you use twine, you only need to wrap the bottle up to the cut hole.
After this, you can begin making “tiles”. To do this, you need to take a 2-liter bottle prepared in advance. You need to draw sketches on paper and then transfer them to the bottle with a marker. Using scissors, you need to carefully cut out the required number of blanks. If one bottle is not enough, you can use another one.
Next, you can begin installing tiles on the birdhouse. This is done using quick-drying glue. From above you need to wrap the neck of the bottle with the same twine. It will also cover all the “tails” of the tiles. In addition, you need to attach a rope to the neck so that you can hang the birdhouse.
Since the bottle is transparent, birds can simply get into it, like a regular bird trap. To prevent this from happening, you need to cover the middle of the bottle with prepared burlap. The bird can easily get out of its house.
After this, you can start decorating the birdhouse, however, this is done at will.

Option No. 2

This method of making a birdhouse will not take much time. 40-50 minutes will be enough.

First you need to take five liter bottle. Glue a strip of tape to its bottom, and on top with glue - the beginning of the prepared twine.
After this, you need to start gluing it in a circle to the very top, pressing it tightly.
Then you need to draw a hole in the middle of the structure and cut it with a very sharp knife.
Now you can start working on the roof of this unusual bird house. To make it, either an unnecessary old hat or a sleeve from a torn sweater is perfect. The edge of the sleeve or cap must be put on the top of the house and tied with twine to the neck of the bottle. It must be secured very well so that the roof does not collapse over time.
Then, using quick-drying glue, you need to glue tufts of grass over the entire surface of the hat.
After this, you can stretch a rope through the handle of the bottle and hang it in any place you like.

Arranging a birdhouse

However, when arranging a bird house, it is necessary to remember some preferences of birds and their safety. For example, the birdhouse must be located away from the ground so that the cat cannot reach the chicks. The branch on which the structure will hang must be strong and thick so that it does not break during sharp gusts of wind. In addition, it will be better if the birdhouse does not attract too much attention to itself. Therefore, it is worth thinking better about its disguise. If there is often wind on the site, then the house must be attached directly to the trunk so that it does not get torn off.

When spring begins, you definitely need to check if any living creatures, for example, bats or squirrels, have settled in the birdhouse. If so, then they need to be “evicted.” To attract birds to such a house, you can pour grain with various useful additives into the middle.

How to decorate?

Each person must approach this process individually and decorate the birdhouse in accordance with the design of the entire site and their own preferences. However, for those who do not know how to do this, here are some of the most interesting options to consider. A homemade bird house should be beautiful and appeal not only to you, but also to the birds living in it.

For example, you can decorate the entrance to the birdhouse in an original way. To do this, you can glue small strips of tape on the sides, preferably double-sided. Then attach a beautiful multi-colored braid on top. The bottom and top can be decorated with a row of large buttons, which are sure to be found in every home.

In addition, small decorative windows can be made from very thin plastic in several places. In addition to the roofs described above, others can be made. For example, a roof made from old wheels will look very beautiful and attractive. To do this, they need to be heated a little and then cut into equal parts. Each resulting piece can be painted with any paint.

Multi-colored “tiles” will look very beautiful. It is attached with good quick-drying glue.

In addition, for the convenience of the birds, the bottom of the bottle can be covered with either hay or cotton wool. The birds will like this decor the most. You can paint and paint the birdhouse, if possible. For this you can use acrylic paints and even gouache. However, the latter must be coated with varnish. By using all your imagination and creativity, you can make the birdhouse a real exclusive dream house for any bird.

One of the conditions for a rich harvest in the garden or garden is the fight against numerous arthropod pests. Using insecticides for these purposes means harming the health of the surrounding environment. It is better to “entrust” this task to birds - they become indispensable helpers in this matter.

But hoping that the birds will fly to your site on their own is short-sighted. A more reasonable solution would be to organize conditions for birds to settle directly next to humans. And for this it is necessary to attract them to the site with ready-made “comfortable housing”. A do-it-yourself birdhouse for birds, equipped according to all the rules, will be a good prerequisite for birds to choose a site for permanent residence. And the family that has settled in it will do an excellent job of controlling garden pests, collecting them from plants and even removing them from the soil.

And simply such proximity to living nature cannot but be beneficial, and it especially brings a lot of joy to children. So it makes sense to roll up your sleeves.

When planning to build a bird house, you need to take into account some nuances when choosing material for these purposes. Therefore, first we should consider various options, weigh their advantages and disadvantages.

Natural wood- This is an ideal material for a birdhouse. It is easy to work with, it is environmentally friendly, has natural warmth, and most importantly, it is natural for the habitat of the vast majority of birds. However, there is also important nuances. So, for the construction of bird housing, you should choose a board made of hardwood.

The trouble is that pine boards over time, they are able to begin to secrete resinous substances, especially in the spring, with the onset of warmth. And this is not only a pungent smell that sometimes scares away some birds. Resin may well stick to the plumage, and sometimes this even causes the death of birds.

OSB, chipboard and plywood- this is a bad choice. Similar composite materials Wood-based materials have a layered structure and therefore do not have proper resistance to the combined effects of moisture, direct sunlight and temperature changes. Thus, the glue used when joining shavings, chips or veneer sheets may not withstand winter frosts, so microcracks quickly appear at the ends of the material. Over time, for example, during a thaw, water will penetrate into them, which, upon subsequent freezing, increases in volume, which leads to further delamination of the material. This design will not last long in outdoor conditions, even if the birdhouse is painted.

In addition, all these materials contain formaldehyde resins, which act as binding components during manufacturing. Such substances, firstly, have a very noticeable specific odor, and secondly, they emit toxic fumes. Both of these can scare birds away from such a dwelling. Although, despite the recommendations, some craftsmen still choose these materials for making birdhouses.

Cardboard, even a durable one is still a short-lived material, and a birdhouse made from it will soon fall apart when wet. The roof of a cardboard house may sag or the bottom may fall off, on which the birds build a nest for laying eggs. This means that the clutch or brood will simply die. Therefore, it is better to abandon the idea of using this material immediately.
Plastic bottle is also not the most a good option, as it has thin and transparent walls that are unlikely to attract birds. Some craftsmen paint the outside of the bottle, but the paint may peel off under the influence of temperature and moisture. Thin walls in winter period or, conversely, when heated strongly, they will deform, shrink or expand, making clicking sounds that frighten birds. It’s funny to talk about at least some insulation of such a birdhouse.

In addition, plastic bottles are lightweight, so when suspended they will be swayed by strong winds. If you fasten the product to a tree with brackets, then the same wind can simply tear off and carry away the bottle along with all its contents.

So, you can't think of anything better than wood. And then we will consider various options for birdhouses made only from this material.

Varieties of houses for different birds

To attract certain birds or even several species of birds to the site, it is necessary to create comfortable, familiar conditions for them. Due to the fact that birds have different sizes, differ in flight speed and peculiarities of movement on a hard surface, the parameters of the “living space” intended for them will also vary.

Birdhouses according to their design can be divided into two types - prefabricated and “nesthouses”.

Prefabricated bird houses, of course, are assembled from parts cut to specific sizes from boards.

A “duplyanka” is a piece of log (log) from which the inner layers of wood have been removed. Walls with a thickness of 15–20 mm are left, depending on the diameter of the log.

When choosing the size and type of birdhouse, it is also necessary to take into account the fact that some birds prefer a certain shape of “house”.

For example, if you plan to attract and house wagtails on your property, then you will have to make a house for them, which will be significantly different from the birdhouse that is familiar to everyone. The height of such a dwelling will be 140÷150 mm, width 150 mm, depth 350÷400 mm including the landing area. In this design, it is made in the form of a very large plate measuring 150x100 mm. Thanks to this entrance and narrow entrance, the bird can enter the house on foot.

For redstarts, flycatchers, and white wagtails, a house that resembles a feeder is suitable, since they are reluctant to settle in closed birdhouses. Due to the fact that such dwellings become poorly protected from predators, for safety reasons they must be raised to a height of 2–6 meters, positioned so that there are no thick branches nearby that a cat can use to get to the nest.

The width of the house is 120÷140 mm, the height of the rear wall is 140÷150 mm, the front wall is 80÷90 mm, the depth is 120÷140 mm. The roof of such a house has dimensions of 160x200 mm. Since the entrance clearance is large, the roof must reliably cover it from rain and snow.

The pied flycatcher is a small bird belonging to the tit family. She prefers a more secure home, so it is recommended to make a hole for entering it on the side of the front panel. The depth of the house can vary from 150 to 200 mm, the width - 150 mm, the height of the structure is from 150 to 25 mm, the entrance hole, as a rule, has a square shape and its size can be 35x35 or 40x40 mm.

Another species of bird that is an excellent fighter against garden pests is swifts. These birds prefer to live in boxes fixed under the eaves of the house; sometimes they do not have a front wall at all, sometimes they resemble an ordinary birdhouse, but turned to a horizontal position. The entrance holes - tapholes - are also different; they are not round, but elliptical in shape. Other birds do not settle in such nests, since everything is designed for swift nesting. The height of the house is 180, width 550, length 225 mm, entrance hole size 32x60 mm.

Another housing option for swifts is a box divided into several compartments and reliably protected from precipitation. Having chosen one of the compartments, swifts arrange a nest in it, bringing various natural materials. This version of the shearer can be called “multi-apartment”. And living in entire “colonies” for swifts is a common thing.

The traditional birdhouse is loved not only by starlings, but also by many other birds. This design can have different dimensional parameters.

The house shown in the illustration above has the following dimensions - width 180 mm, depth 200 mm, height 350÷400 mm. The dimensions of the bottom are 160×180, and the roof is 200×200 mm, the diameter of the inlet is 50÷60 mm, the perch (sixth) has a length of 50 mm and a diameter of 10 mm.

Starlings, and sparrows too, get along well in “multi-apartment” birdhouses, which are installed on a metal stand embedded in the ground. The height of such a house must be at least 1500÷2000 mm. Next to the photograph is a drawing of a two-story birdhouse with five compartments, that is, five feathered families can live in it at once. The only thing that would not hurt to add to this design is landing areas on each floor of the building, such as shown in the illustration.

To make such a birdhouse, first internal compartments-apartments are created from prepared parts, which will become a reliable frame for the external façade cladding. In the external panel for each of the “apartments” there is one round taphole with a diameter of 50 mm.

Hollows are a natural habitat for birds in the wild; most bird species live in them, from sparrows to owls and even ducks. Therefore, a birdhouse made from logs will appeal to many feathered inhabitants, as it is made without the use of paints, glues and varnishes. You can always select a log with the required parameters and create comfortable, close to natural living conditions inside it.

Where and how to install a birdhouse?

Having decided to equip a house for birds, it is necessary not only to choose the correct design, but also to think about the place and method of its installation on the site. Not only the attractiveness of the home for potential residents, but also their safety, as well as comfortable conditions for raising chicks, will depend on this decision. By taking some protective measures, you can protect the birdhouse both from weather influences and from various predators.

First you need to determine how to install the birdhouse. Some people advise securing the bird house so that the entrance faces the south side. However, this decision cannot be called correct, since a birdhouse turned to the sunny side will overheat, which can lead to the death of the chicks. You can turn the entrance to the south only if the birdhouse is shaded by tree branches.
Another important factor that must be taken into account when choosing the location of the birdhouse is the wind rose in the region, that is, from which direction the wind blows more often and more intensely. The fact is that along with the wind, water will enter the birdhouse through the entrance during rain and snow in winter.

That is why the bird house entrance should be turned to the leeward side or, at least, to the side parallel to the predominant direction of the winds.

To install birdhouses, tree trunks, house walls, masts made of metal pipes or durable wood can be used.

Birdhouses are installed at a height of 2÷3.5 meters above the ground, in a place where there are no factors that can cause disturbance to birds. For example, if there are nearby railways, recreation areas or public buildings, then it is recommended to raise birdhouses to a height of 4.5–5 meters.
It is also necessary to maintain the distance between individual birdhouses. By the way, it depends on the type of birds that have settled. For example, a tit does not tolerate “competitors” within a radius of about 50–60 meters around its habitat. The flycatcher requires about 20 meters of its “own range”. True, many birds are not so picky, and as we have already seen, they get along quite well in entire colonies in “multi-apartment” birdhouses.

The fastening of birdhouses to one of the supports depends on their design. If the fastening is provided using a pole attached to the back wall of the birdhouse, then it is nailed or screwed with long screws to the base - the pole. Nailing to a living tree trunk - sometimes some people don’t understand the hand. This means that you can secure the birdhouse by tying it with flexible wire or even a strong cord. In other options, birdhouses are hung by special brackets, also attached to the rear wall or roof of the structure.

In addition, we must not forget that predatory animals pose a great danger to birdhouses. It sounds scary, but in fact the main threat is our beloved cats, whose call of nature draws them to robber adventures, even if they are well supplied with food. If the entrance is too large, the cat can reach the chicks or hidden birds with its paw.

To prevent the cat from reaching the bottom of the birdhouse with its paw, it is necessary to make a sufficiently large canopy. If the drawings show parameters from 40 to 50 mm, then it is worth increasing them even to 80 ÷ 100 mm. Wood consumption will increase slightly, but effective protection for the nest will be provided. Another way to protect birds from cats is to make a gable roof on the birdhouse, with the slopes placed at an acute angle. Even the most dexterous “bandit” will not last long on such a structure.

If the birdhouse is fixed to a tree, then to make it difficult for the cat to lift or descend from above to the birdhouse, the trunk is covered with metal belts 600–800 mm wide. The distance between the bottom of the birdhouse and the protection should be 350÷400 mm, and between the roof and the metal 1300÷1400 mm. When choosing this method of protection, you must remember that the metal belt around the trunk should not prevent the tree from increasing in diameter. That is, either a certain gap must be set between the tree and the belt, or some kind of sliding structure must be made that can increase in diameter.

Another option that can be chosen instead of installing metal is to attach a bundle of branches lowered down to the trunk. The branches must be securely fixed to the surface. A cat will never overcome such an obstacle.

Another danger to the nests of small birds is, oddly enough, woodpeckers. These birds are considered very useful; they are called “forest orderlies.” But along with actively eating tree pests, woodpeckers do not refuse to destroy the nests of small fry.

The entrance to bird houses is traditionally made small; the woodpecker cannot climb into it and is not even able to stick its head in to break an egg with its beak. But often this does not stop him. To get to the masonry, these “beauties” know how to expand the entrance, hammering it with their sharp beak.

To protect the masonry from woodpeckers, other methods are used, which are also shown in the first line of the picture above:

The area around the tap hole is lined with metal;

Several nails are driven in a circle around the hole;

You can additionally strengthen the taphole with a wooden overlay, with the fibers perpendicular to the front panel.

In order for the birds to return to the site, in addition to comfortable living conditions, they must be fed by setting up a feeder and adding various goodies, in the form of seeds or corn, cereals, or even just bread crusts.

It would be nice to hang up a kind of “store” for material that is perfect for building a nest. If the birds find everything they need in one area, they will stay there forever. Chicks raised in a comfortable birdhouse will definitely return to it next year.

Making birdhouses with your own hands

In this section of the publication, four options for making birdhouses will be considered, from the simplest to the more complex. After studying this information, each master will be able to choose an acceptable solution for himself.

The first option is to assemble a kit from ready-made parts

If it is not possible to find a suitable material or there is no ability to prepare from it all the elements necessary to create a birdhouse, then a ready-made set of wooden parts is purchased. You can quickly and easily assemble a bird house from them.

The parts are made of well-dried and treated wood. The manufacturer even provided holes for screwing in self-tapping screws. The kit comes with an assembly diagram, so the job can be completed in just a couple of hours, with only a regular Phillips screwdriver or screwdriver on hand. This is the simplest option for making a bird house. By the way, a good option to introduce the child to creative work.

The second option is the simplest “classic” model with a pitched roof

This option is more complicated. But only because you will have to find a suitable material and make parts of the required size from it.

Illustration
	Before proceeding directly to the work, you need to select a ready-made one or create your own project-drawing of a product suitable for the parameters. In this case, an easy-to-make model is presented, which can be manufactured even for a novice craftsman.
	From the finished drawing, all dimensions of the parts are transferred to well-processed boards. The thickness of the board can vary and range from 15 to 25 mm. For marking you will need a tape measure, a metal ruler and a simple pencil. After all the structural parts are marked, they are cut out using an electric jigsaw. You can, of course, use a regular hand hacksaw for wood, but burrs will remain on the ends of the parts. And it’s much more convenient to work with power tools.
	On the finished front panel of the birdhouse structure, the location of the entrance hole is marked. Then, it is drilled out using a core drill of the required diameter - in this case it is 50 mm.
	For comfortable movement of birds along the inner surface when climbing to the entrance, it is made “embossed” and rough. To do this, it is scratched and drilled, making blind holes to a depth of 2–3 mm. Scratches and holes are made below the tap hole.
	To prevent the ends of the boards from splitting when screws are screwed into them, first the front panel is placed against the side panel, and small diameter holes are drilled in the right places. Then, using a screwdriver, self-tapping screws are screwed into the resulting holes, which will create a reliable connection.
	Next, the second wall is fixed to the facade in the same way as the first. The last operation at this stage of work is to fix the back panel. The parts are fastened in such a way that the right angles of the birdhouse are maintained. It is enough to use three self-tapping screws on each side. In some structures, to more securely fasten the walls together, craftsmen install bars with a cross-section of 25×25 mm inside the structure in the corners, to which the walls are fixed. True, this somewhat reduces the spaciousness of the birdhouse.
	The next step is to mark the bottom of the birdhouse and determine the line along which the screws will be screwed in. They should be at a distance from the edge equal to ½ the thickness of the bottom panel. Holes are drilled along the edges of the drawn line. After this, the square bottom part is installed in place - it should fit tightly between the walls already fixed to each other. Next, self-tapping screws are screwed into the prepared through holes, which finally secures the bottom of the birdhouse. In other designs, the bottom element can be placed on the end sides of the walls and fixed to them with the same screws.
	Next, markings are made on the inside of the roof for mounting a wooden square-liner, which will fit tightly between the walls of the birdhouse when the lid is closed. First, the square is fixed to the roof with one self-tapping screw, which is screwed into its center. Then, after the final adjustment of the roof, the part is additionally secured with four self-tapping screws installed in the corners.
	To preserve the possibility of carrying out internal treatment of the bird's home, it is recommended to fasten the roof not permanently, but hingedly, on one wide or two narrow hinges. At the same stage, a pole-bar is installed and fixed in the middle part of the rear wall, with the help of which the birdhouse will be secured to a tree or other base.
	If you plan to fix the roof permanently, then after installing it in place, through its panel, through holes are drilled into the walls. After this, you can safely screw the screws into them, being sure that they will not split the side panels. Finally, a blind hole is drilled under the tap hole into which the pole is inserted and fixed. Or - a small “take-off platform” or a piece of board or block.

The third option is a birdhouse with a gable roof

This birdhouse model differs from the previous one in the shape of the roof, size and some manufacturing nuances.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	For this version of the birdhouse, it is necessary to prepare parts having the following dimensions: A1 and A2 – 300 × 160 mm - front and rear walls; B – 2 pcs. – 220 × 120 mm - side walls; C – 1 piece – 120 × 120 birdhouse bottom; K1 – 1 pc. 200 × 160 mm - one side of the roof; K2 – 1 pc. 200 × 180 mm - second side of the roof.
	The above dimensions are carefully transferred to the boards. Then the parts are cut out using an electric jigsaw, which will make the edges smooth and without burrs.
	The finished parts are checked against each other so that when assembling the structure it does not happen that unwanted gaps arise between the individual parts. If this happens, you will have to disassemble the birdhouse and adjust its elements to each other. If necessary, minor adjustments are made to complete congruence.
	Now all parts and their edges must be sanded. It is especially important to sand the outer sides of the walls well so that they absorb moisture as little as possible.
	The taphole can be marked and drilled before the structure is assembled or after it is assembled. But it is necessary to work on the inner surface of the facade before the walls are fastened together. Using a knife, drill or other sharp tool, the part of the inner wall under the tap hole is made rough.
	The finished parts in the example under consideration are first glued together with wood glue. The first step is to glue the side panels to the back wall.
	They are pressed tightly and tightened with clamps until the glue dries completely. Then, without removing the clamps, holes for the fasteners are drilled with a thin drill.
	Nails are driven into the resulting holes or self-tapping screws are screwed in. To attach the back and front walls to the side panels, two nails or screws are enough for each side.
	After the walls are fastened together, markings are made on the facade panel for drilling the taphole hole.
	Then, using a core drill with a diameter of 45 or 50 mm, the tap hole is drilled. It is advisable to immediately treat the finished hole with sandpaper.
	The next operation is to install the roof slopes of the birdhouse. First, one, shorter roof part is glued exactly from the ridge line. Then - the second, with an overthrust on the first. After this, you need to wait until the glue sets, and then small holes for fasteners are drilled in the roof slopes.
	In this case, nails 25÷30 mm long are used for fastening.
	The next step is to install the bottom of the birdhouse. If the marking and cutting of parts are carried out correctly, then the bottom should fit very tightly between the walls - sometimes you even have to knock it slightly with a hammer.
	Holes for mounting are drilled at the bottom of the side, rear and front panels. Then nails are driven into them.
	Under the taphole, 20 mm away from its bottom point, drill a hole for the pole.
	The pole is glued into the resulting hole using wood glue.
	The result is a neat birdhouse with a gable roof, which will not allow the cat to lie in a long “ambush” waiting for the birds to appear.

Fourth option– making a nesting birdhouse

This section will discuss the process of making a nest box, which is favored by many species of birds.

Illustration	Brief description of the operation performed
	In order to make a nest box, you do not need to make calculations or draw up drawings. The only thing that needs to be observed is the approximate dimensional parameters of “classic” birdhouses, taking into account the diameter of the entrance. To implement this idea, you need to find a log that is suitable in size and type of wood. An aspen or birch log that has been lying outside for about a year is perfect for a nest. After lying in outdoor conditions, the core of these tree species becomes soft, and the outer layers retain their rigidity and strength, which is what we need.
	If the bark of the wood has become unusable, it should be removed from the log. If it is dry and has an aesthetic appearance, it can become a camouflage and decorative element of the nest box. The top side of the log can be cut at an angle to secure a pitched roof, or cuts can be made on both sides of the log for a gable structure. When choosing a single-slope option, it is necessary to provide such a slope so that water flows freely from the roof during rain.
	The next step is to gradually remove the inner part of the wood from the log. It should be noted here that the fibers can be removed along the entire length, or a bottom with a thickness of 40–50 mm is left in the lower part of the workpiece. The second option is more difficult to implement, but you won’t have to fix the bottom panel, and the birds will have more natural living conditions. If such a bottom is left in the log, then it must be made as even as possible. It is easier, of course, to clear the core of the log along its entire length. To sample wood, use a chisel with a hammer and an electric drill with a long drill, which drills several holes that weaken the array of fibers.
	The core is removed from the log so that the remaining walls have a uniform thickness of 20÷30 mm. It is necessary to remove protruding chips and large burrs from the side walls. Next, you need to mark the outer wall of the log where you plan to build a taphole. It should be located at a distance of 70÷80 mm from the top edge of the workpiece. A hole is drilled using a core drill of the required diameter.
	As a bottom, you can use a piece of log (die) 30÷35 mm thick, with a diameter corresponding to the size of the internal hole of the nest. The bottom should fit tightly into the hole. Then, it must be secured in several places with self-tapping screws, for which small holes are pre-drilled. Instead of a piece of log, a round bottom piece can be cut from a board of the same thickness. To determine the exact shape of the circle with minimal errors, you need to place a blank on top of the board and draw the inner diameter of the circle on the board from the inside. The bottom is cut along this line. If, after installing the bottom, small gaps remain between it and the walls of the hollow log, you can simply caulk them with flax fibers.
	The final stage of work is securing the roof. The blank for it is usually made from slab. The roof must be attached very carefully, as the walls of the log can be split. Therefore, first small holes are drilled into which self-tapping screws are screwed. The roof is mounted so that the canopy protrudes above the entrance by approximately 100 mm. To secure the birdhouse to the tree, a pole is mounted on its outer rear wall. If desired, a landing pad or pole can be secured under the tap hole. At this point, in essence, the work is completed and the nesting box can be installed in its intended place.

* * * * * * *

Now, having familiarized yourself with the basics of the process of making birdhouses, as well as what models of bird houses there are, and for which birds they are mostly intended, you can choose a certain option.

Of course, the proposed options are among the simplest. But in fact, craftsmen sometimes make genuine masterpieces, which become not only a convenient place for birds to live, but also a decoration for the site. An example is shown in the video below - a birdhouse using prefabricated log house technology.

Video: Original birdhouse - miniature log house

A good thing is to work and hang a birdhouse. And necessary. Both for the birds and for the person himself.

The tradition of building artificial houses for birds is deeply rooted in history.

Birdhouses are needed for birds. Previously, almost every yard where there were trees had birdhouses. That was the tradition. Which, they say, has deep historical roots. It is not known when it all started, but birdhouses can already be seen in images dating back to the early 16th century. Made of wood and clay.

This was noble, in essence, and very feasible human assistance to our smaller brothers, so that there would be somewhere to hide from the rain, build a nest and raise chicks. After all, it was man who drove the birds, for example, out of the city. Often, either next to the birdhouse itself, or in the immediate vicinity of it, a feeder was set up, into which, with enviable consistency, caring people poured cereal, millet and other delicacies for the birds.

Birdhouses were inhabited, naturally, by starlings, tits, sparrows, flycatchers and other bird brethren. Now, apart from sparrows and pigeons, well, perhaps also crows and swallows, the city dweller does not know any birds. Yes, it happened that woodpeckers and even squirrels moved into birdhouses.

The process of making a birdhouse from plastic bottles with your own hands is described in detail.

Would need:

two 5l plastic bottles. for a house, as well as 2l. for cutting “tiles”;
wooden perch;
scissors;
marker;
glue or double-sided tape;
brush;
paints;
acrylic facade varnish;
burlap for the interior decoration of the birdhouse;
various decorative elements (small sticks, flowers, butterflies, bells, ladybugs, etc.).

Making a birdhouse begins with cutting out “tiles” for the roof of the house according to the template. A template is attached to the inside of the 2L. bottle, the outline of which is transferred with a marker onto the plastic and then cut out.

Below the entrance, there should be a perch. It is attached very simply, a mark for cutting is drawn on the bottle with a marker, an incision is made along the lines and a perch is inserted.

Through the entrance of the birdhouse, burlap is glued to the inner walls of the house! The chicks will not be able to get out of the house on the smooth walls of the bottle, so their surface should be rough and textured.

Afterwards, using glue or double-sided tape (not important), “tiles” are laid over the entire area of the birdhouse roof.

In the end, the result was such a wonderful preparation!

Then the birdhouse is painted. Birds prefer dark and secluded places, so the house is completely painted over. You can use acrylic paints or even gouache, since after painting the surface of the birdhouse is varnished!

When painting a bird house, creativity and boundless imagination will make the birdhouse very original.

The main thing is to let each layer of paint dry properly!

Gradually the workpiece takes on a finished appearance.

The top of the bottle is painted to resemble brickwork. And then, in order to hide the end of the last level of tiles, a rope is wound over the top.

The “tiled” roof, with the help of different shades, is given a “live” look.

After painting, you can start decorating the birdhouse, final stage in creating a bird house.

Using sticks, a fence is created. The sticks are first glued in the bottle and then tied with rope until the glue dries completely.

The resulting fence can be painted, if desired.

Also, in addition to the fence, the entrance (entrance) of the birdhouse is decorated with branches and an edge is created around the house. Decorative ladybugs are evenly distributed throughout the house.

The perch is wrapped with rope, having previously secured it with double-sided tape or glue. The end of the perch is decorated with a bell.

That's all!

A fabulous birdhouse made from plastic bottles is ready!