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There is nothing better to enliven a garden than to fill it with birds, and what better way to attract feathered friends than with a series of birdhouses? Birdhouses have "charm" written all over them, and are a welcoming garden decoration in addition to being functional.
As well as being great in the garden, birdhouses can be brought indoors for a touch of whimsy. Grouped together on a shelf or mantle, these charming additions make a great conversation piece.
The function of your birdhouse will ultimately decide the materials needed to construct it. For example, if your birdhouse is to be purely decorative and indoors, you can use Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF). MDF is economical, easy to paint, and readily available in sheets of varying thicknesses. If the house is going into the garden however, a more durable timber is required such as a treated pine, treated ply or hardwood. Use recycled timber wherever possible, as it makes both economic and environmental sense.
Start with a basic design, as it really is the decoration that makes the house unique. If you plan to make lot's of birdhouses, why not cut them all out at once? This saves a lot of time, and you can construct and decorate them at your liesure. In the event that you may not know where to start, I have provided an example. The following measurements are for a birdhouse that will stand approximately 14 inches tall. On a sheet of your chosen timber, draw the following shapes:
Roof pieces: 8 1/4" x 7 1/4" (1 piece)
8 1/4" x 6 1/2" (1 piece)
Sides: 5 1/2" x 9" (2 pieces)
Bottom: 11" x 10" (1 piece, this measurement will give an inch at the sides and approx. 4" to potrude out the front)
Gable ends: First draw a shape 8" x 8 1/4" (8" being the bottom and top). Find the middle of the top side and mark it. Measure 4" above this mark and make a new mark - this is the gable point. Draw the lines from your top gable point to the top of the sides - you should now have your gable end. Draw two of these.
If you think you will be making numerous houses of the one particular design, cut out one series of pieces and use them as templates, that way you can simply trace around them, saving further time.
Once all pieces are cut, they will need a light sand (except in the case of MDF). Once sanded, drill a large hole in the front gable end with a Forstener or spade drill bit. If you are handy with a jigsaw, you may want to make it a decorative shape, such as a large heart or flower shape. Some of my birdhouses have the holes shaped like a doorway: square at the bottom and rounded at the top.
Assemble all pieces and secure with PVA or other wood glue. The back gable end is meant to be flush with the back of the bottom piece, thus giving more "verandah" out front. You may have noticed the roof pieces are uneven? This is to save you mitreing the edges to fit the gable. If you secure the smaller one with it's 8 1/4" edge flush with the gable tip, then overlap with the larger to cover the gap. If your birdhouse is for indoors, the glue will be sufficient to hold the pieces together, however outdoor houses will require further securing with nails.
You now have your basic birdhouse assembled. The various themes to use for your birdhouses are endless, but simplicity works best for your earlier works. Why not try painting them in strong, bold colours, with simple signs such as "Rest Your Weary Wings" or "Wrent for a Song". You may wish to paint on your family or business name, or a simple "Welcome" over the door.These messages can either be painted directly onto the front of the house, or a small rectangle of leftover timber will make a sign to nail on, giving a more authentic look.
If you feel this to be too plain for your taste, add more decoration. Painting the roof and bottom a contrasting colour to the body of the house will give a nice look too, especially if the two colours are strong, like dark green and barn red. A checkered pattern around the bottom is effective, and can be easily achieved with a stencil if you are not a confident painter.
Themes are a great way to make a show out of your birdhouses, and sometimes a theme is as simple as a certain colour or a sign over the door. Some examples are Flower Shop (brightly painted flowers all over, green striped roof to resemble a flower cart, mini pots of dried flowers decorating the verandah if it's an indoor house), School (painted Barn Red with a black roof, maybe even a bell hanging from the roof attached with a small hook), Cabin(made from fence paling and decorated with rusted tin covering the roof) and Bed and Breakfast (extend the measurements of the house to accomodate another story and drill multiple holes, finish with a sign "Everybirdie Welcome").
If you want to get really extravagant, you may like the idea of multi-storyed houses. This is easy to achieve by following the same measurements and just making the sides longer. A tall birdhouse with three or more holes looks fantastic mounted on a post in the garden. Other little touches include adding handrail around the front of the bottom piece, or shingles to the roof, even a tiny finial to the front of the gable. You can also cut the labels from Coke or Pepsi cans and stick them to the house, giving the look of a shop, or make small feeders from scraps of the timber you used and nail them to the verandah and fill with seed. One of my favorite touches is to give the birdhouse it's own miniature birdhouse, either hanging from a hook under the eave or on it's own post on the verandah. A mailbox is a great addition too.
Even though these fabulous birdhouses are great as garden decorations, it is lovely to see them actually used by the birds. Make a point of reading up on the birds in your area, and make any small changes to accomodate them - ie. larger holes, shady spot etc. If you are trying specifically to attract birds, you may even wish to hinge and lock the bottom piece of your house rather than nail it, making it easy to clean after the current residents have flown the nest.
Whatever your design, a collection of birdhouses will enhance your home and garden, giving it a touch of country charm. They also give you a chance at creating something totally unique for your home, an item with your personal stamp on it. Display your birdhouse proudly with a prime position in the garden or under a shady tree and your feathered friends will repay you by providing the visual pleasure of watching their movements from your own backyard. Enjoy!
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