Build a Bird House Out of Scraps

What better way to house your feathered friends than to make them a home out of your workshop scraps. This bird house is made almost entirely out scraps that you can find nearly anywhere. Make this Instructables out of anything you wish and any way you wish. This is just to spark your imagination.

Chisels

A log about 10" long and at least 6" in diameter (preferably more)

A long drill bit at least 8" long

A old corn bristle broom

A drill

Some scraps of wood plastic or any thing else you would like for décor.

Now that you have found you supplies it is time to get to work. To start it all off we will begin by hollowing the log. The way I used is by no means the only way or even the best way to do it, but I was trying to do is with the most common tools possible. I attached a PDF of some illustrations and the directions for how I initially did it. Please read through the PDF it is fairly comprehensive. Please note though if the pdf and this don't agree go with what is posted here because I have changed some of it.

To start hollowing out the log mark the area your will need removed, the size will vary depending on the bird you are making it for. In my case I made it about 4x4" because I was making it for chickadees. Now that you have you're square mark as centered as is possible let's start removing the part we don't want. Use you drill bit and drill 4-6 holes in the center of the area you are removing, and make sure to drill them the whole way through. If you're drill bit is only 8" long you will have to go in from each end which complicates it a little but I did it and it worked. The holes now give you some room for you to chisel out a section. Take your chisel and pound it on the wood left between the holes you drill. After repeating these steps multiple times you should have a hole, the size you desire the entire way through you log. If you are like me and used a stringy wood or a wet wood use a torch to burn off some of the strings or you can run sand paper through it. This is the hardest part now that you are done that you just have the easy part to do. Find the size of opening you need for the birds you are making this for and use a hole saw to remove it. For most birds you want the hole close to 2/3 the way up from the bottom. If you want a roost find a small twig and drill a hole right under the opening then wood glue it in place. If you really want to simplify hollowing the log, ledger lock the the log to a pallet and use a chain saw with a carving blade ( THIS IS NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS, DO NOT TRY IF YOU ARE NOT EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED WITH CHAINSAW CARVING.) The much safer version of this is to use a band saw and make a small slit in the back of the log and then cut out the center. Another way would be drill 1 big hole and use a Sawzall. Any way you find that works is great it really isn't that crucial what the inside looks like. Again read the pdf for more info.

Now that you log is hollow (that means the hardest part is done) it is time to make a roof for your bird house. Here again we will just use what we have laying around the place. Begin by making the cone for the roof. Here again I did it the hard way because it works for less serious wood workers. Start by cutting 2 triangle out of scrap wood. The size really doesn't matter to much but the wood should be at least 3/4" thick. To mark out your triangle on your wood, take the diameter of the log for the base of your triangle and then take a protractor and mark angles on each edge at 45°. If you think a 45 is to steep change it I don't care, that is just what I used. To make your triangles fit in a + for your roof beams, take and notch out the top of the 1 triangle and the bottom of the other. If you don't know what I mean look at the attached pdf. And of course the notch needs to be as wide as the other triangle is. To make it more rain proof cut a small square of wood just big enough to fit inside the top of the hollowed out part, and fasten it with glue or nails to the triangles. Next sit the triangles with the small square of wood right on top the log making sure the square of wood is fitting inside. Use a weather proof calk to calk around the square of wood to completely seal the top. Next take some old plastic tarp or heavy plastic bags(such as feed bags) and cut them into 4 triangle pieces that fit from 1 roof rib to the next. Staple or glue the plastic to the roof ribs. Another way to do this that would work is to use the top of something like a 2 liter soda bottle. Of course the better way to do this is to turn a roof cone on a lathe or carve it out of wood but I don't have a lathe so I did it the way I could. This makes a weather proof frame for or roof décor. Get creative for all of this project there is lots of ways to do it.

Now we get to start on the fun part- roof decor. If you are going for a thatched roof get an old corn bristle broom that is well used. Begin by cutting off the threads that hold the broom together, then take a utility knife or pruning shears and carefully cut the bristles off as long as you can get. If they are to long you can cut them down later. Next bundle a few straws in a bundle and glue them together and then glue them to the roof. The stronger glue you use the better. If you can feel where the wood is you can staple them to the wood. After you feel you have sufficient 'thatch' on the roof you can either stop and let the roof as I did or you can run some old bailer twine around the roof to help hold it in place. Personal I like the straggly look of the thatch but if you do just use pruning shears and trim it level all the way around.

Now for the fun of finishing it up. Find some old scraps of wood lying around you work shop. This part is really not crucial at all. Do it how you like. As for me I use a board about 13x13". There is two ways to attach it. If you don't plan to actually use it for bird you can just screw it right to the bottom of the log. If you plan to use it for birds you will need to cut out a square of wood at least the size of the hole that is running the hole way through the log. Next round the corners and the top edges of the square you cut out. This allows for the necessary air flow and makes it easier to open and close. Next grab any hinge you have and screw it to the square of wood and to the base piece. Then grab a short screw and a tiny rectangle scrap of wood. Put the screw through the tiny piece of wood and then into the base near the hole on the opposite side as the hinge. Screw the screw in till it puts a little friction between the tiny piece of wood and the base. This will act as a very simple latch for the hinged piece of wood.

If you are sitting this birdhouse outside (I don't know why you wouldn't) please make sure and coat your wood with weather sealant, or your neat project will only last a year if even that. Then add whatever decor you wish. My little sign is just a little shard of wood on a scrap dowel rod. I wood burnt the words into it and then stained it. Also the miniature picnic table is made out of popsicle sticks hot glued together and then stained.

Please enjoy this project and make it your own. I would love to see everybody's take of it. Do it all your way with all your scraps. And give you feathered friends a cozy home.

Enjoy ~Prusa Fanatic