TARDIS Birdhouse

A smaller TARDIS so that the birds can live in style!

I used pallet wood slats for the "window" part of each side. (Although eco-friendly, this made this especially difficult in the long run because the wood tended to be warped or cracked.) Then, I used plywood to attach the window pieces onto. Youre also going to need hardware. For this project I needed a hinge, an eyelet hook (to hang the birdhouse), a length of chain (also used to hang the house), and an assortment of nails and screws.

Each of the pallet slats I had were about 3.5 inches in width and 14 inches in length (This is where your creativity can come in and take over. These dimensions are completely optional). So I cut out an 8x8 inch piece of plywood to attach the sides of the Tardis to. The most time consuming part of this was cutting out each individual window. I left about a half of an inch on each side of the window, and in between them. The "windows" are 3 inches tall. Then, in each corner, I drilled holes big enough for my jigsaw blade to fit through and I began cutting. After you're done cutting out the windows, sand and file down any rough edges in the windows as this will be your last chance to do so.

Now that you've finished cutting, you'll want to take 2 of the window slats that youve just cut and affix them to plywood and that creates one side piece. Do that for each side . Once this is finished, take one side and cut out the entrance to the birdhouse. I used a drill bit big enough for my jigsaw blade to put a hole in and I made my hole just big enough for the birds. After you've got all of your sides put together, the next step is making the actual box shape. Take the original 8x8 square of plywood and affix the sides to it. It's also a good idea to put cubes inside the box and screw the sides to them, this is going to help support the sides.

Now you have your assembled Tardis. Check for squareness and this step gets alot easier. First, cut a piece of plywood that will overhang about a half inch on each side. After that, its a matter of adding more pieces to create the look you want. I went ahead and added another piece of plywood on top of the first one and I took some scrap wood and cut a 45 degree angle in each of them to make the pyramid-like top. After you have the top made how you want it, affix cutoff pieces to the inside of it so that it will sit correctly on the box.

Grind down any nail or screw heads and sand the entire box. (You can add your hardware now if you want it to be painted.) I screwed my eyelet into the roof of the Tardis and attached a hinge to the back of the lid so it can be opened. I also placed a hook in the front so that it will stay shut while its in the tree.

This step is pretty self-explanatory. First, paint the windows and the Public Call Police Box signs white and then cover them with painters tape. Then, paint the Tardis blue. Remove your tape and use a sharpie to make the panes in the windows and to create the writing. Finally, seal it with an acrylic sealer thats safe for animals.

Now that your paint and sealant has dried, hang it somewhere that you can enjoy it! Take some chain and attach it to your eyelet and wrap it around a sturdy tree limb.

I hope you enjoy it!