Correct DIY birdhouse made of wood, drawings. How to make a birdhouse with your own hands: dimensions, drawings. Video: How to make a birdhouse for birds to live in
Instead of questionable chemical compounds, you can use safe “environmentally friendly” products. To effectively combat caterpillars, beetles and other pests, it is enough to attract starlings. These and some other bird species are capable of destroying not only insects, but also larvae. The only thing you need is a high-quality, hand-made birdhouse. You will find design drawings and dimensions, manufacturing technologies and useful tips in this article.
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What to make a birdhouse from: the best materials
To clarify the dimensions of the birdhouse, a drawing for starlings must be created taking into account the characteristics of their habitat in natural conditions. It is recommended to take into account the following facts:
- Usually these birds make nests or use a hollow hollowed out by a woodpecker in a tree. They do not need excessive space, so it is enough to create a small interior space for the home.
- To raise chicks, you will need the absence of drafts, good heat and.
- We should not forget about natural enemies. Sufficient protection against .
- It is necessary to ensure ease of entry into the birdhouse and free flight.
- Unpleasant odors and fumes harmful to biological organisms should be avoided.
- The design should not contain sharp protrusions or defects that could injure the bird.
This photo shows that the birds like the unsightly-looking structure. It is made from natural materials, without varnishes or paints. In terms of its parameters, the housing turned out to be close to natural conditions, which is why the corresponding structures are called “loops”. Manufacturing is not accompanied by unnecessary difficulties. In a suitable log, remove the core and cut out a hole for the tap hole. Boards are nailed from below and above.
- To obtain acceptable results, it is necessary to use sufficiently thick sheets (from 20 mm or more). It is permissible to create type-setting walls.
- Moisture-resistant varieties are suitable for outdoor use. These materials are more expensive than standard ones. But products made from them will retain their shape for a long service life.
- You should make sure that there are no adhesives or other chemical compounds that are harmful to birds or create unpleasant odors.
Birdhouse out of the box: a ready-made solution
This kit contains wooden blanks made using factory techniques. They are distinguished by high quality processing and precise dimensions. Paints and a special decorative overlay are useful for creating an aesthetic appearance. The assembly instructions will help you perform the necessary steps correctly.
Important! As a rule, such kits do not include tools. They will have to be purchased separately.
This cardboard birdhouse can be assembled in just a few minutes. Special cutouts are designed to create connections. The advantages include low cost, speed of installation operations, and the possibility of disassembly. To determine the shortcomings of such a model, it is enough to carefully study the picture:
- Lack of an additional layer that protects against moisture.
- The bird hole is too big.
- Low strength of connecting nodes.
- Overly modest appearance.
Birdhouse dimensions: what you need to consider
Above we discussed in detail questions about how to properly make a structure using different materials. After a comprehensive analysis, it is not difficult to draw a conclusion about the advantages of natural wood:
- it is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive material;
- it has high strength and good insulating characteristics;
- it is not too difficult to process it at home with your own hands using simple tools.
The last item on this list deserves special attention. Prudent owners make their homes attractive to certain species of birds. That is why it is necessary to take into account not only the physiological differences between starlings and tits, their special habits and preferences.
It should be noted right away that it will not be possible to build such a miniature object according to GOST. There are no standard reference parameters developed for the birdhouse.
Important! What dimensions of products should be are discussed below. Requirements for other parameters are also given there, taking into account the behavioral characteristics of different birds. You can make individual changes to any drawing. But it is better if they relate only to the aesthetic parameters of the products.
Dimensions of a birdhouse for starlings
Typical design parameters are given in the following table:
When the feathered neighbors have mastered the new home, this one is removed. After this, the birds will begin to destroy harmful insects.
Titmouse: drawing and dimensions
The dimensions of the birdhouse for tits are slightly different from the previous version:
House for a wagtail: drawing and dimensions
To make the birds comfortable, the following parameters must be taken into account:
You can create drawings yourself based on the data provided in the table. But we must remember that the wagtail’s legs are better suited for running than for clinging to vertical surfaces. It is difficult for this bird to penetrate the entrance of a standard birdhouse. For this purpose, the structure is supplemented with a “threshold”, a special platform with a width of 80 to 120 mm.
How to make a birdhouse step by step
After familiarizing yourself with the theory, you can move on to practice. This table shows an algorithm that will help you correctly create birdhouses for birds with your own hands. Drawings, consumables, and tools must be prepared in advance.
| Photo | Procedure and Important Notes |
 | To make a relatively simple house for birds at home with your own hands, the following drawing of a birdhouse with dimensions is suitable. |
 | In accordance with the design documentation data, the dimensions are transferred to . |
 | Wooden blanks are cut using or with an electric drive. |
 | To make it easier for birds to move, the internal surfaces are made rough. If necessary, special notches are applied in the taphole area. |
 | The hole is made using an electric drill. Use a cutter attachment of the required size. |
 | To simplify the assembly process, thin holes are drilled at the marked points or small recesses are made. Screws are screwed into them. With the help of such fasteners, reliable connections are obtained. |
 | Assembly is performed sequentially. The workpieces are installed so that during the process of fastening them they do not create additional loads on the structure. For the product in the example, three screws on one connection line are sufficient. This is not indicated in the photo, but some craftsmen install special inserts in the inner corners. With their help, the shape of the internal space is rounded, making it similar to an ordinary hollow. |
 | A wooden rectangle with dimensions slightly smaller than the free part of the inner contour of the walls is fixed in the central part of the lid. It is fixed with five screws. |
| If you create several birdhouses, the garden will be better protected from harmful insects. To extend its service life, the product is impregnated on the outside with specialized compounds. |
Using this video, you can find out how to make a functional and beautiful birdhouse yourself:
Important! When creating any type of house, it is necessary to seal the cracks. You can use hemp for this. Working operations are performed using specialized tools and blades.
How to build a birdhouse with your own hands: step-by-step instructions
If you buy a ready-made kit, you can make your own birdhouse for birds quickly and accurately. Such kits contain precisely fitted blanks and consumables. Manufacturers' detailed instructions explain how to properly make a birdhouse. But much more interesting are the original designs.
How to decorate a birdhouse with your own hands
Questions often arise: is it possible to paint such structures? The application of impregnations and decorative coatings protects the wood from moisture and harmful bark beetles. This treatment allows the same design to be used for many years without repair. But be sure to make sure that the paints do not contain bird-repellent odors. On the other hand, they should not be overly bright so as not to attract predators.
With the correct application of original ideas, it will be possible to turn a functional object into an expressive design element. It’s easier to figure out how to decorate a bird’s house using photos of specific examples.
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An unusual option is a good illustration of the widest possibilities of a creative person. Metal linings, like the stones in the previous version, perform certain protective functions
Article
So, you decided to make a birdhouse with your own hands. So this page is especially for you. You can download birdhouse drawings, learn how to choose the right size of a birdhouse and learn how to properly care for it.
Materials
Not planed dry boards, preferably hardwood (birch, aspen, alder, etc.). You cannot use compressed wood (chipboard, fibreboard, etc.) as it is toxic and short-lived. Nails 4-4.5 cm long, gray or red odorless paint.
Tools
A wood hacksaw, a hammer, a drill with a feather drill, a narrow chisel, a pencil and ruler, a brush.
Birdhouse dimensions
The boards must be at least 2 cm thick so that the walls retain heat well. Optimal internal size: square bottom 10-15 cm. Natural hollow 12x12 cm, so focus on these dimensions: diameter of the taphole (hole) 4.5-5 cm, distance from the taphole to the bottom 15-20 cm, height of the birdhouse 30-35 cm, the top canopy must protrude at least 5 cm to protect the entrance from bad weather
Where and how to hang
You can hang it on a tree, pole, or wall at a height of 3 m with a slight tilt forward so that rain does not flow into the entrance and it is easier for the birds to get out. You can hang birdhouses throughout the year, but the best time is late March, early April. The entrance should be directed to the south, east, or southeast so that the wind does not blow into the birdhouse. Do not nail birdhouses to wood; this is not good; it is best to tie them with wire.
It is better to make the entrance round rather than rectangular. The design should not injure birds - make the roof removable to care for the birdhouse. The perch is not necessary; starlings do not need it. The inner walls must be unplaned - since it is very difficult to get out on a smooth surface. If the boards are smooth, then before assembling, apply horizontal notches on the front wall with a chisel.
It is better not to paint the birdhouse, the smell and bright color scare away birds, but if you really want to, then paint it with gray or red odorless paint
In addition to starlings, woodpeckers, swifts, sparrows and many other birds can live in the house. At the end of May and beginning of June, watch the chicks emerge as they leave their nest for the first time. By the way, bird houses first appeared in Russia during the time of Peter the Great, and the idea of artificial nests was discovered in Western Europe, where starlings and their eggs were used for food, and it was very convenient to have the product always at hand.
Everyone has thought about how to make a birdhouse at least once in their life. However, only a few got around to it: some were hampered by lack of skills, others by free time, and others by imagination. Meanwhile, making a birdhouse with your own hands is not difficult. Where to start, and what is required to make the structure, read the article.
Birdhouse diagram: detailed drawing and dimensions
Any woodworker will confirm to you that a high-quality structure can only be made if you have a correctly drawn up diagram in hand. And bird houses in this case are no exception. This is the main mistake of many self-taught people. Thoughtlessly copying schemes proposed on the Internet, they make no adjustments for the size of the birds, or for the specifics of their behavior, or for other nuances. In the end, which is not surprising, they get a completely different result than they expected.
To avoid such a development of events, when drawing up a diagram, carefully consider the following points:
Birdhouse dimensions
If we talk about the size of the birdhouse, the drawing for starlings and for the same tits will be different. Therefore, when starting work, the first thing we do is determine which representatives of birds we want to see on our site. So, the following types of birdhouses are popular today:
- A variety of birds choose a birdhouse to live in, so its dimensions can range from 20x10x10 cm to 40x15x15 cm.
- Titmouse is a favorite design of sparrows and tits and other small birds. Therefore, when making it, do not overdo it on a grand scale. A design with dimensions not exceeding 30x12x10 cm will be quite sufficient.
- Wagtail, as you might guess from the name, is intended specifically for wagtails. Unlike other birds, these birds are more mobile. They do not jump on the ground, like sparrows, but move along it by running. Therefore, when building a wagtail, place the structure horizontally, and also do not forget to provide it with a sufficiently long (about 10 cm) protrusion in front of the tap hole. Average dimensions of the product: 15x15x30 cm.
- The nesting area of pikas is most often made in a pyramidal shape and with two through entrances. The specifics of the house allow the bird to accommodate itself with maximum comfort and quickly hide from its pursuer (in case of an attack). The width of the structure varies between 14 and 20 cm, height – between 22 and 26. It depends on what kind of pika: short-legged or ordinary you want to lure.
Diameter of the hole in the birdhouse
The diameter of the hole in the birdhouse also plays an important role. To protect birds from predators and feathered competitors, we focus on the following dimensions of the entrance:
- For a birdhouse - about 5 cm.
- The titmouse has no more than 3.5 cm in diameter.
- For wagtails – 3 cm.
- At the nesting sites of pikas it is about 3.5 cm.
Birdhouse drawing
To make a birdhouse that will not fall from the slightest wind and will not fall apart under its own weight, you need a good drawing. We offer several options that are easy to make at home for your reference.
How to build a birdhouse with your own hands: step-by-step instructions
Speaking about how to properly make a birdhouse for starlings with your own hands, the dimensions should be taken not approximate, but specific. Therefore, let’s look at the step-by-step manufacturing of the structure using this drawing as an example:
To create this birdhouse you will need the following materials:
- Strong, high-quality boards 2 cm thick.
- Tools for assembly.
- Buttons and drawing accessories.
- Wood impregnation compositions.
- Materials for the exterior decoration of the birdhouse.
When the preparations are completed, we proceed directly to construction:
Step #1. Based on the drawing presented above, we draw individual structural elements in real size on paper and cut them out.
Step #2. Using a pencil and ruler, transfer the drawing to the boards. For convenience, we attach the paper elements to them with buttons.
Step 3. Take a saw or electric jigsaw and cut out wooden blanks for the future birdhouse. We make sure that the cut goes exactly along the drawn lines, otherwise cracks may form in the house. This means that it will be of little use for cold weather.
Step #4. We decide on the position of the parts. We make the inner sides rough, put notches and scratches on them, so that it is more convenient for the chicks and their parents to get to the entrance.
Step #5. Take a drill and drill a hole for the tap hole. Its upper half can be treated so that the birds do not injure themselves trying to get into the nest. And leave the bottom one as is (for ease of movement).
Step #6. We assemble the birdhouse box, connecting the mating walls with screws. In the example shown, 3 fixing elements for one side are sufficient. If you decide to make the birdhouse larger, the number of fasteners should also be increased.
Step No. 6.1. (optional). If you want your birdhouse to be comfortable not only for starlings, but also for other birds, round the interior space of the product using appropriately shaped inserts. Such an architectural solution will make the birdhouse more like a hollow and will arouse less suspicion among potential “tenants”.
Step #7. Making a lid. We take the workpiece under the upper part and attach to it a wooden block in the shape of a parallelepiped, which is slightly smaller in size than the inner contour of the walls. This addition will prevent the roof from sliding and will weigh it down enough so that neither cats nor other predators can move it.
Step #8. We check how tightly the roof fits to the main structure and how easily it can be removed. If necessary, we trim the inner bar.
Step #9. When the birdhouse is ready, we cover the outside with specialized protective compounds and decorate it at our discretion. We leave the inner part untouched. The feathered residents will independently decide the issue of its arrangement.
A real threat to birds settling in a birdhouse is posed not only by cats, but also by woodpeckers. They destroy the entrance to feast on eggs and newly hatched chicks or for a comfortable wintering. Previously, this behavior was characteristic only of individuals living in the territories of European cities. However, Russian woodpeckers quickly adopted this habit from their brothers, and therefore people making birdhouses have to think additionally about safety.
You can protect your structure from the voracious “forest doctors” in different ways:
- Surround the entrance with a tin ring or strew the space around it with a large number of small, sharp nails.
- Equip the front wall of the structure with a plank, the thickness of which is 2 cm and the width - 4 - 5 cm. To prevent the woodpecker from gouging the wood and getting to the chicks, the fibers in the plank should be positioned horizontally, and it itself coincides with the hole in the entrance.
Making a birdhouse from scrap materials
A wooden house for feathered singers is familiar to everyone from childhood. However, you can make birdhouses with your own hands from other materials. The examples presented are clear proof of this. The main thing is not to rush, and also remember about safety precautions during production. And then you will achieve your goal without unnecessary difficulties.
Construction cardboard
The positive features of the design are the beauty of the assembly and relative cheapness. However, such a bird house will last until the first cold weather. It is perfect for those birds that migrate south with the onset of winter and are ready to return to a new home in the spring. Therefore, we will make a birdhouse just for them.
We collect materials. We will need:
- Drawing tools.
- Glue and tape for fastening.
- Decorative materials for finishing and decoration.
- Construction or corrugated cardboard.
Let's start making:
Step #1. We decide on the dimensions of the future house and print out the proposed drawing in the required scale. To avoid mistakes, first test your scheme for viability using plain paper.
Step #2. We cut out a whole blank or its individual elements from cardboard.
Step #3. We assemble the structure and carefully glue the joints.
Step #4. Let our craft dry, after which we decorate it at our discretion and cover it with varnish or any other protective coating.
The birdhouse is ready. All that remains is to hang it up and wait for the feathered singers to move in.
Water bottles
In many regions, wood is an expensive pleasure, and not everyone can afford to make a birdhouse from wood with their own hands. Therefore, plastic containers (as the base material for a birdhouse) serve as an excellent substitute. Water bottles have all the characteristics necessary for the design:
- They don't rot.
- Resistant to moisture.
- Able to withstand mechanical stress.
The disadvantages of the material are negated by simple modifications: transparency is eliminated with paint, the smoothness of the walls is eliminated with ordinary burlap or a nail.
To make a birdhouse with your own hands from a five-liter bottle, we will need:
- Plastic water containers (volume over 3 liters) – 2-3 pcs.
- Burlap or other thick fabric for decorating the interior walls.
- Decoration materials.
- Tools.
Step-by-step instruction:
Step #1. We wash the bottles, listen, and remove labels and dirt.
Step #2. We cut a tap hole of a suitable size in the container, not forgetting to process its upper half.
Step #3. We cover the inside of the container with dense, rough fabric, which is designed to enhance sound insulation and simplify the movement of birds inside the nest.
Step #4. From the second bottle we cut out decorative elements, for example, tiles. We paint the house and decorate it to our liking. But don’t forget that birds are wary of colorful, overloaded structures.
Step #5. We wrap a rope around the neck of the bottle and hang the resulting structure on a tree.
Birdhouse: photos and videos of original ideas
Ornithologists advise not to forget that a birdhouse, like feeders, is made for birds, and not for showing off to neighbors. A colorful house made of fresh boards, decorated with numerous trims, will not inspire much confidence in the birds. They will feel much better in a well-made structure made of planed boards, painted in the color of the location or not touched by paint at all. However, this does not mean that when making birdhouses for birds with your own hands, you should forget about photos, original ideas and drawings. Look how creatively people approached this issue and were able to “sit on both chairs” at once:
Attracting birds to your local area is a pleasant and useful activity. After all, birds not only delight our ears with their trills, but also eat harmful insects.
How to make a birdhouse with your own hands - this is what our article is about.
Source materials
The starting material is exclusively wood. It is recommended to use only wood from deciduous trees, since coniferous trees emit resin, which can lead to the premature death of the feathered resident.
You cannot make birdhouses from plywood sheets, chipboard and OSB. The glue and special impregnation contained in such materials repel feathered guests.
As a result, assembly and fastening of workpieces should be carried out only with nails and self-tapping screws, without the use of adhesive.
Usually, to make a birdhouse from wood, unplaned boards with a thickness of at least 2 cm are used. This thickness allows you to maintain a constant temperature regime inside the bird house.
To prevent cracks from appearing on the boards when fastening, it is necessary to pre-drill holes for the screws.
How to choose the size of a birdhouse
The size of the birdhouse depends on what birds it is intended for. Different types of birdhouses differ in their proportions and the length of the entrance.
For example, for starlings the required dimensions are: 10 × 10 × 40 cm, the entrance hole is 5 cm. For tits and flycatchers, sparrows - 10 × 12 × 30 cm, the entrance hole is 3-3.5 cm. And the semi-dutch should be 10 × 8 × 20 cm with a taphole 3.3-5 cm high across the entire width of the wall.
Usually only the height of the birdhouse changes.
Half-loops can also attract squirrels.
Some birds prefer to live in nesting boxes made from part of a log using the hollowing method. The bottom and roof of such structures are made of boards.
To make the birdhouse habitable again, you need to remove the old nesting box from it and scald it with boiling water. An additional measure could be treatment with potassium permanganate.
How to make a birdhouse a safe place to live
To avoid the destruction of a birdhouse by cats and woodpeckers, you can take the following measures:
- Increase the roof overhang;
- Stick the roof with nails;
- Finish the taphole with a tin sheet;
- Drive nails around the tap hole;
- Attach a wooden overlay with horizontal fibers near the taphole;
- Make special protective belts from strips of tin or from “brooms”, and you must strictly adhere to the required distances between them.
Important: there should be no twigs, feeders or other possible supports between the protective belts and the birdhouse.
How to choose the right place for a birdhouse
Birdhouses should be hung on trees at a height of at least 3 m. It is not advisable for busy paths or benches to be located near these places.
Note!
When choosing a place on a tree, you need to take into account that there are no large branches near the entrance. The birdhouse should be installed facing south so that there is a slight tilt forward.
Making a birdhouse
It is necessary to take untreated hardwood boards with a thickness of at least 2 cm. You will also need gloves. Next, we take the birdhouse drawings and cut out the component parts. It is necessary to cut carefully and evenly, at an angle of 90°, so that there are no gaps in the future.
It is better to choose nails with a diameter of 1.5-2 mm and a length of no more than 40-50 mm. Let's start assembly. We apply the side parts to the facade at an angle of 90° and nail them. It is recommended to use 3-4 nails per each.
We turn it over, install the bottom, and nail it to the sides. Next, we insert the back wall and also secure it with nails with the bottom and sides.
Let's turn it over again. We fasten the bottom on the other side as well. We install the roof so that the overhang is at least 5 cm. Preferably 10 cm. We nail it down.
Note!
We inspect the resulting birdhouse and bend all the protruding nails.
Whether to install a perch is up to you.
Nowadays, on the Internet you can easily find a variety of ideas on how to make a birdhouse in the country or near your home.
Some of them are quite unusual. Therefore, feel free to make houses for birds.
After all, an original birdhouse can become a real decoration of your garden.
Note!
Photo of a birdhouse with your own hands
Birdhouses are special houses for birds that adults and children make with their own hands. Previously, birds independently found a place to live, but today many summer residents and animal lovers make feeders and birdhouses from scrap materials. If you want birds to settle in your summer cottage, try doing it yourself creative houses and attach them to trees. Birdhouses are a real salvation for urban birds, because in big cities there are practically no hollow trees left.
How to make a birdhouse
The bird house must be suitable for a certain type of bird, be comfortable and environmentally friendly. If you decide to build a birdhouse on your own site, then take into account the landscape design. Wood is most often used as materials, since materials such as fiberboard, chipboard or thick cardboard do not tolerate moisture and exposure to precipitation. However, they can be used to make seasonal houses. Also, such houses can be installed in corners protected from wind and rain.
Birdhouse drawing
A birdhouse is made from plywood in a similar way. First, decide on the drawing and dimensions of the birdhouse. Mark all parts on the material. All parts must be of such a size that the bottom is the largest. Don't forget to leave corrections. All sections are polished, and then the parts are glued and fastened with self-tapping screws. Screw the bottom with self-tapping screws and the roof so that it is removable. In the future, it will be necessary to carry out general cleaning in the birdhouse.
Creative birdhouse made of cardboard
Start building a bird house by developing sketches. Carefully cut out all the parts and connect them using wood glue. You can protect the birdhouse from moisture if you coat it with varnish. To make the house original, decorate it with acrylic paints together with your children. Such a birdhouse will definitely last the season and will appeal to little birds.
It's even easier to make a cardboard birdhouse from a box. Select a suitable cardboard box, make a hole in it, and figure out how to secure the roof. Since the cardboard is lightweight, before gluing the parts, think about the mounting for the treehouse. All that remains is to decorate and the birdhouse is ready.
Bird houses made from plastic bottles
The outside of the bottle can be wrapped with twine. The inside of the house needs to be insulated and given additional comfort using yarn or sisal. If you want to show your creativity, try decorating your craft with acrylic paints. All that remains is to come up with devices for hanging the birdhouse from a bottle so that it does not sway too much from the wind.
Ideas for birdhouses made from scrap materials
Once your birdhouse is ready from scrap materials, it’s time to figure out how to attach it to the tree. To easily hang a birdhouse, a special strip is attached to its back side.
You can hang it with wire, but try to hang it either straight or with a slight tilt forward.
creative birdhouse
Together with your children, you can make different birdhouses and look forward to the birds settling in your garden.