$3 Birdhouse

EASY $3 BIRDHOUSE

On this page you will find step by step instructions on how to make a simple DIY birdhouse from a $3 fence picket. We’ll be using a cedar dog ear fence picket that is 6 feet long, 5 1/2 inches wide and 5/8 of an inch thick (these are the standard pickets you will find at Home Depot).

When going to your big box store and looking at pickets make sure you get cedar! Cedar is naturally resistant to rot and does not contain any of the harmful chemicals that pressure treated options have. Cedar makes it long lasting and bird friendly!

The design is simple, but for $3 its something quick and easy you can make with a couple of hours and basic tools. It can also be the perfect project to do with your kids to teach them the importance of helping the environment and creating something with their own hands!

Tools

Materials

Step 1

Cut the back, front, top, bottom and sides of you bird house from the dimensions below. Make sure you make your measurements and cuts one at a time for the best results. Notice that one of the pieces (the back) uses the shape of the dog ear picket so be sure to make this cut first!

step 2

Now that we have all of our pieces cut, we are going to get the hardest part of this project out of the way first, cutting the hole on the front of the birdhouse. As you can see by the dimensions below, we are going to use the piece that was cut to 5 3/4″.

We want to do the best we can to center the hole. With the 5 3/4″ side facing you, measure from left to right 2 3/4″ and make a line. Then rotate the piece so the 5 1/2″ side is facing you, measure from left to right 2″ and make another line. Where the lines intersect is where the center of our circle will be.

Now its time to cut the hole. Having a hole saw makes this job so much easier. Line up the hole saw bit where we made the intersecting lines and use a 2″ hole saw to make a 2″ diameter circle as shown above.

Don’t have a hole saw? no worries. There are two other options we can use to create the entry hole. Both options involve finding something circular to use as a template. Use a drinking glass or a solo cup and center it on your previously drawn lines from earlier in this step and trace the circle onto the wood. TIP: Find something that is close to 2″ in diameter. If it is a little smaller that’s okay, birds can squeeze into very tight spaces.

Option a. involves using a jig saw. Using your drill and drill bit, drill a hole on the inside of your traced circle. Similar to the image below. Make sure the hole is big enough for the jig saw blade to fit inside it. Now take your jig saw and insert the bit into the hole and cut the hole following your traced line.

Option b. Using your drill and drill bit,, drill holes around the inside of the circle until the large hole is formed. Just like the image to the right. Drill as many times as needed to make the circle clean. To clean up the cut even more make sure you sand it down with some sand paper. If it is a little bumpy don’t worry too much, the birds wont mind!

step 3

Now we will cut the sides of the bird house to provide a pitch for the roof. The pitch of the roof helps to keep water and debris from setting on the roof. To make cutting simple reference the dimensions below. Take both of the pieces that were cut to 8″. On one of the 8″ sides, measure up 6″ and make a mark. Now draw a diagonal line from the 6″ mark to the top corner on the other side. Once your line is drawn on both pieces, use one of your saws as mentioned in the tools list above to make your cuts.

step 4

Now that we have all of our pieces cut and ready, its time for assembly!

Tips: To make assembly easier, especially if you are doing this with children, use your drill and drill bit to pre-drill holes for the nails. Ensure that the drill bit is thinner than the nail!When assembling the pieces, make sure to use wood glue before nailing. The dots you see are recommended points for nails.

First lets assemble the front of the birdhouse to the sides that we cut in the previous step. The longer ends of the side pieces will attach to the back and the front will be attached to the shorter sides as show in the picture to the left. The roof will sit on the angled portion.

When attaching the front, make sure its bottom is flush with the bottom of the side pieces. This will ensure their is enough clearance for the roof to sit on top and allow for ventilation from inside the birdhouse.

Step 5

Here we will attach the bottom of the birdhouse to the assembly we built in the previous step. Reference the picture to the right. We will use the piece that was cut to 6 1/8″ in the 1st step. This piece should fit flush to the bottom of the birdhouse. Use your glue and nails to attach.

step 6

Now we’ll attach the back. Flip the birdhouse over so the hole is facing down. The back is the piece that we left the dog ear on and is 1′ long. The dog ear will be facing down (look at the pictures in the next two steps). Referencing the picture to the left, the top of the back will be flush with the tip of the side pieces.

Step 7

Last step of assembly, the roof! There should be one piece left that is 8″ long. We will use this piece as the roof. There are two ways you can attach the roof. Option a. As mentioned in the materials list, you can use hinges for the roof to allow access inside. This can be used as a great learning experience for kids to see baby birds! Just remind them not to touch!

Option b. If you are not using hinges, make the sides of the roof flush with the sides of the birdhouse. There should be an over hang on the front and the back of the bird house to prevent the weather from getting in. Do your best to make the over hangs even on the front and back then glue and nails!

At this point your birdhouse is complete! Now its time to find a nice spot to call home.

Remember how we mentioned the dog ear shape? This little flare gives the birdhouse style but also provides a place to attach it to a post or structure.

Take your drill and drill bit and predrill holes as show in the picture to the left.

Finally, take two exterior screws and your driver and mount the birdhouse in its final home!

I hope you found this build enjoyable and love your new birds even more!