Birdhouses from scrap decking

[Milly1]

I made 2 different styles of birdhouses from some scrap merbau decking and some rescued oak panel from an antique wardrobe.

Materials

Scrap oak panel

Left over merbau decking

Dowel

Cake pan

Screws

Cabots Exterior Varnish Stain

Chain

Tools

Ruler

Saw

Screwdriver

Drill

Paint brush

Sandpaper

Teardrop template

Steps

Step 1

For the teardrop birdhouse, I sanded off some scrap oak pieces from an antique wardrobe and cut some scrap merbau decking into pieces. I also drew a teardrop template to cut the oak pieces for one of the birdhouses. 

Step 2

I glued and dowelled two oak pieces together and sanded the pieces to ensure a flat finish, then cut two, large access holes into each piece of oak for the birds to gain entry.  I drilled two holes for dowel perch sticks and used them to line up the endpieces. I measured the distance between the teardrops and cut the merbau decking pieces to fit, nailed the pieces around both ends of the shape and finished off with two coats of Cabots Exterior Stain and Varnish before fixing the hanging chain with screws.

Step 3

For the regular birdhouse, I used pieces of scrap decking to make the perch sides, the roof and the gables. I screwed pieces into place to form the house and finished with two coats of Cabots Exterior Stain. I added the cake pan as a bird feeder and installed the birdhouse on a treated log post with brackets and screws. The birds seem happy with their new diner.

[EricL]

Hello @Milly1 

Thank you so much for sharing the materials and steps for your project. Those are absolutely beautiful bird houses and what an excellent use of scrap timber decking. I'm sure it will get occupied straight away.

Eric

[Dave-1]

Good afternoon @Milly1 

I came because I liked the upside down V birdhouse and then went What the! to the teardrop one That really looks good! From reused stuff just adds to it

Did you come up with the idea yourself for the teardrop or had you seen something similar? Oh and any birds hanging out yet?

Dave

[Milly1]

Hi Dave thanks for your kind comments about my birdhouses. I did see something similar to the teardrop a long time ago so experimented with a teardrop shape on the computer until I got a shape I liked and printed it out. I had some old oak panels I saved from a very old wardrobe which made a nice contrast and found that the decking made quite good pieces to go around the outside once I cut them to fit. The traditional house shape was easier to make and the cake pan works well as a feeder. The birds visit our garden and birdhouse every day for fruit and seed.