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Young House Love » Our First House » Painting And Hanging A Few Sweet Birdhouses

| By Sherry Petersik | October 29, 2008 | 14 Comments

Painting And Hanging A Few Sweet Birdhouses

We bought a new house! Actually, we got two of them but they’re for the birds. Literally. We picked up two cheap ol’ $3 birdhouses at Michael’s after learning that now is the time to put them out to hopefully catch the eye of some feathered friends (who will someday repay you by catching their fair share of mosquitoes in the spring). But they weren’t much to look at, and didn’t seem built to weather the elements, so of course we whipped out our tools for a little home makeover. Here’s they are before the renovation, with their porous and rickety balsa wood frames and their woven (and therefore not at all rain proof) roofs:

Birdhousebeforepictures

Zero dollars later (thanks to some leftover all-weather deck paint from the sunroom floor project and a few extra roofing tiles that we had lying around) we whipped up something a bit sturdier and a lot more rain-friendly. We just reinforced the rickety wood frames and attached the roofing tiles (cut to size) with good ol’ Liquid Nails, and drilled a small hole in the back of each house to allow them to hang on a tiny nail hammered directly into the tree. Voila:

Birdfeederafterpicture

Something sturdy and sweet to come home to. Times two.

Birdhouseafterpicturesmakeo

So what do you think about our two new homes? Any tips to get some fabulous mosquito eating birdies to come to roost? We can’t wait to see who comes to feather our little nests…

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Comments

  1. Avatar for KKKK says

    October 29, 2008 at 1:21 pm

    A-Dorably clever, as always.

    Have you researched if birds like food near their nest? I’m wondering if hanging a bird feeder nearby would help or hinder lovebirds moving in . . .

    I would also highly recommend a bat house, since they eat mosquitoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. :)

    Reply
  2. Avatar for heatherheather says

    October 29, 2008 at 1:40 pm

    How did you reinforce the houses?

    Reply
  3. Avatar for freckles chickfreckles chick says

    October 29, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    You guys gave me a freakin’ heart attack! =) The birdhouses are adorable.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for EvYEvY says

    October 29, 2008 at 5:38 pm

    Look at that. You guys are now bird decorators, maybe they’ll be sending you design dilemas themselves “Dear Sherry and John, we have this nest we got for free from your neighbors yard, we like it but we don’t like the color of the twigs and we’re thinking of adding a floor rug…”

    Reply
  5. Avatar for RoxyRoxy says

    October 29, 2008 at 7:30 pm

    To get rid of mosquitos, you need to get a bat house. Bats love mosquitoes and are harmless!!

    Reply
  6. Avatar for SarahSarah says

    October 29, 2008 at 8:11 pm

    The truly best ever roof for a birdhouse is an old license plate, folded over the top…it keeps them dry, it’s hardy and it’s a memory of somewhere you once owned a vehicle. :)

    Reply
  7. Avatar for CindyCindy says

    October 31, 2008 at 1:42 pm

    Super cute idea guys!! I wish we had somewhere to put one at our place…. But the condo balcony isn’t so great for this, and with no trees in the area….boo!!!

    Reply
  8. Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

    October 31, 2008 at 9:42 pm

    Such good ideas about the bat houses (totally on my Christmas list along with a rain barrel) and the license plate roofs! I love how smart you guys are. Brainy and beautiful, I love it.

    And Heather, as for your question about how we reinforced ’em, we just used some wood glue and some tiny nails to make things less rickety. That effort paired with weather-proof paint and new roofing tiles made ’em ready to brave the elements. Hope some fine feathered friends come to roost soon…

    Oh and EvY, your comment made us both laugh out loud. Seriously entertaining. Big smooches for making us snicker like schoolchildren.

    xoxo,
    Sherry

    Reply
  9. Avatar for melaniemelanie says

    May 28, 2009 at 5:24 pm

    jumping ahead a few months… any birds claim those little houses over the winter?

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      May 28, 2009 at 5:29 pm

      Hey Melanie,

      Well, we definitely have a nest with three eggs in it! The funny part is that it’s not in our little birdhouses (which seem to get the most action from squirrels and chipmunks along with the occasional bird visitor). Stay tuned for a post all about where we found the little egg-filled nest. It certainly was in an unexpected place!

      xoxo,
      Sherry

  10. Avatar for JessieBelleJessieBelle says

    May 14, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    hello john and sherry :o)

    Old post, i know. bored at work. Surfing your site. lol

    I noticed that you said that the birdhouses have really only peeked the interest of squirrels and chipmunks…

    Quick question: How big are the holes in the front? If they are much bigger than a quarter, most song birds/nesting birds (the kind you want in the house) will not nest there cause they don’t feel safe if they know that bigger birds and critters can get to them.

    Just a thought! :-)

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      May 14, 2010 at 10:34 pm

      Good question! We’ll have to get out there and measure them. Around a quarter sounds right, and we’ve since seen some bird families putting them to good use.

      xo,
      s

  11. Avatar for Dan from Birdwatching BlissDan from Birdwatching Bliss says

    August 1, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    Curious design with the two separate entrances. What kind of birds have used your houses over the years? Wrens, bluebirds, tree swallows, chickadees among others are all possibilities based on the hole size.

    Reply
    • Avatar for YoungHouseLoveYoungHouseLove says

      August 2, 2012 at 12:48 am

      I wish I knew! We just see them dart in and out!

      xo,
      s

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John and Sherry smiling against pink backgroundHey, we’re John & Sherry. We’ve fixed up 7 homes, written books, designed products, started a podcast, and then downsized & moved to the beach! Here you’ll find over 3,000 DIY projects & home updates. More about us…
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