These Homes Are for the Birds

With a few standard hand tools and a couple of idle afternoons, do-it-yourselfers can give all the birds in the neighborhood a place to rest, eat, socialize and watch out for cats.

The four birdhouses and three bird feeders in this project include two large bird “apartments,” two single-bird dwellings, a “covered bridge” feeder, a sheltered feeder and a hanging feeder.

Traceable pieces and basic construction techniques make these excellent projects for amateur do-it-yourselfers. The materials needed for each house and feeder are inexpensive and easy to obtain; scrap wood can be used for many of the parts.

The largest of the projects, the martin palace, requires two sheets of exterior-grade fir plywood, two pieces of pine lumber, two dowels, pine shelving and brads, nails, glue and paint or stain. The finished martin palace measures 34 inches tall by 20 inches square.

All of the projects follow a simple step-by-step process: Trace the parts onto wood, saw them out, sand and assemble. Then paint, stain or leave the wood rough for a rustic look.

For more information on today’s project, Bird House Collection No. C12, call (800) 828-2453.