Building a simple birdhouse is a traditional family project. Easy, inexpensive, and fun. Your bird-friendly child can learn some STEM skills to with math, design, and construction (and some hand-eye coordination too!) The free pattern and instructions are below.

They work too! If you look at the photo above, you can see the nesting material sticking out from the side – which means a little bird has made a home there. So these birdhouses work!

You can use various kinds of wood to build the birdhouse, but select non-toxic woods like cedar (so steer clear of pressure-treated or plywood style). Cedar is a favorite as it’s naturally pest and rot-resistant (and smells so good).

Download the free, scaled-to-life-size pattern below. Or, buy a kit like this if you would prefer.

Trace the pieces onto the wood, and mark the screw holes as drawn.

It depends on what you have in the home, but you can cut the pieces out with a hand saw or jig saw (or chop saw if you have one). It doesn’t have to be perfect; the birds won’t mind.

Pre-drill the holes to make life easier for you and prevent the wood from splitting. The size of the hole depends on what screw size you have on hand.

Just assemble following the directions for the birdhouse included in the free plans. Where you choose to hang the birdhouse will depend on the species.

Examples of some cut pieces

TIP for HANGING: Wrens and chickadees prefer sheltered houses, so hang the birdhouse under the shade and protection of tree branches. Hang it about 5-10 feet off the ground, and if you can, place it so that the entry hole is facing away from bad weather (for example, face to the south to avoid cold north winds, or face the hole behind a tree branch a little for protection)

If you prefer to purchase a kit, they aren’t very expensive.