BUILD A BIRDHOUSE Turn an old

Build a beautiful BIRDHOUSE

Invite feathered friends into your garden by making these sweet homes using planks from reclaimed pallets

Transform leftover pallet wood into a collection of cute birdhouses. Very rough pallet planks are fine to use as the wonky areas add character to these little builds. We’ve featured instructions for the basic pink bird box, but you can easily adapt these to make a whole village of cool and quirky houses, from a two-storey townhouse to an asymmetric mid-century-style dwelling.

YOU WILL NEED

Pallet wood planks Ruler Saw

Palm sander or sandpaper Paddle drill bits, 25mm and 35mm or 38mm

Drill driver with 2mm wood drill piece

Wood glue 25mm nails and hammer

Paintbrush Paint Black Sharpie

Pencil Matt outdoor varnish

1MEASURE AND CUT YOUR PLANKS The pink birdhouse is the most basic of the four houses. It is one plank deep and two planks wide. Measure 7.5cm for the plank width and cut two pieces of 15cm for the sides; four pieces of 16cm for the front and back; and two pieces of 14cm for the roof. Sand all the cut edges. 2 LAY OUT YOUR PIECES Lay two pieces flat for the back, two sides, and topped with the two pieces for the front. For the base, measure the internal dimensions (this should be 12.5x7.5cm) and cut a plank to fit.

3PRE-DRILLTHENAILHOLES In one of the front planks, drill a hole for the birds to enter the box using the paddle drill bit – the ideal entry hole is 38mm. In the front and back planks, pre-drill the holes for the nails with the 2mm drill bit to prevent the wood splitting. You need three per side, 1cm in from the edges.

4ASSEMBLETHEBOX Apply wood glue to the short sides of the base and attach the side pieces. Apply more glue and stick the front and back pieces in place, then nail together through the pre-drilled holes.

GET CRAFTY

Finish your birdhouses with details in waterproof Sharpie pen

IF YOUR WOOD IS VERY WONKY AND YOU HAVE LARGE HOLES, YOU CAN PLUG THEM WITH FILLER, THEN SAND AND PAINT

5FIXONTHEROOF Glue and nail the base in place, pre-drilling the nail holes and making sure the entry hole is in the upper part of the house. Glue and nail the roof in place, with the overhang above the entry hole.

6SANDTOSMOOTHALLEDGES. Paint your house. When dry, add details in different paint colours or with a black Sharpie, then apply a matt outdoor varnish. 7 FORTHEPITCHEDROOF HOUSE To make the pitched roof house, cut two 15cm planks for the sides; six 16cm planks for the front and back; three 11.5cm and one 10cm plank for the roof; and one 12.5cm plank for the base. To make the triangles, take two 16cm planks, mark the midpoint on one long side and draw cutting lines to the corners. Glue and nail together following the instructions for the basic house.

MIX IT UP

Vary the designs with an asymmetric mid-century-inspired box or a two-storey townhouse

IDEA TO STEAL

Display your birdhouses on a purpose-built arch