Thrift An Old Water Pitcher To DIY The Coolest Backyard Birdhouse On A Budget

What better way to celebrate spring than to create some lovely garden décor that doubles as wildlife habitat? Creative DIY birdhouses are a great way to bring more life to your backyard, and you barely need any supplies to get the job done. You can create a birdhouse really easily with an old repurposed pitcher found at a thrift store. By attaching it horizontally to a tree trunk, you can create a small cave that birds can nest in.

All that's needed to turn an old water pitcher into a birdhouse is a masonry drill bit which can pierce through ceramic without breaking it. Drilling is necessary to create both a drainage hole for water and to attach the pitcher to the tree. This DIY can be done with an old water pitcher that's no longer in use at home, or with a cheap thrifted one. Any size, color, and shape can work. Needless to say, as long as you have the right tools, this is an incredibly affordable DIY.

The birds will love you for it. Cavity nester species like woodpeckers, chickadees, and bluebirds like to nest in small holes. Providing them with a pre-made cave is a fantastic way to invite them into your yard and make them feel welcomed, comfortable, and safe from predators.

To do this DIY, two holes are absolutely necessary. First, a hole at the bottom of the water pitcher can be used to attach it to the tree trunk horizontally using a screw. The other important hole should be placed on the side of the pitcher, where it will face the ground once attached to the tree. This will be a drainage hole so that if rainwater gets into it, it won't drown out the birds' nests.

Unlike in the video, it's actually best not to add a stick to the entrance of the pitcher as a perch if you're hoping for birds to nest there. Perches are not used by cavity nesters, and on the contrary, they can help predators get into the birdhouse and prey on eggs or baby birds. Once these two holes (drainage and attachment) are done, place the DIY birdhouse three to nine feet in the air and leave it for birds to discover on their own. 

If you'd like to use the pitcher as more of a bird feeder rather than a birdhouse, you can go ahead and add a perch. To DIY a bird feeder, make holes in the handle to fit a small stick or attach it with some hot glue. Add some seeds into the pitcher and watch birds come for a snack. This is different from a birdhouse, but it's just as fun of a way to bring biodiversity into your yard.