8 Household Items You Can Reuse To Make A Simple No-Build Birdhouse

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Setting up a birdhouse in your yard creates a cozy home that can attract a more diverse variety of birds to your yard. But don't be intimidated by the intricate DIY birdhouse projects circling social media. Not all DIY houses take hours and skill to create. There are plenty of no-build birdhouses you can create from household items.

The next time you finish a carton of milk, use the last of your coffee grounds, or unpack your latest package from Amazon, think twice before you toss them. These objects are perfect for crafting impromptu outdoor birdhouses. There are only a few key features to make them operational: an entryway and drainage for rainwater. 

Keep in mind that some birdhouse ideas aren't ideal if you live in an area with a lot of natural predators, like raccoons, snakes, squirrels, and stray cats. Some of these designs are easily accessible to natural enemies of baby birds. Fortunately, many of these ideas can be paired with easy predator-resistant solutions like adding a metal guard over the entryway, wrapping a tree or fence post in a plastic sheet, or hanging the birdhouse in a hard-to-reach place. As long as you have a safe place to set up a bird sanctuary, these are inspiring ways you can make charming birdhouses by simply repurposing household items. 

If you purchase quart-sized cartons of milk or other beverages, save the empty packaging. The plastic layering on a carton makes it more water-resistant, which comes in handy when making an outdoor home for birds. For added rain resistance, prime and paint the outside of the carton with a waterproof paint, such as the Abeier Acrylic Paint Set. Aside from this optional step, it doesn't take much to transform a milk carton into a birdhouse. It's easy to hang up by the spout with a string, and you can use a common household tool, like a boxcutter or utility knife, to cut the entrance hole. Adding a perch for aesthetic reasons is optional, but be warned, this makes a milk carton birdhouse more accessible to predatory birds.

There are plenty of brilliant ways to repurpose your household's old watering can. A metal or plastic watering creates a charming home for wild birds and adds a cozy touch to your landscape. Most birds can fit through an entryway that's only a few inches in diameter, making the top of a watering can more than sufficient. Place this can outside your door or in another place not frequented by predators. Also, consider hanging it by the handle against a wooden post or tree. Just make sure it's beneath an overhang and protected from rainfall unless you plan to drill drainage holes in the bottom.

Don't throw out old coffee cans when you can reuse them at home with minimal effort. To make a birdhouse, cut out an entry hole, poke some drainage holes in the bottom, and screw it into the side of a tree or fence line. This DIY isn't the prettiest to look at, but it is one of the quickest and easiest to set up. Another perk of this easy birdhouse is that the shape is more similar to a nesting box, which makes it easier to predator-proof. Add a guard, like the Chephon Bluebird House Entrance Protector, over the entryway to keep larger predatory birds away. Since this no-build birdhouse isn't stylish, you don't have to worry about the metal guard ruining the look.

You can DIY a stunning birdhouse using an old boot. Although some boot upcycles feature a fancy roof, paint job, and constructed perch, this DIY can be made simple. Take an old boot and attach it by the sole to a wooden post or tree. The top of the boot serves as an entryway so birds can nest in the toe-end. Drill holes at the bottom of the boot so rainwater can drain, but make sure they are small enough that nesting materials won't slip out. 

Hang up short-term, no-build birdhouses during the spring and summer by repurposing plastic two-liter bottles. Add entryway and drainage holes with a utility knife, attach empty bottles to a tree, and the birdhouse is complete. The only downsides of these birdhouses are that they aren't super stylish and may not survive the winter. Extremely cold winters cause damage that makes them unusable in the following spring. The good news is that it takes minimal effort to replace them with new bottles.

If you have any ceramic water pitchers or extra-tall coffee mugs sitting around, they work as durable housing for birds. Since the nest entrance is the open top, all this DIY is missing is a drainage hole. Use a specialty bit, like one of Crosstar's Diamond & Masonry Drill Bits, that are designed for concrete and stone, to make a hole in the bottom, and it's ready for use. Keep in mind that this birdhouse has a wide open entrance that can be easily entered by various predators. For this reason, this DIY birdhouse is best for locations that are more hidden from the outside world, like a covered open porch. If you do set it up on a wooden post, cover the pole with a stove pipe or PVC pipe to keep squirrels, raccoons, snakes, and other predators from climbing up.

There are many ways to DIY cardboard boxes into household solutions. One creative concept is to mount an empty box in a high place for birds to nest in. Leave the box as is, or make it more attractive using waterproof paints or edible glue and birdseed. Don't forget to cut a hole for the entrance, and place the box beneath an overhang to prevent rain from breaking down the cardboard material. Also, ensure the base of the impromptu birdhouse is securely taped so it doesn't bottom out from the weight of a bird nest.

Attract birds to your yard with a creative household upcycle, and turn an old teapot into a hanging birdhouse. To avoid any extra steps, drill it into a fence or tree so the spout is angled downward. This position enables the spout to drain rainwater while keeping the opening of the pot facing out for birds to enter. Teapots are already made to withstand moisture and humidity from steaming beverages, which makes them more resilient against the outdoor elements. They also have a traditional but charming look that adds a farmhouse vibe to an outdoor space. Keep in mind, teapots do have a wide opening that can be vulnerable to predators if not placed in a safe spot.