Decorate A Nature-Inspired House Birds Will Love Using Items From Your Yard

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Philosopher Friedrich Schiller probably wasn't thinking of birds when he penned, "there is room in the smallest cottage for a happy loving pair." Still, imagining a family of birds tucked into a woodland cottage makes a charming mental image. Live a vicarious cottage experience through your backyard visitors by decorating a wooden craft birdhouse with forest finds collected right from your yard. Piece together a mini log cabin, a fieldstone hut, or a mosaic of acorn caps, pine cones, bark, and tufts of moss on a bare-wood birdhouse. With a twig, moss, or bark roof, this tiny aerie is an enchanting way to make your backyard a friendly space for birds.

Pick up an unfinished birdhouse from a craft store along with some strong, non-toxic glue. If you're blessed with a yard full of twigs, mosses, and other natural jetsam, gather up a basketful to concoct a birdhouse you'll wish was human-sized. A good number of us don't have access to natural materials we can use freely. (Public parks and open spaces often issue fines or require a permit if you collect objects from those lands.) You may have a friend with a yard full of woodland delights ripe for the picking, too. But as a last resort, you can purchase items like moss, twigs, stones, and bark from craft stores, online, or even Dollar Tree to customize a birdhouse with a uniquely woodland feel.

Your birdhouse might turn out cute enough that you'll want to use it as a way to bring the outdoors into your home. However, if your final product is dedicated to birds, use a non-toxic glue that's durable enough to withstand the elements. A top-rated crafting adhesive, that's generally considered safe when cured, is Gorilla Hot Glue. Note that this glue isn't food-safe, so it's best to use it only on birdhouses, not on DIY birdfeeders or house-and-feeder combinations.

There are limitless directions you can go when decorating your birdhouse. If findings are limited, make do with the of branches you've pruned and a few handfuls of landscaping gravel. Press the gravel into strips of hot glue until you've covered all of the walls. If you have a collection of small stones, apply them in the same way. You could also limit gravel or stones to the lowest inch or two of each wall for a stone foundation look. Line the upper portion of each wall with horizontal sticks for a mini log cabin. A roof covering made of bark, pinecone scales, or moss can be the house's crowning glory.

A birdhouse that looks as though it grew out of the forest floor is a visually pleasing option. Cover every surface with pieces of bark, sticks dotted with lichens, and nearly anything else you might find along a wooded path. One thing to consider is that edible adornments are best left out of your design. If birds take up residence, you don't want the house to attract hungry animals looking for seeds or acorns.