Repurpose Fence Pickets To DIY A Home Birds Will Love Visiting

Offering birds a home in your garden has a host of benefits. It helps the birds themselves, whose natural habitat is increasingly under threat. You get to enjoy their colorful plumage and cheerful song. Then there are some types of birds you want in your yard that will eat garden pests and weed seeds. They can even help with pollination.

There are lots of DIY birdhouses you can build right now, making it easy to add somewhere to your garden for birds to find shelter and safety. You'll find one great example over on TikTok, where a user who goes by Peregoy Homestead makes a birdhouse from leftover fence pickets. Not only is it great for our feathered friends, but it's kind to your pocket, too. It's also very straightforward.

The video shows a miter saw and a table saw being used, but you only need one or the other. You'll need a power drill and a large drill bit for the hole. A router is used in the video, but a half-round file and a bit of elbow grease will achieve the same result. You'll need some outdoor wood glue and nails. A nail gun is handy, but a hammer will do. Alternatively, you can use galvanized screws. Finally, you'll want a hinge for the birdhouse lid.

Using fence pickets means you don't have to worry about the board widths, as you're just cutting them to length. Cut the back first, at 12 inches, then two sides at 8 inches. These sides then have a 15-degree angle cut on one end so that the birdhouse roof will slope and rainwater runs off. Measure the slope and the short side so you know what length to cut the front and the roof (which should overlap the front by an inch or so). These pieces also need a 15-degree angle on one end so that the roof is a snug fit.

@peregoyhomestead

DIY bird house! #woodworking #DIY #birds

♬ original sound – Peregoy Homestead

The hole is drilled and then enlarged using a router. A spade bit of the right size would be ideal, or you could use a half-round file to enlarge it. When you're drilling, clamp a piece of scrap wood behind the hole position to stop the drill bit from tearing chunks out when it breaks through. Another hole is drilled and a dowel inserted for a perch. The size isn't really important; you can use whatever you have handy.

Now it's time for assembly. The birdbox in the video is glued and nailed together, which works just fine. However, screws provide a stronger hold, particularly with outdoor woodwork that moves with the seasons. Use the galvanized type so they don't rust. Attach the bottom to the back first, then the sides, then the front. Lastly, a hinge is fitted to secure the lid.

It's important that you use untreated fence pickets for your birdhouse and that you don't apply any kind of finish to the inside. Unfortunately, the chemicals used in wood preservatives, stains, and some paints can all be harmful to birds. You can use exterior water-based paint on the outside if you like. Also worth noting, as the Peregoy Homestead video mentions, is that certain types of birds like a particular hole size. You might want to investigate that before starting. Making it too big can allow nuisance birds like sparrows inside.

The perch looks useful, but some experts warn against it. Most native birds don't need one, and it could provide predators with easier access to steal eggs or even chicks. It's a good idea to add a couple of holes in the sides, somewhere near the top, for ventilation, and four holes in the bottom so that if water does get in, it can drain away.

There are lots of ways to attract birds to your garden. However, nothing beats a birdhouse for keeping them around all year. DIYing a birdhouse from leftover fence pickets keeps costs to a minimum, is rewarding to do, and provides birds with everything they need for a home they will love.