Having a junk stash is rewarding many times over. It never fails I’ll need some scrap of wood or bit of metal for something and I always find what I need. I’ve been kinda anxious to refresh my stash, so I thought I would take on a project that would not only help me use up some of my #trashure, but also benefit some feathered friends too. Stick around and we’ll create some salvaged junk birdhouses together.
What you see above is a smidgen…I mean a SMIDGEN of the stuff I have stashed in my workshop just waiting for new life. When I see a pile like this I get so absolutely giddy because it’s time to create. Anyone else feel like that when you spy potential? I know I’m not alone.
*post includes affiliate links so you can find the products I love to use too. (see full disclosure)
I also have a wood stash that is in need of purging so I can get more. Yes, we use up to make the adventure of the hunt begin again. It’s a vicious cycle of create and hunt. I LOVE IT because you never know what you’ll find. Up above is a perfect pile of cabinet grade ply just waiting for new life.
For my salvaged junk birdhouses, I had 3 different designs in mind. To get the look of a barn for one of them, I used a piece of the dog-ear fence panel off a fence gate I had JC bring me from the neighbor’s curb down the street. Ya know, one of those times you beg your husband to drag a really heavy piece of the neighbor’s house down the street. He’s so good to help me on my adventures, isn’t he?
I would have made it all from the weathered fencing, but I didn’t have enough. BTW, you should stick to only using non-pressure treated wood anyway. Just like us, our feathered friends don’t need chemicals either.
I simply traced the board, then cut the corners with my jigsaw and the length with my miter saw
. Once I had my end pieces, I decided the depth I wanted and cut two pieces for sides. Using my clamps to hold it all together, I then used my nailer
to tack on three sides. The fourth side would get two holes pre-drilled and then nails added in to make hinges so that side can be opened to clean it out the old nesting material annually. If you’re interested, you can take a peek at my tool arsenal HERE.
For my barn roof, I found pieces of ducting leftover from our kitchen remodel. That gray metal was perfect for my mini barn, don’t you think? With my tin snips and jigsaw, I cut it up into several roofs.
For my next two styles of salvaged junk birdhouses, I wanted to make a farmhouse and a church. Since plywood alone would not hold up well in weather unless protected, I intended to add a sort of siding to my salvaged junk birdhouses. I turn to my stash of garden picket fences and start to dismantle them. You should have seen JC’s face when I had him help me pull a whole stack of fencing off the curb and stuffed them into our vehicle. haha! Gotta love me!
It took a bit of doing to take them apart, and then just had to remove the staples. The time consuming, but fun. The hard part was cutting them all to fit with angles and all.
After all the siding is added, making sure to cut and attach it so the sides can still open, it’s time to add my scrap fun. Plus, I needed to pick what size hole to drill since each bird likes a certain diameter. I decided to use a 1 ¼” spade bit and my drill
to accommodate many species.
Here are my feathered friends new custom homes. Now…I’m curious as to which one is your favorite?
I have 6 different salvaged junk birdhouses in 3 styles. Each has unique designs and is a one-and-only because of the salvaged parts. Of course, I asked my family which was their favorite and they each picked a different one. Fun!
If you look close, you can see that each one has unique knob on the door that allows you to access and clean it out yearly. That keeps the birdhouse a healthy spot for babies to be born. Plus, their perch is a hand-forged square nail out of the 1800’s reclaimed hickory wood we used for our kitchen counters. Yes, I asked JC to save them all as he pulled them out.
Don’t they look cute nestled in on my garden shed? Every item on this porch, aside from the plants and tools, came from the curb or was retrieved for free. You can see the stories about them here:
These little houses are suited for functional homes for birds in your yard and around your home.
However, they also look cute indoors as decor too. Gotta love some junk fun, right?
These salvaged junk birdhouses are a limited time offer in my shop (SOLD OUT) as I won’t be making more like this since I ran out of these exact materials. Grab one while they last!
My goal is to inspire you. Let me tell ya,you can have so much fun making use of unwanteds.
Do pin and share to inspire others too. It makes life more fun!
Up next, this curbside find mirror is getting a new look and new place in my home. See the after HERE in this post.
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26 Comments
The birdhouses are so adorable. And as you say great for the birds or in the house.
July 31, 2018 at 6:20 amThank you for the kind words, Debra. They were fun to make!
July 31, 2018 at 6:54 amLove the birdhouses!
July 31, 2018 at 7:42 amThank you, Michele!
July 31, 2018 at 10:52 amI, like you, have a large stash of trashure. I also love making birdhouses and have made many over the years. Thanks for inspiring me to make more.
July 31, 2018 at 7:46 amKudos to you on both accounts, Mary. It’s fun to DIY!
July 31, 2018 at 10:52 amAhhhhh May ZING
July 31, 2018 at 8:10 amGreat Job
Too cute
Who wouldn’t want to live there ?
Blessings
Cheryl M
You are too cute, Cheryl! Thanks so much for the giggle. 😀
July 31, 2018 at 10:53 amLove the birdhouses! I have a collection of ones I’ve made in my yard too. Since I now live in Virginia, one of my favorites has an Ohio license plate roof, and stencil of Ohio shape on the front.
July 31, 2018 at 8:17 amWhere did you use your license plates?
Sounds like fun! I used my plates as roofs, though I turned them wrong side out.
July 31, 2018 at 10:53 amThese are so adorable and super rustic.
July 31, 2018 at 8:52 amThanks, Mary! They are fun to create. 😀
July 31, 2018 at 10:53 amSo cute ❤️
July 31, 2018 at 9:24 amThanks so much, Laura.
July 31, 2018 at 10:54 amLarissa, if you only knew how deeply this post touched my heart. My grandfather was a cabinet maker and had a workshop in his backyard where he built everything from church alters to custom furniture. He built an entire birdhouse village in the trees of their backyard. Growing up I would sit on the back porch and admire those birdhouses and watch the flocks of birds coming and going. It is one of my fondest childhood memories and where my love for birdhouses came. This post took me right back there! I can’t pick a favorite, I love each and every one of them for their unique rustic charm. Just love them 🙂
July 31, 2018 at 11:04 amThey are adorable, love them Larissa. You are so talented. Always look forward to your posts, to see what you do next.
July 31, 2018 at 11:05 amLove them all. I have collected some and display them on a shelf over kitchen sink.
July 31, 2018 at 12:41 pmDo you ever make any for sale?
Thanks! That has to be cute. Yes, I mentioned above that they are all for sale in my shop.
July 31, 2018 at 1:17 pmThese Are SO Cute!!! I love the idea of perching one on a stool in the flowerbed- beautiful! Pinned for some stash-busting birdhouse fun! Thanks! : )
August 1, 2018 at 8:45 amThat’s fantastic to hear, Becky. Thank you!
August 2, 2018 at 8:31 amThey are SO cute!!! Awesome job!!!
August 1, 2018 at 10:18 amThank you for saying so, Ginny! 😀
August 2, 2018 at 8:31 amLove the ⛪!!!!
August 1, 2018 at 1:59 pmMy favorite too. Yay!
August 2, 2018 at 8:32 amLOVE these!!
July 2, 2019 at 11:30 amThank you, Megan! 😀
July 2, 2019 at 12:00 pm