September 2, 2025
We try to make our backyard a bird friendly place with feeders, a bird bath and houses. I like to personalize our houses to give them some style!
Materials
- Buy a bird house (available at home improvement stores) or make your own
- Paint that is made for using outdoors
- E6000 glue
- Tile, broken plates, cabinet knobs, copper, sheet metal or anything else you like
Getting started
I chose this cute wood birdhouse with a metal roof. I found tiles to add to it.
Adding the tiles
Some tiles need to be cut to fit the shape of the house. I glue them on one side at a time with E6000. Allow the glue to dry for several hours before doing another side. I did not grout between the tiles for this project.
I glue 3 glass disks I had on hand around the hole. In addition, I glue 2 tiles to the roof edge.
A new look!
The bird house takes on a new look with the green tiles.
Adding the bird house to your yard
You can mount the house to a tree, hang it from a branch with wire or mount it on a metal pipe. The wrens are pleased with the house and move right in.
Cedar bird house
This bird house was made out of cedar. A copper roof added from a sheet of copper gives it a nice touch. A marble wrapped in wire adds a whimsical accent. The perch was from a found item in a parking lot! To finish it off, copper was used to line the bird house hole. This also prevents squirrels from chewing on the opening and making it bigger.
A tiled house
This bird house has the most elements. First the wood is painted. The house walls are covered with broken plate pieces attached with outdoor tile mortar . Tile mortar also fills in between the plate pieces.
The roof is a piece of sheet metal glued in place with E6000.
A cabinet knob from Hobby Lobby is the perch.
Lastly, the roof and platform edges have pennies glued all along them. They will turn green over time.
Final notes
There is no limit to what you can create. It can be simple or more complex. The birds want a safe place to raise their young so, have some fun to make a great looking house for your feathered friends to use!
Have an old birdhouse that could use some new life? Why not make it a fixer-upper project to extend it’s life and give it a try!
Kelly