Step-by-step instructions for 25+ unique birdhouses tailored for specific birds—pick the one that fits your neighborhood’s birds and get building!
Join home improvement pro Chris Peterson as he shares a variety of creative designs for birdhouses and bird feeders, from the classic bluebird house to a mid-century modern home. While all the designs are handsome, most are also approachable for beginning woodworkers. Squares, triangles, and simple joining are used throughout the book. For woodworkers with some experience, Peterson shares a variety of customization techniques that can enhance the designs.
Every project contains a showstopping photo of the finished house and step-by-step instructions (with additional photos) to take any guesswork out of the assembly. You’ll also find mounting instructions and tips, as well as information on the types of birds each birdhouse can accommodate.
Designs include:
Small birdhouses: Chickadee Shelter, Nuthatch Wedge, Songbird PVC Birdhouse, Flycatcher Cinderblock Motel, Purple Martin Boarding House, Tufted Titmouse Cabin, Finch’s Pub, a Bat Cave, and more!
Large birdhouses: Mourning Dove Monster Ledge, American Kestrel Lodge, Barn Owl A-Frame, Barred Owl Nest Box, Wood Duck Slat House, and a Woodpecker's Log House.
Creative bird feeders: Telephone Platform Feeder, Porch Swing Bin Feeder, Hanging Man Suet Feeder, Squirrel Proof Feeder, and Zen Feeder.
Build-It-Yourself Birdhouses is a tutorial woodworking DIY guide by Chris Peterson. Due out 10th Dec 2019 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 160 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
These are creative, attractive, and functional houses and feeders. The projects range from the purely practical, to the whimsical, to the architectural and artistic. There are projects for all levels of DIYer and several of them would make great weekend family projects to do with kids.
The projects are arranged thematically, an archetypal birdhouse tutorial covers all the basics. The following chapters provide refinements on the basic look with different sizes, materials, and finishes. There are shelters for small to large birds as well as feeder projects. Definitely enough to keep a weekend DIYer busy all winter. The book includes all templates as well as materials and supplies lists for each project. Materials and templates are given in US standard measurements. The book closes with a links and resources list and a cross-referenced index.
These are attractive and classic and there is wide scope for varying the details to make the projects fit into a home or garden's aesthetic and house (and feed) the local birds at the same time.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
