How to Make a Birdhouse Out of Recycled Plastic

Birds are always looking for places to nest, especially since human expansion has limited or destroyed many of their natural habitats. You can make your yard a bird-friendly sanctuary by recycling plastic soda bottles into birdhouses. The projects are easy to make and save bottles from landfills. They're a great project to do with children as part of a lesson on both nature and recycling.

Things You'll Need

  • Plastic 2-liter soda bottle
  • Utility knife
  • Solderer with a pointed tip
  • 7-inch-long dowel rod
  • Black permanent marker
  • Paper
  • Scissors
  • Twine
  • Lawn debris
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Instructions

    • 1

      Draw an oval on a piece of paper and cut it out using the scissors. The oval should be about 4 inches wide and 6 inches tall. This will be the stencil you use to cut out your bird entryway.

    • 2

      Use the black marker to trace the oval onto the soda bottle. Use the solderer to start a hole in the pop bottle, then use the utility knife, starting in the hole, to cut out the oval.

    • 3

      Use the solderer to create a round hole about two inches below the bottom of the oval. Make another hole directly behind it on the back of the bottle. This is the place where you will insert the dowel rod. The dowel rod serves as a perch for your birds to use as they enter and exit your birdhouse.

    • 4

      Use the solderer to create two holes in the neck of the bottle. Thread the twine through these two holes and tie the ends in a knot. The twine will be used to hang your birdhouse from a tree branch or to secure it to bushes. It's an optional step, especially if you are going to mount your birdhouse another way, such as nailing it to a tree trunk.

    • 5

      Collect yard debris, like dead grass and twigs, to line the bottom of your bottle. This will encourage birds to nest inside. Hang your bird house from a tree branch or mount it in the place of your choosing.