How to Build Mosaic Bird Houses

Bird houses come in all sorts of designs and materials and are increasingly hung for their aesthetic appeal as much as their practical function. Making a simple wooden bird house is not a difficult task, but you can make it the life of your garden by adding a mosaic design to the exterior of the bird house. Mosaic designs of flowers are ideal for a bird house and will add a cheery feel to your yard. Mosaic bird houses also make great gifts.

Things You'll Need

  • Plywood, ½ inch exterior grade
  • Jigsaw
  • Wood glue
  • Clamps
  • Nails, galvanized, 1 inch
  • Hammer
  • Hinge
  • Drill
  • Screws
  • Mosaic tile
  • Mosaic grout
  • Grout float, small
  • Grout scraper
  • Cloth
  • Water
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Instructions

  1. Building the Bird House

    • 1

      Cut your plywood into two 6-by-9-inch pieces; two 7-by-4.2-inch pieces; one 6-by-7-inch piece and two pieces, 6-inches along the bottom, 9-inches along the sides then tapering to a triangle at the top to be 12 inches high. The angle of the triangle should be 45 degrees. In one of the triangle topped pieces, cut out a 2-inch hole for the doorway of the bird house, around 6-inches from the bottom.

    • 2

      Lay one of the triangle topped sides flat on your work surface, then place the two 6-by-9-inch sides abutting the 9-inch side of the triangle topped pieces, glue and clamp in place; let dry. Nail together through the glued joints, one nail every inch or so.

    • 3

      Align the second triangle topped piece over the back of the nailed-on sides, to form a box. Make sure all the flat ends of the sides are flush. Glue and nail in place. Turn the box so that the triangles are pointing down, and the base is exposed. Center the 6-by-7-inch plywood piece over the bottom and glue and nail it in place.

    • 4

      Place one of the 7-by-4.2-inch plywood pieces over the angled edge of the top of the bird house and nail it in place. Screw the hinge onto the remaining 7-by-4.2-inch plank, along a 7-inch side, then screw the remaining portion of the hinge onto the 7-by-4.2-inch piece already attached to the bird house. Your bird house roof can now be lifted up for cleaning when necessary. Drill three small holes along the top side of the birdhouse wall for ventilation.

    Mosaic the Bird House

    • 5

      Apply a small dab of glue to the underside of each tile piece before placing it in the desired pattern on the bird house. The tiles can cover the entire bird house, so long as the hinged roof is unhindered and the ventilation holes are left open. Let the glue dry on all of the mosaic work before continuing. Make sure you leave around 1/8-inch space between each tile.

    • 6

      Mix your mosaic grout as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Sweep grout into all the joints between tiles. Apply the grout at an angle to the tile joints, to avoid popping out any tiles. Any tricky areas can simply have grout pushed into them with your fingers. Remember to leave the ventilation holes free of grout.

    • 7

      Scrape off the excess grout with the scraper once all the joints are filled. Wipe off the residue with a cloth, being very careful not to disturb the grout. Let dry for 30 minutes.

    • 8

      Dampen your cloth with water, then buff off the remaining grout residue to finish off your mosaic bird house.