DIY Recycled Shutter Birdhouse

Eureka! A treasure trove of small window shutters was discovered by my son when he was cleaning behind a building for a landscaping job. These shutters could have gone directly to the dump, but knowing my love of junk, he brought them home for me to play with instead.

There were many projects that sprung to mind, but this birdhouse became the first completed masterpiece. The shutters are the sides of the birdhouse and they set the tone for the height. Two planks of wood were added to the front and back with additional height of peaks for a roof. I was determined to use what I had to create this shutter birdhouse, so table leg spindles, old lattice lathes, doorknobs and leftover house paint were all used to build the house.

These instructions can be altered to accommodate any size shutters. Use what you have to add your own special touches.

Things you will need:

Two identical shutters
Boards for front and back, plus the peak
Hammer and nails or nail gun
Jigsaw, table saw, miter saw, scroll saw (You may not need them all.)
Drill and 1 inch spade bit
Scrap wood
Wood glue
Paper and pencil
Measuring tape
White latex house paint
Green latex house paint
Doorknob and face plate with screws
Metal appliqué
1/4 inch wood dowel
Household cement
Paint brushes

Note: Keep in mind, none of these items are required. If you don't have something on the list or would rather use something else, you will still end up with a beautiful shutter birdhouse creation. Use these directions as mere guidelines for inspiration.

Steps to make the birdhouse:

1. Measure the length of your shutters and add 6 inches for the thickness of the shutters and the house peak. Cut two boards using this measurement. I used scrap wood 6 1/2 inches wide. Use what ever width you have. Mark the length of the shutters plus 1 inch on the two boards and mark the center top of the boards. Draw a line to connect. Cut the angles to create the birdhouse peak.

2. Place the boards between the shutters to shape the house. Nail the birdhouse sides together.

3. For the bottom of the birdhouse, cut a piece of wood two inches larger on all sides. You may need to piece together two pieces of wood to achieve the width. Again, use what you have in your scrap pile.

4. The roof is made from old lattice lathe strips cut 2 inches longer than the birdhouse peak. Cut as many as needed to cover the width of the peak. Cut four lathes to fit inside the roof peak as supports. Insert and space two on each side of the peak and nail inside and flush with the peak. The lathes lay on top and are attached to the supports. Paint the house by dry brushing the house with the white latex house paint. Paint the entire surface including the shutters.

5. For the decorative molding on the front of the birdhouse I used an old table leg spindle cut in half lengthwise on the table saw. Paint the spindle trim using a contrasting color and frame the front of the house. Use a combination of wood glue and nails to attach.

6. Drill a hole for the birds to access the house. Attach the doorknob plate below the hole using screws and glue the doorknob in place with household cement. Add a metal appliqué above the drill hole for additional decoration.

7. If desired, cut small strips of wood and fashion a fence. Attach it to the bottom board at the front of the house.