How to Make a Birdhouse Out of Tin Cans

Welcome birds to your backyard by building a small bird house. Reduce the refuse stream your household produces by recycling a tin can into the body of a birdhouse. A tin can birdhouse is a project simple enough for young children to work on with adult supervision. It's also a project appropriate to build during the winter so you are ready to greet birds when they return in the spring.

Clean 11-oz. coffee can or 28-oz. tomato sauce can

Waterproof glue

2 wooden squares, 5 inches by 5 inches by 1 inch thick

Vise or clamp

1/4-inch wide wood dowel, 8 1/2 inches long

Safety goggles

Drill

1/4-inch drill bit

1-inch drill bit

2 screw-in hooks

Chain

2 pieces plywood, 6 inches by 9 inches (optional)

12 finishing nails, 1.25 inches long (optional)

Hammer (optional)

Coat the bottom of the tin can with a layer of waterproof glue. Center the can on one of the wood squares, and tighten in a vise or clamp until the glue has dried, preferably overnight.

Put on safety goggles to protect your eyes, and drill a 1/4-inch wide hole in the wood square, about 3/4 to 1 inch below the can. Keep the square in a vise to avoid injury. Drill about halfway through the wood so the dowel can't stick out.

Place glue on one end of the dowel and fit it into the hole. The dowel will extend beyond the top of the tin can in front so you can slide the other piece of wood over it.

Secure the other wood square in the vise and drill a 1-inch wide hole near the center, going all the way through the wood. This will form the bird's entrance to the house.

Position the other wood square on the opposite end of the tin can, marking where you will need to drill a hole for the dowel. Drill a 1/4-inch wide hole all the way through.

Put a layer of glue along the open side of the tin can. Place some glue in the 1/4-inch hole on the wood square and slide it onto the dowel, pushing the square until it rests on the tin can. The dowel will stick out a bit to serve as a perch for birds.

Clamp the birdhouse in the vise, and let the glue dry overnight.

Screw a hook into the top corners of each wooden square. Loop the chain through the hooks and hang the birdhouse from a fencepost or tree branch.

Add a roof to the birdhouse if you like. Position a piece of plywood on each side of the top of the house, aligning the edges with the edges of the wood squares. Hammer three nails on side, spacing the nails evenly apart.

Use a wood that can withstand being outdoors, such as pine or cedar.

Decorate the birdhouse with weatherproof paint if you like.

Avoid using pressure-treated wood, which can give off poisonous vapors and kill birds.