How to Build a Birdhouse Out of a Gourd

Most people have access to a yard full of raw materials like flowers, twigs, gourds and berries. For those with a flare for creativity, these materials are useful in making all types of home decor and gifts. The large size and unique shape of bottle gourds make them particularly useful if you want to build a birdhouse.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Bottle gourd
• Mesh bag
• Power drill with keyhole attachment
• Razor knife
• Hammer and nail
• Wooden dowel
• Wire hanger

1. Cut your gourd off the vine late in the season when the stem turns brown but before the first frost. Then place it in a mesh bag and hang in a cool dry place for a few months until it dries. It is finished drying when you can shake it and hear the seeds rattle inside.
2. Drill a hole about one and a half inches in diameter in the center of the bulb of the gourd using the keyhole attachment on a power drill or cut the hole using a razor knife. This size hole will attract most birds though a few species may require a two inch hole.
3. Use a nail to make four small holes in the bottom of the gourd for drainage as young birds will drown if the birdhouse floods with rainwater.
4. Cut a quarter inch wooden dowel long enough to pass through the gourd and extend three inches on either side. Drill a 5/16 inch hole just below the large hole on the front of the gourd. Then drill the same size hole at the same level on the back of the gourd. Insert the dowel rod through both holes to form a perch.
5. Hang the gourd by drilling two holes in the top and inserting a wire hanger.

Tips & Warnings

• The basement is an ideal place for the initial drying process as you don't want the gourd to freeze.
• If mold appears on the surface of your gourd while it is drying, just scrape it off with a razor knife.
• If you want to paint your birdhouse, be sure to paint only the outside of the gourd and apply a coat of polyurethane to preserve the design.
• If you build multiple birdhouses, hang them a generous distance from one another as most birds don't want others nearby.

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