How to Decorate Bird Houses With Grapevines

Grapevines add interest and a country look to your birdhouse.

An endearing addition to country decor is a birdhouse. Your birdhouse doesn't need to be an unfinished, strictly functional wooden box. You can paint it with decorator colors and embellish it with architectural details. Brick reds, dark blues and greens are common country colors, and white is popular, too. Natural grapevines go well with these rustic colors. The grapevines can be twisted around the pole that supports your house. They can be loosely wrapped around the birdhouse to add to the country or rustic look. With some imagination, your birdhouse can be the focal point of your garden.

Things You'll Need

• Grapevines
• Moss
• Branches
• Birdhouse mounted on a pole
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Twine
• Scissors
• Pruning shears

Instructions

1. Prepare your grapevines by cutting them to manageable lengths. If they are fresh, cut them to lengths that are no longer than your pole is high. This makes the vines easier to handle. If the vines are already dried and stiff, soak them overnight in a tub of warm water. This will restore their pliability. Cut the vines with pruning shears into lengths that you can handle while working with them.

2. Add a small branch across the the width of your birdhouse, just under the entry hole. Glue it into place. This will be the perch for birds.

3. Wrap the pole with two or three vines. They will be uneven and will have tendrils trailing off the branches, giving them an unruly look. This is part of the charm. Secure the vines in several places with the glue so the vines are secure. You can tie twine around the pole and vines at intervals to further secure the vines.

4. Glue the moss to the base around the birdhouse. The base should be well-covered with moss. The roof also can be covered with moss, if desired.

5. Wrap a single thin vine loosely around the birdhouse. Do not cover the entry hole.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use the vines to hang suet balls in the cool months. Birdseed held in sacks made of netting can be hung from the grapevines year-round.

• Be careful when you use the hot glue gun and glue. It can cause serious burns.

References

• Soyouwanna: Tips on Making Grapevine Wreaths
• Central New Yorker: Making Homemade Wreaths