You Will Need

• diagram 1
• diagram 2
• 6mm plywood:

- front panel (cut according to the diagram with a roof pitch of 80°)
- back panel (cut according to the diagram with a roof pitch of 80°)
- 2 roof panels 135 x 135mm, one side cut with a 40° corner
- 2 side panels 230 x 108mm, one 108mm side cut with a 40°corner
- 1 base panel 120 x 180mm

• 20 x 20mm pine wood:

- 4 corner stays of 200mm each
- 1 roof truss of 110mm, with a corner of 80° to fit in the ridge

• 3 x 6mm dowel sticks (45mm each)
• hammer and panel pins
• wood glue
• wood filler (the same colour as the plywood)
• wood file
• wood clamps
• fine-grit sandpaper

1 Have all the pieces cut, remembering to have the front round opening cut too. Have 6mm holes drilled for the dowels. Lay all the pieces out to see how they fit together.

2 Glue the four corner stays in position on the two side panels, with the bottom edges in line. Clamp in place (or place something heavy on them) and leave to dry.

3 Hammer in the panel pins from the outside. TIP Use a large nail to hammer the panel pins in further. This will allow you to fill in the holes afterwards with wood filler so the panel pins are not visible.

4 Now glue the two side panels onto the back panel. Nail in place when the glue is dry.

5 Press the dowel sticks into the holes in the front panel. Place a little glue on the tip of each one and tap lightly with your hammer if you struggle to get the dowel in. Leave to dry.

6 Glue and nail the front panel in place. File the stays so they are level with the panels and then nail the base panel in place onto the ends of the stays.

7 Put the roof together. The roof truss must be 6mm (the thickness of your plywood) in from the back roof edge, so that the roof lines up with the back panel when you place it on top of the house.

8 Fill in the nail holes, leave to dry, then sand. Now decorate your birdhouse. We stuck a vinyl design onto the unfinished wood, but you can also paint it or decoupage it, if you prefer.

Words and images: Ideas magazine