I love a good songbird hangout outside my window! There is really no better way to thank them for keeping that sweet sound coming year-round, than to add some extra shelter for them. Today, I will walk you through how to build a super simple birdhouse using basic tools but still manages to add a little wow factor. Let’s jump into the Copper Birdhouse DIY with Crescent Tools.
This blog is written in partnership with The Home Depot as a part of their ProSpective program. I have been compensated for my time; however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Inspiration
Copper Birdhouse DIY
I have a confession, I LOVE Copper. I would love to put copper on everything, everywhere, but the truth is, it’s pricey! Since I had a bit of copper flashing scraps left over from a recent project, I saved it knowing l’d eventually find the perfect project to make with it! It’s a material you have to use sparingly, and you won’t find me wasting any leftover- plus, it’s just too pretty to waste sitting on a shelf!
Copper ages beautifully, as it weathers it will patina and the color will vary beautifully, so something outdoors seemed like a perfect fit. We live on wooded acreage and have a huge variety of birds on the property year-round. It’s honestly one of my favorite things about where we live, being able to enjoy nature every time you step outside is something I truly appreciate experiencing.
With the spring season gearing up, I thought a birdhouse was the perfect place to add a pop of fun to our garden space and make use of this extra special material! Let’s get started!
What you need
Copper Birdhouse DIY
Tools
Hammer
Angled Cutting Pliers
Material List
Copper Flashing
Copper Nails – I used two sizes because I had them, both weather stripping nails and roofing nails.
Outdoor Wood Glue
Cedar Fence picket ( I used 3 to make two birdhouses)
Cut List
Top – 2 Boards at 12 inches- one edge cut to 45 degrees
2 sides- at 9.5 inches – both edges cut on a 22.5 degree angle, Long side is 9.5 inches
Bottom- one at 7-1/4 (long side) cut at 22.5 degrees on both sides.
Two front boards- Miter cut at 22.5 degrees on both sides, long side being 12.5 inches
Hammer Choice
Copper Birdhouse DIY
If you walk up and down the tool aisle and find the hammer section, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options available. To make it a bit easier, here are two I recommend, and why!
First- let’s talk about material, mainly Steel or Fiberglass? I like Steel for Demo, their weight is well distributed, and while they do have more vibration transfer than some materials, the 16 oz Steel Hammer from Crescent (insert link) does an excellent job of reducing this with their VibeGuard Technology and forged steel head. It’s a comfortable handle too, with a textured grip to ensure you get the most out of every swing. And, the magnetic Nail Starter is such a great addition, and makes repetitive nail driving a breeze. Steel is one of the strongest materials that can be used in hammers available, so it’s a great choice and one that will outlast most any typical persons use!
Fiberglass Handles have a lot of great benefits too- and have become the gold standard in general purpose hammers. There is a very different feel to a fiberglass handle, similar to wood in that generally the head is much heavier than the handle, giving you additional force to each swing. More force equals further nail driving per swing!
The Crescent 20 oz Fiberglass Hammer (will insert link) is a great option for overcoming the initial balance difference when compared to steel. Crescent engineered their hammers to maintain weight distribution to increase accuracy and comfort. They also have a Magnetic Nail starter and utilize Crescents Vibe-Guard Technology, so regardless of which hammer you settle on, both are more than meets the eye.
I used these interchangeably on this project- my personal preference is the Steel Hammer, but when driving smaller nails, the Crescent Fiberglass Hammer is amazing! Definitely experiment with the feel of both to find your perfect hammer!
You can find both of these hammers at The Home Depot, as well as the Crescent Cutting Pliers mentioned –
Crescent 20oz Fiberglass Hammer $20.97
Crescent 16 oz Steel All Purpose Hammer $20.97
Crescent Z2 High Leverage Diagonal Cutting Pliers $21.97
Assembly
Copper Birdhouse DIY
I like to start with the base of the birdhouse, attach the sides to the base using wood glue and a few nails per joint.
Use your Crescent hammer to gently drive the nails into your joints. Since cedar wood is fairly soft you don’t need a huge amount of force. The nails double as a decorative feature on top of a fastener, so space them accordingly to be sure you’ve got a look you love!
Attach the Front and Back of the birdhouse to the frame of the birdhouse. This is where I switched to a larger gauge copper nail to add a bit of a pop.
Next, I attach the roof. First I secure the two roof pieces together to keep that top joint tight. Use wood glue and nails.
Secure the top to the side/base of the birdhouse using wood glue and nails.
I cut a piece of copper flashing to fit over the top of the bird house, leaving a bit of an overhang to work with. Cutting the cooper is super easy with the Crescent Diagonal Cutting Pliers.
I allotted for some overhang on the birdhouse and used the pliers to cut angles for cleaner creases on the birdhouse where it overlapped.
I used my hammer to create crisp seams and attached flashing using nails along the seams and staggered on the front to keep it secure.
Attach a hanger to the back and mount your birdhouse!
A few Tips and Tricks
Copper Birdhouse DIY
I put a food safe sealant on prior to assembly. While not truly necessary with cedar, it certainly helps the wood maintain color and improve longevity too.
If you are using thicker gauge nails, like the roofing nails, predrilling is a great way to prevent cracking that cedar is prone to.
A clamp is super useful here to add an extra set of hands and ensure your joints line up well.
You can always use a set of clamps to keep your pieces in place while driving the nails, or you can run a few brad nails prior to the copper nails to reduce movement and improve set up time.
If you’re dealing with scraps of flashing vs a larger amount, you can easily layer the flashing for a neat, stacked effect on the roof too! Also- this is another great place to use your hammer to distress the rolled copper for a subtle aged look to it! This is a fun opportunity to get creative with adding a pattern with the combination of nails and flashing.
Wrap Up
Copper Birdhouse DIY
I have a feeling these will be a huge hit on our property! When I designed the birdhouse itself, I opted to leave a larger space open to improve versatility and to allow more breeds to make use of it. As much as enclosed birdhouses are awesome, some of our birds get quite large, and this allows them to make the most use of the space. As well, if you have any other critters like squirrels, you have a space for them too! As beautiful as these turned out new, I can’t wait to see them age! Copper truly is a material that gets better with time, so I am eager to see these after some aging!
If you follow these plans, be sure to tag me on all socials at @toolgirlsgarage so I can see what y’all are working on! Thank you again to Home Depot and Crescent Tools for supporting me as I create content for you!