Gourd Birdhouses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.homestore.com/lawngar...e=a2lm5tlt

(pictures) at the link!

Weekend Project Gourd Birdhouses

Next to gardening, feeding the birds is the most popular leisure time activity. If you want birds in your backyard, all you need to do is provide them with a home. John Wright from Vine Designs recently showed us how to make some "gourdgeous" birdhouses.

There are two different categories of gourds. Ornamental gourds are the kind you would find in fall baskets and so forth. They are thin skinned so they aren't good for long term vassal use.

The other type is the hard shell gourd, or the birdhouse gourd. It is decorative, but much more permanent than the ornamental type. You can use these to make many decorative items. Today we will be making our birdhouses. These are so functional, brds will actually nest in them.

Materials:

• dried, moldy gourd • compass sandpaper • bucket of water • water sealer • glue • small drill bit

• craft drill and cutting wheel • sanding bit • fish hook extractor • small wooden perch • outdoor paint • twine

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Step 1: Choosing a Gourd Before you use the tools, take a look at how you have to prepare your gourd. You want the one that just came out of the field and is just beginning to mold. That means the gourd is drying properly. It should have a hard stem and been through a hard frost. Once, it begins to mold it will look like this, and over the course of the winter it will get very dry and light. After about three months, when you can hear shaking, you know you have a dry gourd.

Now that we have it molded, dunk it in water for about 15 minutes. Soak it in water for about 15 minutes and start scrubbing. Scrub off all that mold.

It looks like I'm done with the sanding, and I'll let this dry, and come back and sand off the rough spots.

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Step 2: Carving the Entryway It's nice because they all look so different. While that is drying, we'll do the birdhouse with this one. First thing we need is to make the hole. And for that we use a compass so that we get the right size. Draw a hole for the opening in the widest part of the gourd. Then use a drill bit to make a series of small hole inside the circle. Next, you will need a craft drill with a cutting wheel. This allows you to carefully work between the holes so that you can knock out the opening. The final step is to use a sanding bit to create a perfectly smooth circle.

Keep in mind that the size of the hole will depend on what type of bird you are trying to attract.

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Step 3: Housekeeping There is a lot of stuff in there. Yank it out.

Clean it all out, using a fish hook extractor. Every fishing tackle box should have one.

Shake the gourd out. You have to have fun.

We are going to spray it with a water sealer. This will help preserve the inside of the gourd and protect it from the elements. This is a sealer that you might use on a deck.

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Step 4: Preparing for Perch After spraying, you need to drill holes on the top so that you can hang your birdhouse. Once again, use a small drill bit and make two hole 1" from the top of the gourd and perpendicular to the opening. This is also a good time to drill some drainage holes in the bottom. Don't forget to drill one last hole for the perch. It should be glued into place an inch below the opening.

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Step 5: Last Touches Get ready to paint.

On my birdhouse, I used outdoor enamel. However, any outdoor paint will work just fine.

It is not necessary to paint the gourds. They do look very nice natural. But paint keeps the temperature down inside the birdhouse during the summer, and the colors attract birds.

Once the paint is dry, we can add a little twine for a hanger. Now hang it up, and put on the "for rent" sign.

Beautiful!

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Home Made easy birdhouses -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- www.housenet.com/iq.asp?C...cleID=1195

Homemade Bird Feeders

Birds are an important part of garden life, and making bird feeders is a great craft project. Bird feeders should be located in areas protected from bad weather. The open side of the feeder should be placed away from the wind. This protects the food when the birds might need it most. Shrubs and trees help protect bird feeders from the weather. They also provide the birds with shelter and protection from their predators.

Milk Carton Bird Feeder Cut out a flap in the front of the milk carton as shown. Use string to tie up the flap. The flap will be a roof for the feeding birds. Fill the feeding tray with seeds. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite for many birds. Punch a hole in the top of the carton as shown and use a string or wire to tie the feeder to a branch. Keep the feeder near a window so you can watch the birds feed. Plastic Milk Jug Bird Feeder Cut a hole in each side of a plastic milk jug as shown. Put some seeds in the jug. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite for many birds. Punch a hole in the top of the jug as shown and use a string or wire to tie the feeder to a branch. Keep the feeder near a window so you can watch the birds feed. Bird Feeder from Pie Tins Nail two pie tins together using a short dowel between the tins. Put some seeds in the lower tin such as black oil sunflower seeds. Attach a string to the top tin and hang from a nearby tree. Keep the feeder near a window so you can watch the birds feed.

Provided by the NGA. Reprinted with permission, HouseNet, Inc.

-- Anonymous, November 04, 2002