How to Make a Birdhouse Out of a Half Gallon Milk Jug
- 1). Rinse out and dry the inside of a half-gallon plastic milk jug.
- 2). Make a small dot in the center of the milk jug on one side using a felt tip pen. You will use this mark as a guide for drawing and cutting out the hole in the side of the birdhouse. If you want to make two holes in the front of the birdhouse, make two marks on the side of the jug leaving about 2 inches of space between the marks.
- 3). Poke a sharp pencil or the tip of a pair of scissors through the milk jug where you made the marks. Insert the tip of a pair of scissors into the resulting hole and cut a 1 to 1 1/2-inch circle out of the plastic jug using, centering the hole on the markings.
- 4). Cut a 4 inch length from a wooden skewer and drive it through the face of the milk jug about an inch below the bottom hole. Slide the skewer through the jug so approximately 3 inches protrudes from the outside of the jug to serve as a perch for birds.
- 5). Decorate the outside of the milk jug using acrylic craft paints. You can choose to paint your birdhouse a single color or you might paint a nature scene on the side of the jug.
- 6). Spray the outer surface of the jug with clear varnish or polyurethane. Allow the first coat to dry then apply a second coat. This protective coating will prevent the paint on the outside of the birdhouse from flaking and prevents birds from eating the paint.
- 7). Poke two small holes through the neck of the jug on opposite sides and thread a length of twine or string through it.
- 8). Knot the ends of the string and loop it over the branch of a tree in your yard to hang the birdhouse.
