DIY birdhouse

Before you start making your birdhouse, first mark the dimensions on the wood. You'll need a tape measure, a set square and a pencil for this.

First, mark the dimensions for the front of the birdhouse. It will be made up of two pieces that are different shapes: a triangle and an upside-down trapezium. The nest box should be 22 cm at its widest point. Mark this width on the edge of your wooden board and then mark the centre point. Draw a vertical line up from this centre point with a maximum height of 30.2 cm. Mark a point 15.8 cm along the central vertical line. This is where the borehole for the perch will be drilled. And 20 cm along the vertical line, add another point to mark where a hole will be drilled to create the entrance to the birdhouse.

Mark another point 7.6 cm along the vertical line. Draw a horizontal line through this point using a set square, making sure the line extends 11 cm on either side of the point. The resulting line should be parallel to and the same length as the base line. Now mark out the top edges of the front of the nest box by drawing two straight lines connecting the ends of the horizontal central line to the top point (that is 30.02 cm above the base line). This creates a triangle.

Now mark two points on the base line that are each 8.5 cm away from the centre point. Connect these points with each end of the 22-cm-long central horizontal line you drew above them earlier to mark the two side edges of the trapezoid lower section of the nest box.

For the back wall, mark the same dimensions as the front of the birdhouse on a second piece of wood.

Now mark the dimensions for both side walls and the base of the birdhouse. This will make them easier to draw and will also mean they are easier to cut later on in the process. Draw a rectangle on a piece of wood with the following dimensions: 13.4 x 31.1 cm. Mark two points along the length of the rectangle that are each 8.1 cm away from the sides and draw two lines from these points that cut across the width of the rectangle. This will create two more rectangles, which will form the side walls of the nest box. Their heights are identical to the height of the rectangle that is created in the middle, which will serve as the base of the birdhouse.

Mark the following dimensions for the two roof boards on the poplar plywood board: 23 x 30 cm.

Now mark the following dimensions for the connecting strips on the plywood: 6 x 8 cm. Two connecting pieces are required.

Use a round wooden rod that's 1.2 cm in diameter and 23 cm in length as the ridge pole of the nest box, and one with a diameter of 0.7 cm and a length of 7 cm for the perch.

Once you have marked up all the dimensions, you can cut the wood. It's best to put on work gloves, ear defenders and safety goggles before you start cutting. To make sure the wood doesn't slip while you're cutting it, secure it against a workbench or a worktop using screw clamps. Start by cutting the front and back wall of the birdhouse, followed by the roof boards.

Then cut the side walls and the base of the birdhouse. Set the saw to a 15-degree angle. Now saw a bevel cut along the outer edge of one of the side walls. Then saw along the inner edge at the same angle. Turn the entire piece of wood 180 degrees to ensure the angle of the saw doesn't need to be changed and make two more cuts to separate the base of the birdhouse from the second side wall.

Use the hole cutter to cut a hole in the front of the birdhouse. The birds will use this as an entrance and exit. Next, drill a blind hole for the perch. Drill into the point you marked earlier underneath the large hole. Since the wooden rod should be inserted by around 1 cm, mark 1 cm on the wood drill bit with tape. Alternatively, you can use a drill bit stop.

Smooth down the edges of the individual pieces of wood using an abrasive sponge or sanding paper. Sand down the surfaces using the multi-sander. Make sure you put on ear defenders, safety goggles and a face mask beforehand.

Lay both front pieces (the trapezium and triangle) against each other. Place the connecting strip over the middle of the intersection where the two pieces meet. Insert two screws (3.5 x 20 mm) through the connecting strip into the bottom piece from the inside. Afterwards, screw two safety bolts (3.5 x 35 mm) from the outside through the triangle into the connecting strip. Do the same with the pieces for the back wall.

Now screw the side walls to the front and back wall of the birdhouse. To do so, hold one of the side walls against the bottom part of the front and mark the spots you want to drill. After you've drilled through these points, secure the pieces against each other once again. Use screw clamps to keep it stable so that it doesn't slip while you are drilling. Then screw the second side wall into the bottom part of the back wall. Afterwards, put both resulting L-shapes together. Finally, simply slide in the base, or screw it in if you prefer.

Lay both roof boards side by side, joined together along the shorter edge. Leave a gap of 1.5 cm between them. Stick the boards together using tape to ensure that the gap remains. That will make it easier to attach the roof correctly. Apply wood glue to the top of the gable. Place the taped roof structure on the frame so that the roof is aligned with the back wall of the birdhouse. The roof should protrude by around 6 cm at the front of the nest box. Now press down firmly on the roof and leave it to dry. As soon as it has dried, apply a liberal amount of wood glue on the gable and place the round wooden rod between the two roof pieces. Press down on it firmly and spread any glue that oozes out. To secure the perch against the starling nest box, apply a little bit of wood glue to the blind hole and press the round wooden rod into it afterwards.

When everything is dry, remove the safety bolts that you inserted in step 5. This will enable you to detach the roof for mounting and cleaning.

Give the frame of your birdhouse coat of paint. In stark contrast to the rest of the birdhouse, the roof is painted in a bold red colour. You can use a paint roller for painting the large surfaces. A brush is better for the smaller edges and details. Take a thin strip of tape and stick it over the areas where the two colours meet. This will ensure a clean divide between the two colours. If you use 2-in-1 paint, your bird house won't just look great, it'll be weatherproof too.

Remove the connecting screws on the back wall of the birdhouse. Then detach the roof from the rest of the nest box. Now drill from the inside through the connecting strip and the back wall into the tree using stainless steel screws (4.5 x 55 mm). The angle screw adapter will help you to insert screws into areas that are difficult to reach. Alternatively, you can also loosen or tighten screws that are difficult to reach using a manual offset screwdriver.

Once you've mounted the frame of the birdhouse, place the roof back on top of it. Now it's ready for some feathered friends.