SEARCH
MENU
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Shop
Creative & Frugal Home & Garden Ideas

Empress of Dirt

  • Grow
  • Make
  • Ideas

New here?

Dig in!

Start here

35 Creative Birdhouse Ideas For Your Garden

Published on January 26, 2020Last updated October 6, 2021 ♛ By Melissa J. Will

This post contains affiliate links.
Read full disclosure statement here.

Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Want creative and unique birdhouse ideas? This photo gallery features all sorts of decorative bird home with lots of rustic, homemade touches including different paint colors and stone finishes.

You may also like these 7 Tutorials for Garden Art Flowers.

Decorative birdhouses in the garden.

What’s Your Favorite Birdhouse Style?

Examples of decorative birdhouses in the garden.

You can tell a lot about a gardener’s style by their choice of birdhouse. This gallery has everything from stone to wood, rustic to modern, traditional to eclectic. See which ones are your favorites.

The most important thing to know about birdhouses is that most are not actually suitable for birds to nest inside. This explains what a nesting box is and why decorative birdhouses can be dangerous for birds. To keep things safe, if it’s garden decor, block off any entry holes.

If you love bold colors, also see 12 Colorful Garden Ideas. I’ve got some freshly-painted birdhouses in my garden too!

Birdhouse Painting Tips

  • For best adherence, you may need to slightly rough up the surface with sandpaper before painting to provide better grip.
  • For untreated wood, start with an exterior primer or all-in-one primer-paint product. This may be acrylic or oil-based.
  • To protect the paint, use an exterior sealant over the final coat of paint.

For best results, follow product instructions including required drying times.


Contents

  • Creative Birdhouse Ideas
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Resources


notebook and download arrow

Get the Free Printable
There’s a free printable with this article.
Go to Resources (below) to get yours.



Creative Birdhouse Ideas

1Red Birdhouse

Pick a beautiful, strong paint color and work it!

Red decorative birdhouse.

2Rustic Wood Birdhouses

Rustic wood birdhouses made to look like a church and a store.

Old weathered wood is perfect for creating rustic birdhouses.

Duplex birdhouse with one white side and one red side.

3Cowboy Boots

These nesting boxes were made by Empress of Dirt Facebook friend Gaye.

Birdhouse made from old cowboy boot.

While we hope they’re safe, homemade arty birdhouses tend to be dangerous. Predators can get in or chicks get trapped inside. For this reason, if you like this idea, just use them as garden art and block off any entry holes.

Birdhouses made from painted cowboy boots.

Want to paint leather or vinyl? Rough up the surface with sandpaper and use patio craft paints.


4Stone Birdhouse With Funnel Roof

The first birdhouse I ever made for my garden was a stone birdhouse.

I had seen a rather magnificent one for sale on a garden tour and, after seeing the sticker price ($275), I thought it might be a good idea to try making my own instead.

Homemade stone birdhouses with funnel roofs.

Empress of Dirt

FREE TIP SHEET

DIY Stone Birdhouse

Includes the materials list and basic instructions from this article.

Homemade stone birdhouses with funnel roofs.
Get Free DIY Tip Sheet

The download link will be sent to your email.
Joining our free newsletter list is optional at checkout.


5Folkart

Several of the photos in this series come from the same garden. The artist, Mike, uses all sorts of random bits and bobs to create birdhouses and other garden art.

Quirky birdhouses on shed wall.

6Front Porch

You know how I said decorative birdhouses can be dangerous for wild birds?

This one has a good solution: paint the entry hole rather than making a real one. Problem solved!

Painted birdhouse with garden art chair on front porch.

Yellow garden art chair with flowers hanging on fence.

Related: 17 Creative Ways to Use Old Chairs in Your Garden



7Turquoise Birdhouse

I’m a big fan of using color as a recurring theme throughout a garden.

This shows more ways to use color to spruce up a backyard space.

Turquoise birdhouse with gear decor.

Best Outdoor Glue?

I use GE II Silicone Sealant for all of my garden art projects. It forms a permanent bond that lasts forever.


8Birdhouse Tree

We saw this on the front of a store on the shore of Lake Erie, Ontario, Canada.

Decorative tree of birdhouses.

9St. Toad’s Cathedral

This toad house is next level! I’m not sure if His Majesty was at home when I took the photo.

Garden toad house made to look like church cathedral.

10Birdhouse Chair

This idea became popular years ago when country style furnishings were ruling the crafting world.

Just create picket tops, add faux roof pieces and drill holes.

Garden chair with birdhouse design on back wood slats.

11Martin House

This one is in my garden. I bought the martin house at a yard sale. I blocked off all of the doors except one. The wrens use it each spring.

Big white martin house with blue roof in garden with daisies.

This next one is not a birdhouse but a bird feeder made from a repurposed toy dollhouse:

Dollhouse made into a bird feeder.
Dollhouse birdfeeder by Stephanie Weaver

11Tree Stump Birdhouses

This multi-branch tree stump makes an excellent birdhouse apartment complex.

Tree stump with several colorful birdhouses.

Tree stump in garden decorated with garden art.

Related: 14 Creative Tree Stump Ideas for Backyard Gardens



12Black Birdhouse

Black can be a bold color choice in a garden. This design could be used as a bird feeder too.

You can see more examples of black paint in the garden shown here with black fence and arbor.

Black cathedral style birdhouse feeder.

13Gazebo

Not quite a birdhouse but more of an entertaining area for birds!

Gazebo birdhouse.

14Clay Nesting Box

This one is used as a nesting box. Again, always be sure you can open and clean anything that birds may nest in.

Clay nesting box in garden.

15Rustic Blue

A lovely, scrappy piece made from old barnboard and sheet metal scraps.

Rustic blue birdhouse with green tin roof

16Red and Yellow Birdhouse

This one has a modern art vibe. I quite like the addition of the tree branch on the porch.

Modern style birdhouse with red roof and yellow door.

17Chicken Coop Birdhouses

You’ll notice in several of these photos where the gardener has grouped a bunch of birdhouses together.

Creating collections is a great tip for displaying garden art.

Chicken coop with colorful birdhouses hanging from roof.

18Bedazzled Birdhouse

Go glitzy or go home! This birdhouse is bedazzling.

Bird nesting box covered in fake gems.

19Flower Power

I love old wood patina paired with masses of flowering plants.

Rustic birdhouse with bird sitting on top.

20Green Tin Roof

Check out the junk boxes at thrift shops and Habitat for Humanity stores to find odd pieces for your birdhouse.

Locks, keys, gears, doorknobs, and more all work.

Gray birdhouse with green tin roof.

21Quirky Topsy Turvy Birdhouse

There was a crooked man… What a fun and quirky project. Love the bell tower!

Quirky wood birdhouse.

22Rustic Stone Birdhouse

This one seems to be made from a basic wood birdhouse covered in grout with stones pressed in.

Simple stone birdhouse with grout.

23Log Cabin Birdhouse

I love this one.  Wish it was mine!

Log cabin style birdhouse.

24Miniature Birdhouse

This is a simple idea for a fairy or miniature garden.

Take a small piece of wood, drill a few holes, add a perch, and top it with a tiny piece of scrap metal.

Tiny white birdhouse in fairy garden.

25Rustic Quirky Birdhouse

If you have old wood scraps, they work nicely for a house like this one.

Don’t worry about creating patina: a year or so of exposure to the elements starts aging wood nicely.

Rustic birdhouse with orange wooden bird.

26Tree Stump Birdhouse

Years ago, it was considered a faux pas to leave tree stumps in place when a tree must be removed.

While some may resprout, the stumps provide valuable food and habitat for all the insects and microbes that keep a garden alive.

Tree stump used to hold garden art.

27Seashell Birdhouse

Here’s another option: use seashells instead of stones to decorate a birdhouse.

Seashell birdhouse with light green trim.

28Tool Perch

This is a sweet idea: use an old hand tool to mimic a perch.

White birdhouse with tool perch.

29Hand-Painted Birdhouse

If your birdhouse needs dressing up, consider hand-painting some designs on it. A picket fence with flowers works too.

Hand painted white birdhouse with flowers and bird designs.

Hand painted flower pots.

Related: How to Make Hand-Painted Flower Pots



30Lock Birdhouse

Raid that thrift store and find items like this old lock to use as birdhouse decor.

White birdhouse with old lock.

31Old Man Tree Stump

He’s alive! This old tree stump holds the laundry line and lots of garden art including the birdhouse on top.

Tree stump with face and birdhouse on top.

Sometimes these tree stump faces are available on Amazon.


32Rustic Simple Birdhouse

Plain wood birdhouse on fence.

33Tall Blue Birdhouse

There are a few creative details here: the faucet handle and drawer pull as accessories, the teardrop entry hole, and the addition of a vintage water fountain.

Rustic blue birdhouse with old drinking fountain.

34Birdhouse Collection

This one was shared by Empress of Dirt Facebook friend Lee who created a lovely birdhouse village on her garden fence.

Village of colorful birdhouses on garden fence.

35Stone and Wood

Pretty fancy! The turned wood and detailing looks gorgeous with the embedded stones.

Double decker wood and stone birdhouse.

Decorative stone birdhouses and a bluebird.

Related: How To Make a Stone Birdhouse



Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of paint do you use on a wooden birdhouse?

Birdhouses can be painted with an exterior primer and paint or all-in-one product made for outdoor conditions. This may be acrylic or oil-based. Keep in mind that decorative birdhouses should not be used for birds, just as decor. You can prevent problems by blocking off any entry doors or other openings. Provide proper, species-specific nesting boxes for nesting birds.

What colors do birds like for birdhouses?

Birdhouses should not be used to attract birds—use proper nesting boxes instead. Nesting boxes should be natural, untreated wood and blend in with their natural surroundings. Birdhouses, when purely decorative, can be painted any color you like, of course.

How can I make a birdhouse safe for birds?

Decorative birdhouses should have their entry holes blocked to prevent birds from using them. Use them as garden decor, not for nesting birds.

Unless a unit is properly designed for a specific bird species, a bird may use it for nesting but put themselves in danger.

If entry holes are too small, their young cannot exit at fledging time.

If entry holes are too large, predators get in.

If there is a perch by the entry hole, predators have yet another way to attack the brood.


Resources

Empress of Dirt

FREE TIP SHEET

DIY Stone Birdhouse

Includes the materials list and basic instructions from this article.

Homemade stone birdhouses with funnel roofs.
Get Free DIY Tip Sheet

The download link will be sent to your email.
Joining our free newsletter list is optional at checkout.

Buy Unique Birdhouses

Check local artists, yard sales, and art sales.

Etsy is also a good source for unique garden art and birdhouses.

Ebook

Garden Art Projects & Ideas book cover

25 Garden Art Projects & Ideas

by Melissa J. Will

Grab the top garden art DIY projects and tips from Empress of Dirt

About This Ebook | Visit Ebook Shop

This ebook is a digital file (PDF format) you save to your device. It is not a physical product.

Buy Now
$6 US

PayPal, Credit Card, Apple Pay

Attracting Wild Birds to Your Garden

Bird nest with blue eggs.

Just like us, birds need food, water, and shelter.

  • Grow a diverse selection of plants including flowers, trees and shrubs that support the web of life.
  • Grow bugs. Many bird species eat a lot of insects and other invertebrates.
  • An eco-beneficial garden is a “messy” garden: dead and decaying things nourish life.
  • Provide fresh water. Puddles and ponds both help.
  • Avoid the use of any products toxic to birds and their food sources including caterpillars.
  • Keep predatory pets out of your garden.
  • Decorative birdhouses are not safe for birds.
  • Use nesting boxes intended to safely house specific bird species.
  • If using feeders, provide clean fresh water and the right types of seed.
  • Clean bird feeders frequently. Remove feeders immediately if you notice any sign of disease or problems like salmonella, trichomoniasis, aspergillosis, or avian pox are reported in your area.
  • Recommended Book: Bird-Friendly Gardening: Guidance and Projects for Supporting Birds in Your Landscape by Jen McGuinness
Cardinal at feeder

TIP:

Netvue Birdfy AI Smart Bird Feeder With Camera | To view the bird activity in your garden 24/7, an automated camera is an excellent option.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt ♛

Examples of decorative birdhouses in the garden.
Share on FacebookShare on PinterestShare on Email

Free Newsletters

Signup for creative & frugal home and garden ideas!

This site is spam-free and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

Melissa J. Will - Empress of DirtWelcome!
I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
Join me as I share creative + frugal home & garden ideas with a dash of humor.
More: Contact/About
New here? Dig in!  |  Our Podcast

Handy Resources

  • Year-at-a-Glance Garden Task List
  • Create Your Garden Profile
  • Soil-Mulch-Potting Mix Calculator
  • Garden Name Generator
  • Printable Garden Planner
  • Favorite Garden Quotes
  • Botanical Plant Names 101
DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

Some articles on this site contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Affiliate and Ad Disclosure | Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Empress of Dirt Creative + Frugal Home & Garden Ideas