This time of social distancing and stay home orders has many looking for something to do.  Luckily, I have lots of craft and painting supplies in my art room.  It’s just a matter of  motivating myself to stop reading and get busy crafting.

Recently,  a friend asked about a wine cork bird house project that I taught in an Art & Crafts group.  I shared some of the supplies I still had with her and gave her the instructions.  I decided to share it here, too. It’s a great way to use up all those wine corks that have been piling up.   Really, it’s just a fun project that can be completed in a just an hour or so.

Supplies

Wine Corks
90 wine corks that are the same height
2 short wine corks for the porch
5 chubby wine corks (for roof)
1 champagne cork (for the chimney)

Hot temperature glue gun & glue sticks **
Moss, mini flowers, bird’s nest etc for decorations
Wood or cork for the base (I used a 5″ X 8″ thin plywood board)
Sharp knife

** If you plan to put your birdhouse outside you will need to use hot temperature glue sticks that won’t melt in the heat such as Gorilla glue sticks.

This video shows you the steps to make a wine cork birdhouse.  I’ve also included photos and instructions below for those who prefer to see each step individually.

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Instructions

• Begin by collecting and sorting your wine corks.  It will be much easier to complete the birdhouse if your wine corks are the same height.

• You will assemble the parts you need from corks, then build each section of the birdhouse before putting the birdhouse together.  The number in parenthesis is how many of each part you need to make (ex. glue 2 corks together lengthwise – you need 11).

• Now, make the sides of the birdhouse.
• Next, begin to glue the corks that make the back to the wood (or cork) base.   (The picture below shows what the back will look like after it is finished.)  I found it is easier to glue each section of the back together on the board.

 

• Continue by gluing the sides to the base and the back wall.

 

 

• Make the front of the birdhouse.  Then, glue the front to the base and the sides.  The front should fit just barely inside the sides.

• Now, it’s time to create the roof.

• Finally, attach the roof to the sides and add the champagne cork for the chimney. Use two short corks to make the perch on the porch.  Decorate with moss, twigs and mini flowers.

• Now it’s time to show off your completed birdhouse.  Drop a photo in the comments to share your birdhouse.