wine cork bird house

These Cork bird houses are completely functional, with a wood frame and real cork siding and shingles. A perch is intentionally omitted to prevent access into the house by larger birds and predators. Please note that each wine cork birdhouse is unique and the wine cork brands or designs may not be the same as in the photos. However all wine corks used are genuine wine bottle corks! All of the houses are made with weather-grade adhesive for indoor or outdoor use. The bottom is removable for easy cleaning and there is a “chimney-like” tab at the back for hanging. Approximate measurements: 6 1/2″L, 4 1/2″W, 10″H. The entrance hole is 1 1/8″, a standard size to accommodate most song birds. A perfect gift for the bird lover or wine enthusiast. No two are alike!

Wine Bottle Cork Birdhouse

Materials to Complete Wine Bottle Cork Birdhouse

Materials:

90 corks and (1 Champagne cork–optional)

1 cedar shingle or 8 inch x 5 inches x ? inch wooden board

small twigs from a tree

1 four inch stick or small wooden dowel

(2 dried wheat tops — optional)

hot-point glue gun and 3 eight-inch glue sticks

(small birds from craft store—optional)

coping saw

TIP: You don not need to drink 90 bottles of wine to build this project, You can buy the wine corks at any wine making store or even on Ebay.

How to build your wine bottle cork birdhouse.

Step 1: You will need 12 corks to build each side of the birdhouse. Glue 2 corks lengthwise together. Repeat 3 times to make 4 pairs of corks. To start the bottom of one side, take your pairs of horizontal corks and glue a single upright cork between the pairs. (See picture.) On top of each end of this row, glue a pair of corks upright, leaving a space in the middle to form the window. You can then glue 3 corks end to end and center them on top of this second row and glue to complete one side of birdhouse. Repeat step 1 to complete other side of birdhouse.

Step 2. The back wall of the birdhouse requires 17 corks. Glue 2 corks together lengthwise. Repeat 2 times to complete 3 pairs. Take 3 corks and glue them end-to-end. Repeat once. Center this row of 3 corks across the back end of your wooden shingle and glue horizontally to straight edge of board.

Step 3. To this row glue the 3 pairs of corks you made in step 2. Glue one pair upright, one pair horizontally, and last pair upright. Glue your other row of 3 corks to the top of this row.

Step 4. The sides you built earlier can now be glued to the shingle and to the back wall of birdhouse. The 3 cork horizontal row of the sides of your birdhouse should be facing upwards. You can reinforce the walls by gluing an extra bead of glue across the inside of all walls to the shingle. You will notice your three corks from the top of your sidewalls should overlap the back wall. You glue them to the top of your back wall and fill the space on the back with 2 horizontal corks. You have completed 3 walls of the birdhouse.

Step 5. The birdhouse front requires 12 corks. Glue 4 corks upright across front hole of house. On top of this row, glue 2 corks horizontally to form the bottom of the birdhouse hole. Glue a single cork upright on each outside edge of this row. Glue a cork horizontally in-between the top of these 2 corks. You may have to trim cork to fit hole.(see picture.) Glue all front corks to sides of the house. Now you are ready to make the roof.

Step 6. You require 36 corks for the roof. The sections of the roof require 4 rows of 8 corks glued together lengthwise. Glue 2 of these rows together end to end. (See picture.) Repeat this for other side of roof.

Step 7. Glue a row of 4 corks end to end. These 4 corks will be the top peak of your roof. Take this row of 4 corks and glue across one end of your 16-cork roof side. Now glue the other side of roof to this peak at a 45-degree angle. Turn over roof and reinforce joints with extra glue.

Step 8. You can attach roof to sides of birdhouse by a large bead of glue on top of each sidewall of birdhouse. You gently put the roof on top leaving a ? inch overhang of the roof on each side. Take your glue gun and add extra glue underneath this overhang to make the roof stronger.

Step 9. You will notice the spaces under the roof on the front and back walls. At the back of the birdhouse center one cork horizontally on top of last row in the space. Cut one cork on a 45-degree angle at the middle of the cork. You glue these cut corks on each end of middle cork under roof. (see picture.) Cutting a cork into a triangle fills the top space.

Step 10. The front of the birdhouse take 2 corks and glue end to end on top of last row. The last cork, shave a little off each end to fit the hole snugly.

Step 11. Curve the bottom of the Champagne cork so it glues nicely over a cork in the roof. Put the front perch stick in under the window opening and decorate the windows with tree twigs. The front birdhouse hole can be trimmed with twigs and dried wheat heads. The little birds are optional.