Make Your Own Christmas Tree Birdhouses

The Farmhouse Hens are such a talented group of DIY bloggers,  I always look forward to seeing what they are creating next.  This month we are collaborating to bring you Farmhouse Styled Christmas Ornaments for your home.   You will find the other Farmhouse Pen’s posts at the end of my post.

As always the best thing about Farmhouse decor is its suitability to simple, pretty, inexpensively achievable DIY projects.

For my contribution I have created these DIY birdhouses, using paper rolls, cardboard, felt and scraps of materials I had in my craft stash.  I love their rustic farmhouse look.  Six of these little birdhouse ornaments cost $5.00 as I had to purchase white felt.j

There are three different types of birdhouses, each one is made exactly the same way, with different decorations added as a final touch.  Our tree is all natural rustics this year so I chose neutral colours and materials for our tree.

Craft Supplies

To make these houses you need paper rolls, cardboard, glue and a glue gun,  twine, bark, twigs, rope and felt.

Some basic tools, large needle,  scissors, exacto knife (optional)

Use lace, leftover fabric, embroidery thread, yarn or whatever other tidbits of craft supplies you have laying around.

You will need the larger size of paper rolls, such as Christmas wrapping paper.   You want the larger size that is on the left.
s

Make the Cardboard Center

Cut your tube into six-inch lengths, for six birdhouses I needed two tubes.
3

4
Once you have the tube into six-inch lengths, measure 3″ up from the bottom of your tube and draw a circle.  I used a loonie, but a quarter coin would work as well.  Once drawn carefully cut it out using an exacto knife or a pair of sharp scissors.

Not you are going to cut the peak so the roof lays properly.

Make a straight mark down the middle of where the peak of the roof will be (light grey line).

Starting two inches from the top, mark 1 1/4′ out from the central line (blue line) on each side of center.

Not draw a line between the two points to form the roof peak.
o

Measure the circumference of your tube, mine is 7 1/2″  divide by 2.   Then take that measurement to find the second center line on the back of your tube.  In my case, it is 3 3/4″.  Draw a second triangle on the back.

Draw a straight line between the bottoms of your two triangles around your tube.

Cut along the lines and you will end up with a tube that has two little peaks front and back forming the peak of the roof.

g

Set aside and start working on the roof.

Cut a piece of construction paper or thin cardboard into a 7″  by 6′  triangle.  Fold it in half lengthways and then crossways.

Make the Roof
j

f
Place it on a piece of felt about 7 inches square.  Wrap the cardboard in the felt making sure to attach the felt to the cardboard with hot glue.

Fold the cardboard in half creating the roof line.  I  placed mine folded underneath some books and let them dry for a couple of hours.

Add the hanging string for the ornament. Using a large needle push through the top of the roof tying a very large knot on the underside.  My needle was not strong enough so I place a small cut into the top felt with scissors and then pushed the needle through.

t
As the birdhouses will be hung on the tree, make a bottom.

Using the paper tube as a pattern draw a circle a 1/4″ wider than the tube all the way around.

g
Place the circle of cardboard over the bottom of your tube.  Make some little cuts so its easier to fold over.  Place some hot glue around the bottom of your tube and attach the cardboard bottom to the paper tube.  Let dry.

It doesn’t look like much yet, but you’re almost at the fun part.

Add the Felt Layers

Now that you have the roof covered with felt it is time to do the same with the round house.  Cut a piece of felt 6″ by 8″, starting at the back so the seam doesn’t show wrap the felt around your paper tube and attach with hot glue.

Sorry for the picture glare but I am working late in this one.   Clip from the top so you can fold the felt over the paper tube.  Don’t trim it anywhere.   Using scissors make a little snip and the cut out the felt where the window is.
x

l
Now fold your felt over the tube hiding all of the cardboard.  Take the top portions and glue them together making like a little felt roof truss across the top of your birdhouse.  Don’t fret about it needing to be all neat and pretty,  it will be covered by the roof.
y

Now place hot glue all along the truss on top and a little bit along the curves of the side on the felt.

Place the roof on top and hold in place until it sticks together.

Repeat these steps for the rest of the birdhouses that you want to make.  Then gather supplies and start decorating them.

Add Embellishments
x

d
Using some twine make a circle to decorate the opening to the bird house.

Gather some twigs cut them to 4″ long and make into little bundles.  Tie one end with twine and hot glue them to hold.
s

Start gluing them to the roof of your ornament starting at the front and alternating to the back.h

eFinish off by adding some little stars cut out of felt.  Add other embellishments like a burlap bottom, or a tiny branch for a bird to rest on.  You can add glitter if you want to give it some shine and glitz.z

Or you can cover the roof with unraveled rope or twine.  Unravel the rope and glue four-inch strips to the roof.  Add felt stars.

gI have some little bits of paper ribbon that look like birch bark.  I glued these to the roof and then folded the ends up to look like little eaves.

a

There is no doubt that these are rustic little birdhouses.  They turned out exactly as I wanted and for a small fraction of what the purchased ones would cost.

Farmhouse Hens Update. Unfortunately in the ever changing world of technology the coding for my friends post no longer works. I will work to try and retrieve it but for now my apologies it is no longer here.