Bird House Design PLANS (DIY PVC Hanging Bird Box)

Below are free diy APPROVED plastic (PVC) bird house design plans. You can use this easy bird box design to attract bluebirds, swallows, chickadees, nuthatches, warblers, woodpeckers, and other birds to your backyard or garden. You can make this nesting box using primarily PVC pipe. Find more free bird houses plans or discover more birdhouses and bird feeders.

Materials Needed to Build DIY PVC Bird House Design.

PVC Pipe: Length 8.5in (22cm) | Inside diameter 4in (10cm).
Cap for PVC pipe.
Eye bolt: Length 1.5″ (4cm) | Diameter: 1/4″ (0.6cm).
Female adapter.
Wooden dowel for perch: Length 1.5″ (4cm) | Diameter: 0.5″ (1.3cm).
Cleanout Plug.

This approved nest box will not rot or crack. Birds will call your new habitat home for many seasons to come.

DIY Video Tutorial – PVC Bird Box Design Plans.

See the following video for an instructional tutorial on building this PVC bird house design.

Step 1. Cut PVC pipe using the bird box plans below.

Cut a piece of PVC (plastic) pipe 8.5″ (22cm) in length as shown below. You can cut PVC pipe with either a hand saw or a miter saw.

Bird house (nesting box) design dimensions for blue birds, swallows, chickadees, etc. — Bird Nest Box Dimensions

Step 2. Drill entrance hole and hole for bird perch.

Drill the bird entrance hole using a forsnter drill bit. A 1.5″ (3.8cm) diameter entrance hole is the optimum size for bluebirds and tree swallows. However, chickadees, nuthatches, warblers, woodpeckers, and wrens will also gladly make this their home. See Bird House Hole Size if you want to attract a specific bird. Optionally, drill a 0.25″ (0.6cm) inch hole for the bird perch. Furthermore, if being hung in a warm climate, consider drilling additional ventilation holes to keep the birds cool.

Drilling bird entrance hole with a Forsnter drill bit. — Drilling bird entrance hole.

Step 3: Use PVC Cement to join parts together.

Use PVC cement (e.g., Gorilla, Oatey, Weld-On) to bond the female adapter to the bottom of the bird feeder. Keep in mind, this glue dries really quickly! Once you have fitted the two pieces together, you have just a few seconds to position the pipe. While mentally hard to do, drill a couple small holes in your new cleanout plug for drainage. Finally, glue the PVC cap to the top of the bird house.

Step 4: Optionally add Bird Perch.

To create the bird perch, I drill a hole in the PVC pipe and insert a 1/4″ (0.6cm) bolt. I then take a short piece of 1/2″ (1.3cm) wooden dowel and drill a 1/4″ (0.6cm) hole part way through the dowel. Next, I glue the dowel onto the bolt using Gorilla Glue.

Step 5: Optionally paint the PVC pipe.

If you will be mounting the birdbox in the sun, you might want to leave the PVC pipe unpainted or pick a color that will reflect sunlight. However, keep in mind birds are quite happy to nest in painted bird boxes (pink, yellow, blue, etc.) Try not to paint the inside of the box or around the entrance hole as birds may peck at it and eat chips of paint. Note: You should always try to position bird houses in a shady area if possible.

Step 6. Hang or mount your birdhouse.

Mount your birdhouse and see which bird will call your habitat home. See How to Hang a Birdhouse for tips on location, mounting, and placement. Find tips on Cleaning Your Birdhouse. Your new birdhouse should provide you excitement for many seasons to come.