Beautiful Bird Houses

Pretty Unique Bird Houses

I have had a fascination with bird houses since I was very young, there is something magical about these little habitations, which look so very cute nestling in the garden. Not only are you providing birdies with a safe place to nest and raise their young, you can get endless enjoyment from watching them going about their daily business.

Birdhouses have become an art-form in their own right, and you can get some really interesting designs. The house styles that we know and love are replicated in miniature for birds to enjoy, and some of them even get their own mansions! Other types of bird houses are brightly colored, and there are even some funny novelty designs.

Ready Made Paint Your Own Birdhouse

Make It As Pretty As You Like

Painting your own birdhouses can be an enjoyable thing to do, either alone for a bit of relaxation time or with a child for fun. You could paint one for a friend or family member and give as a gift. You can buy kits that are ready to paint, or you can pick up any plain unvarnished wooden birds box from a store and paint that.

If you would like some ideas for painting and decorating your own, as a larger selection of paintable birdhouses there is an post here that will help inspire you. Birdhouse Decorating Ideas 

Vintage Bird House Designs

The birdhouse in the picture to the left is a gorgeous metal hanging antique door plate design. It is so beautiful, perfect for a vintage look, or shabby chic style garden. I love the key hanging off the bottom too, what a nice detail to add!

There are a growing number of vintage style birdhouses, these are interesting, eclectic, designs, and would suit a vintage or bohemian style of garden. As with most of the birdie homes on this page, the vintage style homes are beautiful enough to decorate with indoors. 

The bottle on the end is a traditional bottle birdhouse, I wrote a post about these charming homes here, this has tips to make your own, and some pretty designs to purchase.

Cute Little Vintage Style Wren House

These remind me of dinky little Swiss cottages, diamond shaped, with the cutest little tiles on the roof. The hole is the right size for tiny wrens to use. Wrens love flitting around in the undergrowth, so hanging or fixing one of these low down in a bush or against a wall with a creeper growing on it, is a good idea.

Rustic Birdhouses

These rustic birdhouses are chunky, roughly hewn, and homely looking. They blend-in/compliment the natural environment, but are still aesthetic enough to stand out. I am really fond of rustic design.

Plenty of charming habitations here, the one on the end of the row below, is a driftwood birdhouse, I have featured more of these here - driftwood birdhouses, as well as some ideas on how to make your own version with pieces of driftwood, (or if you are unable to get to the coast, a similar affect with stripped twigs.)

Make Your Own Birdhouse Out Of A Gourd

Making a gourd house is a very cheap and surprisingly easy. The possibilities for making unique and beautiful homes are endless, as gourds come in all sorts of crazy shapes and sizes. You can paint and decorate them too, this link will show you how..

• How To Make A Gourd Birdhouse
  Information on gourd birdhouses, includes step by step details and a video on how to make your own.- Also includes decorating ideas for your finished piece.

Some Ready Made Gourd Birdhouses - Gourdgeous!

If making your own bird house from a gourd is too daunting there are some wonderful gourd birdhouses available to buy. 

Chalets, Houses, And Mansion Bird Houses

This type of birdhouse was invented in the Victorian times, and is still popular today, there are some amazing 'cottage style' birdhouses around, I love the attention to detail on them, the little windows, roof slates, and the other cute architectural features. Birds just don't know how lucky they are, I wish someone would randomly buy me a house like the one in the picture to the right:-) Be warned the large designs in this style are not cheep (sorry I just had to get that joke in!) Homes For The More Discerning Bird

"Yah!...Just fluttering out to my mansion in the tree dahling...." Is this what they would be saying if one of these cool spaces was their home?

Other Colorful Shops, Houses, And Building Designs

Bright colors don't put the birds off at all, so there is a lot of choice if you want to bring color and fun to a yard. I think one of the most charming designs I have seen is the beach huts birdhouse trio, (first pic below) I like the idea of the birds nesting and living next to each other, each in their different color hut.

If I had the space I would have a lot of these sorts of bird boxes, I would have a cool avian village, literally hundreds of different designs on fences, hung from trees, mounted on walls, I sooo want a bigger garden!
 
The array of building inspired bird homes is stunning, you can get almost any building replicated for your little feathered friends to live in. 

Lighthouse Design Birdhouse

If birds can live in pots, mansions, and gourds, then why not in a lighthouse too? These birdhouse have a nautical theme, and some even have space for two sets of birds to nest.

Make Your Own Bird Houses

I wrote a post with some ideas on making your own bird boxes and houses, there are a lot of really easy projects, some using items commonly found around the home.

Birdbox Woodworking Plans

If you would like to make some of your own birdhouses and are looking to purchase some woodworking plans, there are some fantastic ones here... .Birdhouse Plans. Learn how to make different types of birdhouses that will attract a range of birds to your garden.

Novelty Bird Houses

In the olden days, and probably now still, birds used to make their homes in a variety of objects found dumped around the garden, it was not unusual to see a wren nesting in an old kettle or watering can, and even inside the engine of a car. These cool novelty bird houses take it a step further, they are great to look at, make a fun talking point, and the birdies love them. The best thing is that they are designed specifically for our avian friends, and unlike a dumped old kettle or watering can, they won't be draughty and damp.

As you can see, there are all kinds of weird and wonderful designs. These make fantastic gifts for bird lovers, gardeners, and anyone who wants to brighten up an outdoor space and encourage our feathered friends into their garden.

When choosing a birdhouse for a gift, think of the recipients personality, what hobbies do they have? What job? Or which animals do they like? All of these subjects are covered, there are literally thousands of novelty birdhouse designs out there. I think one of the reasons that I love these items is that they are so different. 

This One Has The Hole In The Cats Mouth!

Every time I look at the picture of this cat birdhouse I laugh, surprisingly the birds are not put off at all by the cat shaped birdhouse, and are happy flying straight into it's mouth, birdhouses like these should be hung up outside hospitals, waiting rooms, and any place that people need cheering up.