Several years ago, I saw a “junk shop” decorative birdhouse in an antiques shop. And while I didn’t make the purchase, I never forgot how cute it was. So, when I found this broken DIY birdhouse while thrifting, it seemed like I had been given a second chance at a junky birdhouse. I just needed to fix it up and I already had the right piece of barnwood to do it!
Here’s the original (that I didn’t buy)…

See what I mean? I regretted passing it up.
And this is my thrifted find (for about 10% of the cost of my inspiration birdhouse!).

I can finally have my own “junky” birdhouse!
I honestly didn’t have to do much to fix up my fixer upper. Just a new base, a new roof, and a hanging wire. Easy peasy and I knew it would look adorable in my yard! This post contains affiliate links for your crafting convenience.
Using Barnwood to Update a DIY Birdhouse
To fix up my broken birdhouse, I needed to remove the remaining roof slats. With work gloves on, I pried them off and gave the interior a good sanding to remove splinters and extra-rough surfaces.

Getting down to the junky bones…
This was the plank of barnwood that I planned on using for the base and roof. It was wonderfully weathered and already a good width. Plus, it was on the thin side and wouldn’t add too much weight to my DIY birdhouse.

Don’t you just love salvaged wood?
After taking some measurements, we sawed off three sections – two coordinating sections for the roof (which I planned to make hinged) and one for the base.

New base and roof!
Theoretically, this is what it’ll look like when I’m done. Just want to add a splash of color first!

To give you an idea…
Speaking of adding color, I wanted the barnwood roof and base to coordinate with the existing colors of the shutters and doorframe of my DIY birdhouse. YES, I love the natural barnwood…but for a decorative birdhouse, a touch of paint was warranted.

Let’s see if I can make the magic happen.
To keep the paint job “washed out”, I used a wet chip brush and just a drop of paint (sometimes blue, sometimes green). After the paint dried, I lightly sanded each piece of barnwood to both smooth it out and weather the colors.

Almost ready to assemble!
After this, I sealed the roof pieces and base with top coat and used a spray-on sealant for the birdhouse itself.
Now it was assembly time! Using a combination of small screws and wood glue, I first attached the small section of barnwood roof to the birdhouse, lining it up with the peak. Then, using two small hinges, I connected the second section of roof, linking it up with the edge of the screwed-on roof section.
After that, I drilled a couple of small holes in the middle of the birdhouse base (for ventilation/drainage). Then, I used wood glue on the base, centering the birdhouse on top. How did I weigh it down and help the wood glue adhere without clamps? I made a makeshift “weight” by filling a produce plastic bag with our coin jar contents! It sounds silly but it worked like a charm!

Weird yes, but effective!
DIY Birdhouse Fixer Upper with Barnwood – Ready to Hang!
Here’s my new hinged roof on the birdhouse! This will make it easy to clean out each season.

It worked!
For hanging, I drilled pilot holes under each gable and inserted a small eye screw. Then I simply strung some braided picture hanging wire between the two screws. Ta-da! My DIY birdhouse is all fixed up with barnwood and ready for the yard.

Let’s go hang him outside!
It really is adorable wildlife habitat – I’ll let you know if any of my resident wren or chickadee families move in. As you may recall, those are my most frequent birdhouse nesters.
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Guess what else is happening today? It’s Thrift Store Decor Team day, so check out what my friends have been up to – simply click on the links beneath this collage photo to see the ‘after’ shots!
2. Fixing Up a Broken Birdhouse with Barnwood (that’s mine!)
3. Vintage Wall Pocket Organizer
8. Pedestal Makeover
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What can I say? I’m obsessed with upcycled bird projects – check them all out here, if you’re curious! Thankfully, my birds seem to love them as much as I do, too.
Craft on!
S
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That hinged roof is brilliant!!
Birdies aren’t the best at housekeeping after the season is over! LOL
That’s adorable! I love the way the painted barn wood came out.
Thank you!
Oh my gosh Sarah!!! I LOVE this barn,wood birdhouse!!! I want one! It’s soooo you! 😉
pinned!
Thanks, Gail!!!!
This turned out beautifully! OMG…your cat ready for the birds!! I’m quickly becoming that crazy cat lady with our new cat. 🙂
Ha!!! The more crazy cat ladies, the better (IMO)! 😉 Thank you!
How cute and you only had to do a little bit of work to get what you envisioned. Great hint using a plastic bag filled with coins to weigh down the roof while the glue dried.
Thank you, Rita!!
Bravo et merci pour ces créations de l’autre bout du monde !!!! Je vous souhaite une fabuleuse année 2019 faite de créations de partage et d’amour !!!!! Grosses bises d’un petit coin de France ;…
Ok! That birdhouse is too cute!!!
I felt lucky finding him at the thrift store, that’s for sure!
I would have bought that in a HOT second!
Right?? Too cute for words!!
You are so creative, this is adorable!
Thank you!
Your bird house is just adorable, wish I had your talent
What a great up-cycle. I love these fancy birdhouses but they are always so expensive! I like your addition of color; it brightened it right up! The hinged lid will be great for cleanouts (and even checking on the baby birds!). Great save!
adorable!! So stinkin’ clever!!
Thank you!!
You know that adorable Cottonball, the photo bomber, is determined to be hired as your assistant. Maybe on this project especially considering the contents could be considered dinner!
He *does* love to watch the birds out the window!! I keep telling him he can’t eat his friends! 😉
That is an adorable bird house, Sarah! I would love to pin it but I can’t figure out how to. What do I click on on your post page to do that? If I click on the big P at the bottom I go to your Pinterest site and have to look through a b’zillion posts. Is there another way? Am I missing something? Thanks for any help you can give me here!
Hmmm- I can definitely help you out with that, but are you looking at the blog post on your phone or on your computer (the pin location is different in each)? Conversely, if you’re on your computer, you can click on this pin and save it to your own board!