How to Make a Quick and Easy Gourd Birdhouse

Intro Music Credits:
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Background Music Credits:
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Basic Materials List:
1. Clean, dried gourd in shape and size of choice - I prefer Martin house gourds. See links below.
2. Interior cleaning tools which may include long kitchen utensil, melon baller, or leather scraper.
2. Drill gun and 5/32 drill bit (size of bit depends on thickness of hanging material)
3. Cutting tools which may include utility knife, keyhole saw, and/or jig saw.
4. High grit sandpaper
6. Hanging material of choice (2 ft. long about)
7. Exterior Polyurethane (spray or paint on)
Masking tape (optional)

[SooziinCa]

I grew my first gourds this year. Just waiting to harvest! THANK YOU for this fun tutorial!

[joetookmyvideo]

Thanks for posting, im growing a dozen or so and look forward to hanging them around the yard

[AreliLaughs]

I got a couple of gourds from an aunt a while ago and first thing I wanted to do with them was build houses for wild birds(since I don't own birds back then). I didn't think it could be done, but thank you now I know where to start. I also am super excited to try this because I just took in some finches JUST this morning, from another aunt that was moving houses and isn't allowed to keep pets at her new house, and I'm sure they will LOVE their handmade house. Hardest part though is that my gourds are sure taking their sweet time drying. They're close, but that's not good enough, hahaha

[weezerwiener]

For those interested in making purple martin gourds. Use a larger gourd, minimum of 8 inches in diameter, 10-11 inches better still. Martins are 8 inches long & they need room for 4-6 young in there. The crescent hole that stops starlings is 1-3/16 inches high; 1-1/2 will let starlings right in. More drain holes, 6-8 is good. Paint gourds white - they will be cooler and last longer. Hang from #10 or 12 gauge coated copper wire, string is not strong enough for safety. purplemartin . org

[KindCountsDeb]

Very nice. To save time, I buy clean gourds from Ebay or find them for sale. I do Not put a perch outside the whole as it let's larger birds land there and raid the nest. Smaller bird just lands on the opening. Thanks for telling about the Martin house, I didn't know. I LOVE gourds and their many uses. Around the globe people use gourds for holding liquids, making ladles, etc.

[mem]

I toss in a handful of small marbles and steel shot, cover the opening, and just shake and rattle the gourd until everything just pours out.

[midnite]

Wow that's awesome. You made it so easy! Do you have to seal it with polyurethane or can you leave it as is? Will it rot if you don't seal it? Thank you for this video!

[ProgressiveDiscussions]

Actually with those gourds all you have to do is start the beginning of the hole as an indentation, then the insides will dry out on its own a leave the outer shell hard and empty inside for the birds.

[delilahjackson]

It will rot if it's not dry like wood. Also you say spray it, but is that safe for birds?

[SuperWoodyboy]

Martins like a WHITE painted house...use a oil based primer first then 2 coats of WHITE semigloss exterior latex or enamel

[BernadetteGourder]

Hi, Gourds are in the same family as squash - Cucurbitaceae, but only a few of the genera actually dry out with a thick shell. Butternut squash don't dry out like the green gourds I speak of in this video. See links in video description for places to purchase dried gourds.

[fielfrancisco]

hi, there are long gourd vegetables sold in our area. can i dry it out and not rot?

[LauraDavies]

Please give me link or the name of your jigsaw to purchase. I've looked everywhere.

[dainebrown]

where did you buy your burning pen machine I'm having a hard time finding one

[granny_grandpamck]

She forgot to tell you, in the video, the gourd needs to be dried out before starting the project.  She does tell you here in the comments area the gourd needs to be dried.

[crater]

I have spent months researching into building a bird house and discovered a fantastic resource at Aviary magic method (check it out on google)

[aydenryanafar]

I just recently found Simply Love Gardening (just google it). I got everything I needed from one place.

[delilahjackson]

I take it you dried this out in some previous video otherwise you wouldn't be able to sand it! This video is useless without showing EVERY step.