Cedar Birdhouse

A single-chamber cedar birdhouse for wrens and chickadees, built from one 1x6 cedar board with no glue required — every joint is screwed so a mistake can be taken apart and redone. It teaches the four moves that show up in every later build: measure, clamp, cut, fasten.

Materials

• Cedar 1x6, 4 ft — 1 board
• Wood screws, 1¼" — 12
• Exterior wood glue (backup only) — 1 small bottle
• Scrap dowel, ⅜" — 1, for the perch

The Build

1. Mill the 1x6 into two 8" side panels, one 6" floor, one 7" back, and a 5" roof piece with a 15° bevel on one long edge so it sheds water.
2. Mark the entry hole center on the front panel, 1" down from the top, and drill through with a 1" spade bit with a backer board underneath to prevent blowout.
3. Dry-fit all five pieces and check square before a single screw goes in — this is the step people skip and regret.
4. Screw the sides to the floor first, then the back panel, pre-drilling every hole to keep the cedar from splitting.
5. Attach the beveled roof so it overhangs the entry hole by about ¾", then glue and pin the dowel perch just below the entry hole.

Caveats

• Cedar splits if you skip the pilot hole, or drive a screw too close to an edge — pre-drill everything and keep fasteners at least ½" from any edge.
• A box that racks out of square almost always traces back to a skipped dry-fit, not a bad cut.
• A roof that doesn't shed water means the bevel was cut wrong or omitted — recut it at a true 15°, or add a drip edge strip.

Skip Entirely

Fastening pieces together before dry-fitting and checking square — this single skipped step is behind almost every crooked birdhouse.