Welcome nesting wrens with this DIY birdhouse project. Use these wren birdhouse plans to build a wren’s dream nest box.
DIY Wren Birdhouse Building Plans
Published on Jan. 31, 2025
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Building Plans for a Wren Birdhouse
Whether you’re hardcore handy or an every-once-in-a-while crafty person, you probably have a small pile of scrap wood handy. Gather some tools and use these wren birdhouse plans turn your extra materials into any wren’s dream place to nest.
Learn more about how to welcome nesting wrens.
Tools
- 1 1/8″ Forstner or spade bit
- 1/16″ drill bit
- Drill
- Hot glue gun or double-sided adhesive tape
- Measuring tape
- Small hammer
- Small propane tank with plumbers torch
Materials
- 1″ screws
- 10′ of 1/2″ x 3/4″ trim or molding
- 11′ of 1/4″ x 3/4″ trim or molding
- 150-grit sandpaper
- 1 x 8 x 2′ cedar board
- 3/4″ copper nails
- Aluminum foil
- Chain or rope
- Exterior grade sealer
- Exterior wood glue
- Paint
Learn more about what wrens eat and how to attract them.
Instructions
Step 1
Create a template like the one below. Then transfer it onto wood face pieces (A) by tracing over carbon paper, or simply cutting out the template and outlining it with a marker.
Pro tip: Templates don’t have to be complicated; there’s no need for a fancy computer illustration application. You’ll be amazed how easy it can be by using the line and shape tools in Microsoft Word.
Step 2
Cut out the exact same shape for the front and back faces (A), use a small dab of hot glue or double-sided tape to secure the two pieces of wood together. Then cut them as one. Using a jigsaw or band saw, cut out the silhouette you’ve drawn on your wood. Any adhesive residue left behind can be sanded back later.
Pro tip: For a more accurate shape, cut on the outside of the line, then clean up to the line using a sander with 150-grit sandpaper.
Psst—do you know what a northern house wren looks like?
Step 3
For this box suited for house wrens, place the entrance hole 4 in. up from the bottom of the face. Using a drill with a 11/8-in. Forstner or spade bit, drill through the front face (A) of the birdhouse. I used a drill press. If you use a drill, be sure to clamp down the wood so it isn’t moving around when you’re drilling.
Pro tip: For a clean hole and to avoid blowout from the back side, place a sacrificial piece of wood under the wood you’re a drilling through.
Step 4
Make cuts for roof pieces (B) and body pieces (C) to go around the sides and base. (Refer to the cutting list, or adjust according to your design.) These pieces will connect to your front and back faces (A) to create the shape. To ensure the nail holes line up neatly, mark the trim piece so the nails land in the middle of the edge on the front and back faces (A).
I decided 5/8 in. would work best. Use an awl or longer nail to tap and mark where you will predrill for the nails. I used a miter saw to quickly cut my small pieces.
Pro tip: To avoid smaller pieces of wood snapping or being pulled in by the force of the miter saw, use a sacrificial piece of wood in front of your smaller piece and cut through both at the same time. The sacrificial piece will hold your smaller trim in place as it’s being cut.
Step 5
Shou sugi ban is an 18th-century Japanese technique of charring wood to waterproof and preserve it. This technique will create different effects based on how much or deeply you burn the wood.
In this case, I burned the wood to define the grain and give it some color contrast. Use a small propane tank with a plumber’s torch to char your wood. Burn as dark or as light as you wish.
I placed my wood pieces (A, B and C) over some aluminum foil to avoid burning the surface I worked on. Keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Step 6
After burning the front and back face (A), apply color or stain. I used a watered-down red paint to make it more viscous and transparent. Brush on and wipe the excess off as if it were a stain. This technique will color the lighter shades of the wood and will be hardly noticeable over the black areas.
Apply paint or stain before you put the birdhouse together. This way you’ll achieve clean lines and avoid the frustration of cutting in with a brush at the roof line. Let dry before handling. When you’re done, you can touch up any scratches or dings.
Step 7
Using a 1/16-in. drill bit, predrill a pilot hole 5/8 in. in from the edge of the roof (B) and body (C) pieces, where you marked placement with the awl. This leaves a 1/4-in. overhang when attached to the front and back face (A).
Adjust the measurements according to the dimensions of your wood and how much overhang you want over the roof line. Ideally, nails should be driven into the middle of the thickness of your front and back face. I used my first drilled piece as a template to quickly drill the ends of the rest of my wood.
Step 8
To create the roof, start at the top of the roof line and hammer in the roof (B) pieces with copper nails. Connect the front face to the back face with the roof pieces (B) you predrilled.
Feel free to nail in a body piece (C) in at the bottom center of the teardrop. This will give you some rigidity and keep your spacing as you nail the roof on. Use exterior grade wood glue as you set the copper nails. Repeat the process with the slightly thinner body trim (C) to create the rest of the body. Keep a wet rag handy to wipe up any glue drips.
Pro tip: Use a pliers or comb to hold each nail while you seed it with the hammer. Repeat until the roof is connected to front and back faces.
Step 9
To further preserve the wood, seal it with an exterior grade sealer or spar-varnish. Spray or brush-on sealers work equally well. I chose to spray it on. Finally, to hang the birdhouse, add a length of chain. I attached it to the faces (A) at the peak of the roof with a pair of 1-in. screws.
Wren Birdhouse Cleaning Tip
If birds take up residence in your box, clean it out after the young have fledged. For this design, Carmen recommends prying off the slats near the bottom of the house and reattaching them after you have cleaned it out.
Next, learn how to identify a Carolina wren.
