Making painted birdhouses out of gourds  ...

The painted birdhouses we are most familiar with are made of wood.  Usually these are Victorian or cottage style birdhouses that have been augmented with floral designs and other gardening motifs.  However painted birdhouses do not have to be wood.  They can also be made out of gourds.

Gourds are probably the oldest form of painted birdhouses.  To make your own birdhouse suitable for painting, grow a Mexican gourd and let it dry in a cool place for about seven months.  Drill a hole for the bird to nest inside and clean out all the seeds and remaining flesh.  You can then shellac or varnish the gourd and paint a colourful design over it, or you can paint directly on the flesh of the gourds.  When making this kind of painted bird house make sure that you use non toxic paints wherever possible.

If you would rather buy painted birdhouses or gourd birdhouses, you can find an excellent selection of both styles at the following online boutiques.

The Bird Shed
Really nice decorative birdhouses in all price ranges.

Where to buy fancy birdhouses