Gourd Birdhouse Crafts

Your House in Miniature

• Use decorative painting techniques to paint a miniature version of your own house onto the gourd birdhouse. Use the colors and accents of your real home and copy the plantings, trees and garden details too. Your "mini-house" will make a lovely garden accent and home for your feathered friends.

Holiday Houses

• Decorate a gourd birdhouse for each season of the year, or make one for each holiday. One can be decorated with a carved Halloween face, another gourd with a smiling snowman for winter, a third for Christmas, and a fourth with a beach ball for summer. To keep the gourds looking their best, use acrylic craft paints designed for outdoor use. Choose a gourd that most closely matches the item you are replicating and drill the hole where it works best with the design.

Beehive

• Give your gourd a cute beehive makeover and you won't need to pick up a paintbrush. Wrap the gourd with hemp or twine and add a few faux bees for a birdhouse that's as sweet as honey. Use an outdoor glue or epoxy to adhere the hemp for best results.