Fabric birdhouse decorations – Don’t you love walking into homes with exciting things on the wall? It’s often what makes a house unique and homely.
The stuff on the wall or the mantle gives the home personality. It doesn’t just have to be pictured on the wall. You can hang things like these gorgeous fabric birdhouses.
A fabric birdhouse looks fantastic as a wall decoration and costs little. I made several fabric birdhouses at once and displayed them in a cluster. They look great.
How to Make Homemade Fabric Birdhouses to Decorate Your Home
To make one of the fabric birdhouses even more special, I used the fabric of an old favourite patterned shirt.
For another fabric birdhouse, as I love to upcycle jeans, I made one of my birdhouses in denim with fabric with a bit of a Scandinavian feel.
*To embrace the tropical trend, I have since updated the Birdhouse with a new tropical fabric birdhouse. It uses tropical fabrics, and it has an entirely different roof from this one.
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What You Need to Make Fabric Birdhouses
- Stiff cardboard (I use old Amazon packaging)
- Fabrics – preferably more than one pattern
- Wadding /batting, you are best using a thin one.
- Glue gun or Fabric Mod Podge glue
- Crewel Wool or embroidery thread
- Embroidery needle
- Scissors or rotary cutter
- Twig for perch
How to make the Fabric Birdhouses
These birdhouses were made from an old cardboard box, so they featured under B in the A to Z of upcycling crafts.
First, cut out all the bits for the birdhouses.
1.. Cut the cardboard into seven pieces according to the template. (Fabric Birdhouse template pdf download). You can make the Birdhouse the same size as the template or change it to your preferred size.
![birdhouse template 1](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fabric-Birdhouse-template-1.jpg.webp)
![birdhouse template 2](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fabric-Birdhouse-template-2.jpg.webp)
![birdhouse template 3](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fabric-Birdhouse-template-3.jpg.webp)
![cardboard cut outs for birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/cardboard-cut-outs.jpg.webp)
2. Next, using the template, cut out the wadding. You only need wadding for the Birdhouse’s front, back, and sides. Then w,ith glue, stick this wadding to the appropriate bits of cardboard.
![wadding pieces](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/wadding.jpg.webp)
3. Using something small and round like a shot glass or large coin, draw a circle on the front of the Birdhouse.
Cut out this circle to make the entrance. Directly below this circular entrance, pierce the wadding and cardboard to make way for a twig perch.
![cutting entrance hole](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Front-cut-hole.jpg.webp)
4. Cut out a fabric piece for each of the seven cardboard pieces. Use the template as your guide b,ut allow at least a 1cm border for each piece of fabric.
![Cut fabric strips](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/fabric-strips.jpg.webp)
Next, the glueing bit …
5. There should be eight cut pieces of fabric. Glue these to the appropriate pieces of card by wrapping around the card and glueing the overlap on the back of the card.
![covering cardboard in fabric](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/coverd-fabric-piecs.jpg.webp)
6. Next, cut the fabric at the front of the Birdhouse to be tucked into the circular entrance. Blanket stitch around this hole. Pierce the material where you made a hole for the perch and stuck your twig in it.
![Front of birdhouse and perch](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Front-with-twig.jpg.webp)
Putting the fabric birdhouses together..
7. Hand-stitch the front and back to the sides of the fabric birdhouses with crewel wool (or embroidery thread). A basic stitch that will join the pieces is all needed. You can either loosely stitch the birdhouses’ top and bottom or glue them.
Top Tip: Try not to make your stitches too neat. The childlike style of the stitching adds to the charm of these birdhouses.
![Sewing sides together](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sewn-together.jpg.webp)
8. To finish off, bend the roof piece to create a pitched roof. Attach the roof to the top of the Birdhouse with glue and secure it with pins whilst the glue dries. At the same time, pop in and glue the base and top pieces.
![Gluing the roof to the top of the birdhouse](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/roof.jpg.webp)
![Fabric birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/finished.jpg.webp)
Finishing off the birdhouses..
All you need to finish the Birdhouse is a little fabric bird to clip. Other decorations, such as a pom-pom trim, can be added.
![decorative Fabric birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fabric-Birdhouse-with-pom-pom-trim-s.jpg.webp)
As mentioned, I made one out of denim scraps, too, as I love repurposing and upcycling my old jeans.
![Denim Birdhouse pillarboxblue.com](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Denim-house.jpg.webp)
These fabric birdhouses make a gorgeous homemade gift. I have had several requests to make them for family and friends.
By making them in fabrics, they are effortless to personalize, which you know will reflect the decor and taste of the person you’re making them for.
![Fabric birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Four-fabric-birdhouses-s-.jpg.webp)
![scrap fabric birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/two-fabric-birdhouse-pallet-s-.jpg.webp)
![red house](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/one-fabric-birdhouse-pallet-s-.jpg.webp)
I warn you; they are an addictive craft. I have made lots of birdhouses over the years. They do look good together in a group. Using different fabric scraps is fun; they are an excellent thing to make with fabric scraps; you’ll find many more fun hand-sewing crafts here.
![Handmade decorative birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/DIY-homemade-fabric-birdhouse-pin.jpg.webp)
Fabric Birdhouse
![decorative Fabric birdhouses](https://www.pillarboxblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Fabric-Birdhouse-with-pom-pom-trim-s-735x1103.jpg.webp)
These fabric birdhouses make a lovely decoration or handmade gift. They are very simple to make and affordable as they just use cardboard and fabric scraps. Personalize your birdhouses by using a favorite old shirt to make them with and add your own touches such as a pom pom trim. They look great on a gallery wall in a variety of sizes.
Materials
- Cardboard box - great way to use up one of those old Amazon boxes
- Thin wadding about one fat quarter
- Scraps of fabric, a variety of patterns works well
- Craft glue
- Free pattern template (download on the blog)
Tools
- Scissors
- Pins
- Needle and thread
Instructions
- Print out the pattern template for the fabric birdhouse, Use it to cut out the cardboard pieces for the birdhouse.
- Cut out wadding for the sides and roof of the birdhouse. Stick the wadding to the corresponding pieces of cardboard.
- Cut a round hole for an entrance.
- Next, cut out a piece of fabric for each cardboard piece. Allow for a border of at least 1cm.
- Next, cover each piece of cardboard with fabric. Use glue to stick the fabric to the cardboard.
- Cut the fabric entrance hole and stitch it open using a blanket stitch.
- Pierce a hole below the entrance hole and glue in a stick to act as a perch.
- Stitch all the fabric birdhouse sides together. Just use a simple childlike hand stitch.
- Glue in the top and bottom of the birdhouse.
- Bend the roof piece in half and glue it to the top of the birdhouse, to form a pitched roof.
- Finish off the birdhouse by gluing a pom pom trim around the roof.
By the way, if you are a bird lover, then you might want to check the unique collection of free vintage bird prints on Pictureboxblue.com
Another fun nature project is this faux moth taxidermy or these cute fabric mushroom displays. You can find many more cool adult crafts like this one here.
If you love making handmade gifts, here are a few more ideas.
How to make simple but beautiful map roses
Songbird tin can windchime
Gorgeous Spring fabric birdcage
Gorgeous Scallop Shell Trinket Dishes
Check out these other fabulous DIY spring crafts.
Diana Valle
Thursday 30th of March 2023
I've painted + collage birdhouses. This is a new great idea for me to use fabric scraps. Look forward to making them. Thanks for info.
Claire Armstrong
Thursday 30th of March 2023
Thank you, you’re welcome. the fabric birdhouses are easy to make and a fun decoration.
Sam @ Raggedy Bits
Wednesday 22nd of February 2017
These are just the sweetest little birdhouses I ever did see! They would make lovely gifts!
Claire Armstrong
Wednesday 22nd of February 2017
Thank you, and yes they make a great gift especially if you make them with a favourite old blouse.
Carolann
Monday 20th of February 2017
Oh my gosh, I just love them! What a fun project! Love the fabric choices too! I will so have to try this someday!
Claire Armstrong
Tuesday 21st of February 2017
Thank you! They are fun to make I think I've made about 8 of them so far in different sizes they look great as a wall display.
Super Mom - No Cape!
Tuesday 6th of September 2016
These are absolutely adorable!!
Claire Armstrong
Wednesday 7th of September 2016
Thank you very much, they are addictive too I have several in my home.
Creative Exchange Linky Party #106 - Creations by Kara
Wednesday 3rd of August 2016
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