Repurpose An Old Mailbox To Create A Stylish Birdhouse

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Birdhouses come in all shapes and sizes, and you can even learn how to choose the perfect birdhouse size for your backyard. But perhaps the best birdhouse for your yard is one that you transform out of something old that you no longer need anymore. If you have an old metal mailbox that you don't want to throw away, consider giving it new life as a stylish and cozy abode for birds in your backyard.

Depending on your skillset and the tools you have on hand, you can go all in with this DIY or stick to the basics. The main part of the birdhouse will be the body of a classic, long-style metal mailbox. If you have a tool to safely cut the thin metal of this type of mailbox, you can easily create entrance holes in the side or cut the box in two to repurpose one box into two birdhouses.

Before getting started with repurposing your mailbox, get your tools and supplies ready. This DIY can be accomplished without a power saw, but you have a little more options if you have one. You'll also need durable spray paint, a metal sanding tool or file, and screws. And while you're grabbing items for your DIY birdhouse, you can also buy a Sparrow Spooker for $29.95, which is a great way to keep invasive sparrows out of your birdhouses and nesting boxes.

Once you've grabbed all the supplies you need, you can start by deciding how large you want your birdhouse to be. YouTuber @FunBubble shows his steps to turn one long mailbox into two smaller birdhouses by cutting them in two, as seen in the video above. He then creates a wooden door for one of the houses and cuts a hole in the metal door of the other. After filing down any sharp bits on the metal, he attaches a little perch to the front by the entrance, screws the house onto a sturdy wooden bracket, and attaches it high up in a tree with rope.

Keep some things in mind when you are getting ready to turn an old mailbox into a birdhouse. If you want to create more of a decorative-style birdhouse, with unique colors or designs, you might be sacrificing utility. @FunBubble mentions that he paints his houses white to reflect the sun for the safety of the birds. But there's definitely room to turn your mailbox birdhouse into a cute abode for birds. Try painting the box to match your own home, so that your neighborhood birds have a miniature version of your home.

Don't be limited to simply creating a birdhouse out of your old mailbox. If you have more old metal mailboxes to spare, turn one of them into a bird feeder to match. Having plenty of birdhouses and bird feeders are simple hacks to get birds to flock to your yard.