Repurpose Old Tiles And Turn Them Into An Adorable Birdhouse

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If you've been busy doing indoor renovations, you may have leftover tiles that you're wondering how to repurpose outdoors. Having old tiles in need of a forever home opens up possibilities all around your yard, from upgrading your porch with a tile display to elevating the aesthetic appeal of your planters. Or, if you're a birder on a budget, you can use leftover tiles to create a DIY mosaic birdhouse.

With just a few bits of broken tile, you can transform an ordinary, but adorable, birdhouse kit people love into a statement piece in your yard that birds and humans alike can enjoy. And the best part? You only need a handful of supplies including tiles, a composite birdhouse, an exterior-use adhesive, and grout.

If you don't have leftover tiles on hand but still want to recreate this look — don't run to the home improvement store just yet. Instead, you can make your own tile pieces using porcelain dinner plates, which mosaicsbymaricela demonstrates on YouTube. If you had dinnerware destined for the trash anyways, this can be a great way to repurpose old plates into attractive garden decor. Before making your own tiles, however, it's important to pick up the right protective supplies, including safety goggles, since you'll be working with porcelain or ceramic shards.

Start by breaking up your tiles or plates to create smaller fragments you can easily arrange. Placing tiles or plates in a plastic bag and using a hammer can create organic shapes you can piece together into a new, interesting design. If you want more control over the shapes you create, use tile nippers like the Goldblatt 2 piece tile nipper set. Once you're happy with the fragments, you can begin to assemble your mosaic. Don't use adhesive or grout yet — instead, just get an idea of where you want each piece to go. If you create smaller designs within your mosaic, such as a flower, use tape to secure the tiles together. This saves time recreating the image once you start actually assembling your mosaic. Consider theming your mosaic pieces by color, texture, or other similarities.

One thing to keep in mind while creating your mosaic is you want this to be safe for any birds that may want to turn this birdhouse into a home. As a result, try to avoid using any tiles with sharp edges and make sure that the entrance is smooth and easy to enter. The grout will cover most edges for a safer, seamless look, but you can also file down sharp edges using wet sandpaper.

When you're happy with the design you've created, use a outdoor adhesive like Loctite landscape adhesive to attach each tile. After the adhesive dries fully, you can move on to grouting. Don't be afraid to play with color at this point, using grout that either complements or contrasts your tiles for an eye-catching appearance. Let the grout sit five minutes before wiping, and your stylish birdhouse is ready to give someone a home.