| It has been said many times over that nature can | | | | Using your knife, take out as much of the inside as you |
| provide you with everything you need. This statement | | | | possible can. Once removed you can compost this |
| surely holds true when it comes to adding a birdhouse | | | | material. (See nothing goes to waste). |
| or two to your backyard. | | | | If left as is the gourd will eventually rot which makes |
| Gourds can be grown for a variety of things; one of | | | | sense since it is a growing living thing. You can protect |
| them notably can be a birdhouse. | | | | your good and make it last longer by treating it with |
| Now you can not only grow food for your own | | | | copper sulfate. Keep in mind, copper sulfate when |
| consumption, you can grow a gourd or two for | | | | handled improperly can be toxic, so where gloves. You |
| housing for birds that can help eat pesky insects that | | | | mix 1 and 1/2 pounds of copper sulfate with 7 and 1/2 |
| might do damage to your garden. | | | | gallons of water then soak the gourd in the solution of |
| Here is how you make a birdhouse from a gourd | | | | at least 15 minutes. Give the gourd 24 hours to dry. |
| grown right in your own backyard. | | | | Paint the exterior of the gourd with a white oil based |
| Let the gourds dry out completely. Once dry, take a | | | | primer such as Kilz. This will help protect the exterior of |
| piece of sandpaper and use it on the exterior of the | | | | the gourd as well as keep the temperature inside the |
| gourd to clean it off and get rid of other imperfections. | | | | gourd cool enough for your birds. |
| A wire brush works well here also. | | | | The last step is to hang the gourd. You can do this by |
| Take your drill and the attached 2 inch spade bit and | | | | drilling holes in the stem of the gourd, running a piece of |
| drill hole into the gourd. Do not go all the way through. | | | | string through them and tying a knot. Then simply hang |
| Simply drill about half to three quarters of the way | | | | on a tree or off of a hook in your backyard. |
| through. | | | | |