19 Most Attractive Birdhouse Painting Ideas for 2024

Adding a personal touch to your garden or yard is a fun artsy activity for anyone, especially with tons of creative birdhouse painting ideas to inspire you. Both functional and a unique expression of your style, birdhouses make a lovely addition to your home.

There’s no limit to how colorful and funky you can be when it comes to attractive birdhouse painting ideas. The market is full of easy-to-use kits so the barrier to entry is low.  

A lovely gift for new homeowners or a fun craft for the kids, a birdhouse painting kit is a thoughtful and appreciated token. If you’ve felt intimidated by staring at a blank canvas or a ball of clay, exploring birdhouse painting ideas can help ease you into your creative side.

Plus, relaxing with art has been shown to reduce stress and help people focus on the present moment, according to Psychology Today.

So, grab a few unfinished birdhouses to paint and spiff it up a bit with a fresh coat of paint. Not only will you feel great, but you’ll be left with a cheerful keepsake.

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• What is the Best Way to Paint a Wooden Birdhouse?
• Best Birdhouse Painting Kits
• Unique Birdhouse Painting Ideas

What is the Best Way to Paint a Wooden Birdhouse?

1. Learn How to Paint a Birdhouse With Acrylic Paint

Get some inspiration and brush up on painting techniques with online painting classes or art classes near you. A local teacher will demonstrate useful skills and techniques that you can apply when you’re wondering about birdhouse painting ideas.

Different brush strokes create different textures on the outside of the house, helping to give it whatever feel you’re striving for.

Wondering what kind of paint you use on a birdhouse? Acrylic is a safe, beginner-friendly medium. With art classes in Boston, art classes in Houston and art classes in Portland (to name a few) you can sign up and get started whenever you’re ready. 

2. Use Neutral or Soft Colors

It’s easy and safe to apply your birdhouse painting ideas with acrylic paint or latex paint, and while you’re allowed to paint them any color you please, certain colors are more likely to make the house attractive to birds.

If you’ve thought about what color birdhouses attract birds, the answer might surprise you! While a brightly colored house may catch your eye, that also means it catches the eye of predators.

When considering birdhouse painting ideas like the base color shades of green, brown or tan help the birdhouse blend in and provide safe haven for the birds.

If your birdhouse is going to sit in a colorful floral garden, then bright colors are fine as it still functions to camouflage the house. 

3. Use a Safe Paint

Acrylic or latex paint are both safe and durable for bringing your birdhouse painting ideas to life. Two things to consider:

• Don’t paint in or around the entrance to the birdhouse. Birds can peck at the entrance and flecks of the paint could chip off and harm hatchlings or adult birds.
• Always let your birdhouse dry completely before placing it outdoors for the birds to inhabit.  

4. Consider the Size

Depending on the type of birds that are indigenous to where you live, different houses are suitable for different types of birds. Obviously, smaller birdhouses can only home small birds. Choose accordingly when selecting the canvas for your birdhouse painting ideas. 

5. Choose Durable Wood

Unless you don’t plan to have your birdhouse functional, you’ll want to choose a durable type of wood that won’t erode in the elements.

When your birdhouse painting ideas transform the outside, it does help to seal it off from the elements and fill in cracks, but in order to have it last as long as possible, aim for cedar, cypress or plywood.  

6. Avoid Super Dark Colors

While it’s often advisable to paint your birdhouse a neutral color, avoid selecting super dark colors for your birdhouse painting ideas.

A solid or mostly solid black or navy birdhouse will absorb a lot of extra heat from the sun, especially if you live someplace hot. This can make the birdhouse too warm and no longer hospitable for the birds. 

Best Birdhouse Painting Kits

7. Colorzone Paint Your Own Birdhouse

Geared specifically for young kids, this birdhouse kit comes with paint, brushes and extra touches like glitter and gems so kids can get carried away with their birdhouse painting ideas.

This kit just makes one birdhouse, but it’s super affordable so you can purchase a few so a group of kids can share in the fun.  

8. 42-Piece Birdhouse Painting Kit

The perfect starter kit, this 42-piece birdhouse painting kit has it all. The kit itself will give you 12 unfinished wooden birdhouses suitable for kids or adults. Lay a blanket out in the grass and have fun with this summer painting idea. 

9. Birdhouse with Picket Fence

The American dream includes a house with a picket fence, so why not let the birds have one too? This little birdhouse has windows and a tiny picket fence complete with a rope to hang it from a tree or post.

You can go traditional with your birdhouse painting ideas and turn this into a tiny replica of your own house. You do need your own painting supplies, however.  

10. Dollhouse Birdhouse

This beautiful birdhouse modeled after an old-fashioned dollhouse makes a beautiful addition to any yard or garden.

The classic style makes it a fit for whatever your birdhouse painting ideas may be, plus the relatively larger size makes it suitable for slightly larger birds as well.

11. Camper Birdhouse

Perfect for the family that loves to road trip, this birdhouse is shaped like a camper. Complete with a tiny wheel and hitch, it’s almost an exact replica of a teardrop trailer or Airstream. Stain, paint or cover it with little stones rhinestones to be over the top. 

Unique Birdhouse Painting Ideas

12. Floral Roof

Especially if you’re into groovy shapes and colors, adding a floral roof is a fun birdhouse painting idea that anyone can do. Wondering what is the best color to paint a birdhouse? It’s safe to say birds will feel right at home in this colorful creation.

Go bold and bright on the body of the house, or keep it muted and let the roof stand out! Add a field of flowers or mixed flower print on the roof to bring some happiness to the home.

13. Miniature Farmhouse

Seeking inspiration for the best way to paint a wooden birdhouse? Turning it into a tiny farmhouse is a pretty cute idea! Classic red with white trim, you can go the extra mile and glue some toy animals on the front “porch” as well. A traditional and adorable birdhouse painting idea. 

14. Gnomes and Mushrooms

Go for a full woodland vibe with this birdhouse painting idea. Tiny colorful mushrooms and adorable gnomes with pointy hats make a great addition to a deep woods-themed birdhouse.

Hosting a themed night like this one and featuring arts and crafts for adults is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

15. Make Your Own Birdhouse Shape

For the experienced crafter, you can create your own birdhouse all the way from scratch, down to the shape of the house. While the classics never go out of style, it can really help your birdhouse painting ideas shine when you have full creative control.

Extra special designs include a house-shaped and painted like a watermelon and a tiny airplane. While it might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re considering art ideas, there’s tons of fun to be had.

Make it a family affair and ask for some help, turning it into a cool Father’s Day painting idea you both can enjoy. 

16. Holiday Themed Birdhouse

Birdhouses are the new wreaths, or at least they can be. Birds tend to love creating their nests in holiday wreaths anyway, especially in the springtime.

Looking for easy Easter craft ideas? Get a kit and go pastel with your birdhouse painting ideas. From bunnies to Easter eggs and sprouting tulips, any of your favorite holidays can work for an adorable creation. 

17. Make a Tiny Copy of Your Home

An adorable couple painting idea for new homeowners, tackle this creative birdhouse painting project together. Fashion the birdhouse after your actual home, complete with trim and maybe even add some texture to the roof if necessary. 

18. Roadmap Birdhouse

While this birdhouse painting idea is technically more Mod Podge, it is a creative way to spruce up your habitat. Get a road map (maybe to your favorite destination?) and plaster it across the front and sides of the birdhouse. Paint a colorful roof and trim and you’ve got yourself a cute creation.

19. Beach Inspired

Add some special touches to set your birdhouse painting ideas apart. A subtle blue ombré birdhouse functions well amongst jewel-toned flowers. You can add sand, driftwood or even glue down sea glass to incorporate some natural elements.

Getting your friends or family together to create and paint these birdhouse masterpieces is a fun paint party idea for adults that can be made super easy with all the great birdhouse kits on the market.

With tons of sizes and shapes, plus the ability to make your own, there’s no shortage of wooden birdhouses to paint.

You can do so much to spruce up your yard or garden, like trying fun rock painting ideas or flower pot painting ideas. And adding birdhouse painting ideas to your outdoor space not only looks nice but also benefits the ecosystem as you can give a nice bird family a beautiful place to live. 

Consider the type of birds you’d like to host and the environment in which you are going to place the house so you can make careful considerations for your birdhouse painting ideas. After the planning stage, you’re free to take creative control however you see fit.

For even more fun art ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!