Build an Angry Bird Box

Looking for something to do. Why not get out to the shed, scrounge up some timber scraps, and build yourself an Angry Bird Box!!

Step 1: Materials and Tools Required

Materials: I generally use scrap treated timber or outdoor plywood for my bird boxes. If you need to buy timber to make your Angry Bird box I think 6mm external plywood is the best choice. Here's a list of materials you will need:

* A print out of the Angry Birds character you wish to build - this should be the size of the front of bird box you wish to build - colour print outs are best
* Some scrap weatherproof timber, the size of this will be dictated by the size of box you wish to build - read on for the dimensions I used
* Outdoor PVA glue
* A short 8 cm piece of 9mm dowel or equivalent
* Two short pieces of 10 mm DAR or equivalent
* About 20 1.6 mm by 15mm bullet head nails
* Two wood screws, about 6 gauge by 15 mm
* Charcoal, HB pencil or Carbon Paper
* Acrylic paints, if you only have the basics, red, blue, yellow black and white you will be fine. You can mix them to make the colours you need
* Small jars suitable for mixing and storing your paints
* pencil


Tools: You will require a few tools, but you can usually make do with what you have in your shed. The tools listed below can all be used in this project, just go with the ones you have or are familiar with:

* Hammer
* Screwdriver to suit your wood screws
* Handsaw / table saw / drop saw / power saw
* Coping saw / jigsaw / band saw / scroll saw
* Small paint brushes
* Jar of water for washing brushes
* Some rags for cleanup
* 4 wood clamps, at least 300 mm long
* Hand drill / battery drill / power drill
* 9mm and 3 mm wood drill bits
* Ruler

Step 2: Preparing Your Template

Take your character print out and turn it over on a firm flat surface. Use charcoal / HB pencil to colour heavily along all of the edges and internal lines of your angry bird. If you are using carbon paper you can skip this step. Be sure to colour it quite heavily as you will need enough charcoal / graphite to transfer the image to your timber.

Step 3: Transfer the Outline to Your Timber

No that you have the template ready turn it over and place it on the plywood, it can help to fix it in place with a couple of pieces of tape. Once in place use a pencil or pen to trace all of the external and internal lines of the template. Make sure you press quite hard as you want the graphite / charcoal / carbon paper to show well on the plywood. If the lines are a little faint trace over them with a pencil. You will need these lines to cut out & paint your character.

Step 4: Cut Out Your Character

Once you have transferred the outline to your plywood you can cut it out. Use a jig saw, coping saw, band saw or scroll saw, whatever you have handy in your shed. Be sure to wear eye protection and appropriate safety wear. Try to keep as close as possible to the outside line of your character. If you end up with any rough edges sand them smooth with some sandpaper. Smooth edges will look much better when the project is complete.

Step 5: Paint Your Character

This is the fun part. Depending on the paint colours you have available you may need to mix paints to get the colours you require. When I mix paints I store them in small jars, this ensures you keep the same colour throughout the project. Also when mixing paints be sure to do a batch large enough to give your project a couple of coats. I generally start with the white sections, followed by colours and then paint in the black areas last. Black is good at covering up any dodgy edges you may have (-: You will require drying time between colours, that's a good thing, you will have time to build the rest of the bird box!

Step 6: Building the Box Part of the Bird Box.

Now it's time to build the box itself. This will provide a space for the birds to inhabit. The box dimensions will vary depending on the size of your character. For the sake of this instructable I'll use the dimensions of my latest "piggy" bird box. My piggy cut out measured 25 cm wide and 20 cm high. I decided to make the box 15 cm square as that fits nicely behind the character and cannot be seen from the front of the bird box. In order to make the box I needed to cut the following squares and rectangles from the ply. For the back & two short sides, 3 squares measuring 15 by 15 cm. For the two long sides, two rectangles measuring 15 by 16 cm. Once you have decided on the size of your box mark out the squares and rectangles on your plywood using a pencil and ruler.

Step 7: Cut Out the Box Components

Once you have marked out your box components you can proceed to cut them out. Use a hand saw, drop saw, table saw or whatever you have handy. Be sure to use appropriate safety equipment for the task. Try to keep all of your edges square and smooth. If you end up with rough edges tidy them up with some sandpaper. And be careful with that saw!!!

Step 8: Assemble the Box Components

Yippee, we now have our box components ready to assemble. Start out my dry fitting the parts together to ensure they all fit. We want to end up with a five sided box once assembled. Assembly can take a while as we have to glue and clamp each component and then allow the glue to set. This provides an ideal time to do the next colour or coat on your character! I find that I can paint one of the colours on the character, then assemble the next box part, then go back to the next colour and so on. This may vary given the temperature in your shed etc.

Step 9: Box Assembly - Step One

Place a bead of PVA glue along the edge of the first long side (15 by 16 cm) and clamp it to the back (15 by 15 cm) of the box. Ensure the edges line up properly and that the clamps are firm. Clean up any excess PVA glue with a rag. Now go and paint the next colour on your character while the glue dries. Once the glue has dried fix the side in place with three nails to ensure the box is sturdy.

Step 10: Box Assembly - Step Two

Place a bead of PVA glue along the edge of the second long side (15 by 16 cm) and clamp it to the back (15 by 15 cm) of the box. Ensure the edges line up properly and that the clamps are firm. Clean up any excess PVA glue with a rag. Now go and paint the next colour on your character while the glue dries. Once the glue has dried fix the side in place with three nails to ensure the box is sturdy.

Step 11: Box Assembly - Step Three

Place a bead of PVA glue along the edge of the first short side (15 by 15 cm) and clamp it to the back (15 by 15 cm) and long sides (15 by 16 cm) of the box. Ensure the edges line up properly and that the clamps are firm. Clean up any excess PVA glue with a rag. Now go and paint the next colour on your character while the glue dries. Once the glue has dried fix the side in place with three nails to ensure the box is sturdy.

Step 12: Box Assembly - Step Four

Place a bead of PVA glue along the edge of the second short side (15 by 15 cm) and clamp it to the back (15 by 15 cm) and long sides (15 by 16 cm) of the box. Ensure the edges line up properly and that the clamps are firm. Clean up any excess PVA glue with a rag. Now go and paint the next colour on your character while the glue dries. Once the glue has dried fix the side in place with three nails to ensure the box is sturdy.

Step 13: Paint the Box

Now that your box is assembled and the glue has dried you can give the outside of it a coat of paint to protect the timber. I usually use white paint as it will reflect light and keep the box cooler for its occupants!

Step 14: Assemble the Whole Lot - Step One

Once the glue has dried we can add the cleats (10 mm DAR) to strengthen the connection between the character and the box. Apply some PVA glue to two adjoining edges of one of the cleats and nail it to the top edge of the box. Drill a 3mmm hole in the centre of the cleat (see picture). Now turn the box over and repeat this on the other side of the box.

Step 15: Assemble the Whole Lot - Step Two

I'm assuming that you now have a painted box and a completed character. If you need to do some further touch ups on your character you can still do that after this step (-: Place the box on a firm flat surface with the opening facing up. Apply a bead of PVA glue around all of the top edges. Now align your character on top of the box in a position that obscures the box from sight. Clamp the character in place on the box and leave it to let the glue dry. Be sure to tidy up any excess glue with a rag. While the clamps are in place use a short self tapping screw to affix the character to the cleats.

Step 16: Check Our Progress

We should now have a semi-complete Angry Bird box that looks like the one in the photos.

Step 17: Cut Out the Opening

Now we need to make an opening for our feathered friends to enter the bird box. Place the bird box on a firm flat surface and cut out the opening with a 40mm hole saw.  Note that I'm using my blue bird for this step as the paint on my piggy is still drying (-:

Step 18: Install the Perch

Using a 9mm drill bit, drill a hole through the front of the character. Apply some PVA glue to the end of the dowel and insert if firmly into the 9mm hole.

Step 19: Give the Back of Your Completed Box a Quick Paint.

We're nearly there now. Give the unpainted parts on the back of your box, the cleats and back of the character, a coat of white paint to protect the timber.

Step 20: Congratulations

Congratulations you now have a finished Angry Bird Box! Why not make a few to put around the garden. If you tire of the Angry Birds theme then use your imagination to try out a few other designs!