Interior designer Nicholas Rosaci makes a stylish bird sanctuary using a dinner plate and easy big box store materials.
Materials Needed:
• Wood pieces for roof (1 pc 6 1/2“ x 9” and 1 pc 7 1/4“ x 9”)
• 8“ x 1” board Rope (length required for hanging)
• Plastic melamine outdoor Plate (8 1/2” diameter)
• 14“ x 1/2” threaded steel rod
• Three 1/2” nuts
• One 1/2” coupling nut
• Large eye bolt with 1/2” thread
• Two 1 1/2” wood screws or finishing nails
• Lepage No More Nails Construction Adhesive
• Circular saw or hand saw
• Drill with 1/2” drill bit for wood
• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Scissors
• Pencil and ruler
• Paint (colour of your choice) and paint brush
• 120 grit sanding block
• Dust mask and protective eye glasses
Roof Design:
Measure, mark with pencil, and cut two sections of wood in 9“ lengths. Trim the width of one section by 3/4 of an inch. This section should measure 6 1/2” x 9“. The second section measures 7 1/4” x 9". Sand the edges smooth. Use a dust mask and shop glasses for protection.
Perfect Pitch:
Use Lepage No More Nails construction adhesive to affix the long side of the narrow panel to the long side of the wide panel, forming a “butt joint” (90 degree corner angle where the two sections join). Let the glue dry overnight and reinforce it with two finishing nails.
Nuts and Bolts:
Carefully drill a small hole at the very top centre of the roof using a 1/2” wood drill bit. Thread a nut onto the top of the rod then the roof structure and position in place. Lastly, thread the coupling nut onto the eye bolt and the other end to the top of the rod, ensuring that the roof is stable and snug against the nuts.
Plated Gold:
Drill a small 1/2” hole in the centre of a plastic outdoor dinner plate. Thread the bottom of the rod into a nut, and then add the plate and another nut. Hand-tighten the nuts on each side of the plate to secure it firmly in place.
Rope Show:
Cut the rope into the length desired for hanging the bird pad and thread the rope through the eye bolt at the top. Hang over a tree branch and secure it with a marine knot.
Finishing tweets:
Add birdseed and voilà, you’ve just created a beautiful bird pad!
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