DIY Wooden Wren Birdhouse Plans

Build a small, practical nesting box with these simple wren birdhouse plans, designed for anyone who wants a straightforward backyard birdhouse project with bird-friendly details built in.

This design has a classic house shape with a pitched roof, cedar board construction, and a compact body that fits naturally on a tree, post, fence, or garden setting. The front panel includes a 1 1/8″ entrance hole, a 3″ x 3″ metal entrance guard, and interior climb-out grooves to help young birds leave the nest when ready.

The house also includes practical nesting features that are easy to overlook in decorative birdhouses. The bottom panel has four 3/8″ drainage holes, while the side panels include 5/8″ ventilation holes to help keep the inside drier and better ventilated. The removable roof design makes it easier to clean the box after the nesting season.

The design intentionally leaves out an exterior perch. Wrens and other native cavity-nesting birds do not need one, and skipping the perch helps make the box less inviting to predators and invasive birds.

This plan is a good fit for a DIY wren house, simple cedar birdhouse, backyard nesting box, or garden birdhouse project. Leave the cedar natural or apply a bird-safe exterior finish, while keeping the inside untreated for nesting safety.