I Turned an Old Juice Carton Into a Bird Box – And It Couldn’t Have Been Easier

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a wildlife lover in possession of a garden, must be in want of a bird box. There's no greater compliment, after all, than having a feathered friend decide your backyard is the greatest place to raise their hatchlings!

When I was a kid, I spent hours watching birds with my granddad, who seemed to know every species by the sound of their call alone. All these years later, I haven’t grown out of that childish wonder – and I’ve made a point of passing on his wisdom to my own little girls. Even my one-year-old has started screeching ‘BIRD!’ at the top of her lungs whenever one flits past.

When I stumbled across an unusual tip for attracting birds to a garden that involved upcycling old juice cartons, then, you'd best believe I threw myself into action. Especially as it firmly fell into the so easy a child could do it category of DIY.

Juice Carton = Bird Box

I know that it sounds a little bananas, but juice cartons are surprisingly well suited to upcycling: they’re lightweight, weather-resistant and easy to cut... all of which makes them an ideal base for a simple bird box.

In fact, with just a few basic tools, you can transform one that's destined for the recycling bin into a safe nesting space for small garden birds. What's not to love?

What You Will Need:

Did you know the bird that visits your garden most speaks volumes about your gardening style? It makes sense, then, that you should cater to these little critics by any means possible – whether that's turning old teacups into bird feeders or transforming a juice carton into a bird's new home.

Honestly, the latter? It's one of those fun DIY garden projects that requires very little in the way of tools or materials. Once you've got your empty juice carton (1-2 litre size works best) to hand, all you really need is the following...

• Scissors or a craft knife (adults only)
• A pencil
• Non-toxic, water-based paint or markers (optional)
• A nail or sharp point (for drainage holes)
• Garden wire, strong string or a cable tie

Just take care to thoroughly clean your juice carton before you set to work. I did this by rinsing mine with warm, soapy water to remove any residue and pulp, then left it to dry completely.

Remember: any leftover moisture or sugar can encourage mould, which is harmful to birds and their chicks. Avoid at all costs!

What You Need to Do

Once you've dried and cleaned out your juice carton, it's pretty much smooth sailing. Start by marking out the entrance hole on one side of the carton using a pencil; this needs to be about 12-15cm up from the base, and around one inch (25mm) in diameter (roughly the size of a US quarter) – ideal for small garden birds while helping to deter larger species and predators.

Carefully cut out the hole and smooth any sharp edges, then turn your attention to drainage. Using a nail or any other sharp point, make two to four small holes in the bottom of the carton, as these will allow rainwater to escape and help keep the nesting material dry.

Ventilation, too, is important, particularly as the weather warms up. To help with this, I made one or two tiny holes near the top of the carton, placing them on opposite sides to allow air to circulate and prevent the box from overheating.

Naturally, I chose to decorate my bird box (florals? For spring? Ground-breaking) with some help from my eldest daughter. We made sure we stuck to non-toxic paints and markers, and we avoided painting the inside – despite my daughter's enthusiastic pleas to allow me to let her do so.

I didn't read up on color theory before we kicked off, which was a tad silly of me, but I've since learned that natural or pale hues are best for bird boxes; darker shades absorb heat and can raise the temperature inside the box to dangerous levels. Hopefully our patterned green beauty ticks these boxes.

Finally, but by no means least, make sure the top is securely closed. If the carton’s lid feels loose, you can tape it shut with waterproof tape, taking care to keep tape well away from the entrance hole and interior. And voila! You've turned an old juice carton into a bird box. Now all that's left to do is hang it up somewhere for local birdies to find...

Where to Place Your Bird Box

It doesn't matter how pretty your bird box is; no bird who values their feathers will will use it if you don't think carefully about where you're going to put it.

Perhaps most important of all is that your juice carton (I mean, bird box!) should never be placed in continual direct sunlight, as south-facing positions can become dangerously hot and may kill young birds inside. A north or east-facing spot is usually safest.

Ideally, you want to attach it to a tree, wall or fence post, provided it’s in a quiet location away from feeders and heavy foot traffic. Birds also prefer some nearby cover, such as foliage or shrubs, as this helps them feel protected when entering and leaving the nest.

To attach your DIY bird box, use garden wire, strong string or a cable tie looped around the trunk, post or fence. You want to make sure it feels secure and doesn’t swing in the wind, and you definitely want to try and position it around 1.5 to 2 meters off the ground, so it's out of easy reach of any pesky predators.

What I love most about this little juice carton bird box is how unassuming it is. It doesn’t look fancy or perfect, but it offers something genuinely valuable: a safe, sheltered space for small birds like chickadees, wrens and nuthatches (or maybe even your birth month bird) to raise their young.

There’s something deeply satisfying about giving something that would usually be chucked out a second life in the garden. If a humble juice box can do that and become a part of a bird's story, I’d say that’s well worth raising a glass of OJ to!