TUFTED TITMOUSE a-frame chalet

You can easily make this traditional A-frame house in an hour. The only tricky part is lining up the awkward triangular and rectangular pieces. If you need to, have someone help you hold them in place while you nail.

Have fun decorating this chalet! Paint it any way you want to. I chose to paint on a snow effect because this type of house reminds me of Switzerland, snow and skiing! My overall goal was to make it look cozy and inviting, so I chose warm colors.

Attach the house to a tree 5′ to 15′ off the ground at the edge of a forest, if possible.

TUFTED TITMOUSE

The tufted titmouse is a social bird and often joins with small mixed flocks of chickadees, nuthatches, creepers and small woodpeckers. It is quick to scold predators and is attracted to the calls of other species.

The tufted titmouse is around 6″ tall with a conspicuous, short gray tuft on its head, rust-colored flanks and a white belly and chest. Its diet consists of insects and seeds — titmice frequently visit feeders. They prefer to live in deciduous forests, swamps, orchards, parks and suburban areas. The tufted Titmouse is a resident from the midwest to the eastern United States, south to Florida.

Cut the front and back according to the cutting list and drill a 2″ hole in the front.

Drill drainage holes in the bottom piece. Nail the bottom to the front and back.

Nailing the sides is a bit tricky. Get someone to help you hold the pieces in place if you can. Align the two pieces so they are flush with the back. Place two staples on each side piece to hold it in place.

Now that you have the sides placed where you want them, put the chalet on its side for easier nailing.

Apply the 8″ ridge pole with polyurethane glue.