Cut the Bee House Hole: To become a home for wild bees and bugs, cut a small, 1/4″ sized hole in the gourd. For the sample Bee House the hole is centered between the bottom edges of the paper roof and under the center fold line of the roof. Hold your craft knife or bench knife on the point and gently roll the knife to cut the hole. Use a small piece of 220-grit sandpaper, rolled around a pencil, to sand the hole’s edges.
Cut the Perch Hole: Create a perch stick hole 3/8″ below the bird house opening hole using your bench knife or craft knife. This hole should be slightly larger than the diameter of your bamboo kitchen skewer.
Measure the Perch: Slide the bamboo skewer into the perch hole so that the skewer touches the inside back wall of the gourd. With a pencil mark the skewer about 1/4″ to 1/2″ beyond the gourd. Use your bench knife or craft knife to cut the skewer at the pencil line. Lightly sand the cut end with 220-grit sandpaper.
Hot Glue the Perch Stick: Place a small amount of hot glue on the skewer where the skewer touches the skewer hole. Slide the skewer into the hole until it touches the back wall of the gourd. Hold until the glue has set.
Ready for Roof Decorations: You have completed the basic construction of your Bee House and are ready to move onto the decorating steps.
