I know a few people who have a dozen birdhouses set up across their backyard fence, and a few bird families inhabit them. Not only do they get to watch the birds nest, but also enjoy the beautiful music in the morings.

In this article we will go over everything you need to know for painting your birdhouse with acrylic paint, as well as some questions you may have. Let’s get to it!

Designing Your Birdhouse

There are so many beautiful painted birdhouses in endless colors and designs, but also in simple solid colors. Choosing the right paint color and design is just the beginning for your project. For acrylic paint, I recommend this Arteza set, it’s super high quality and non-toxic.

Some birders actually make the birdhouse resemble a real home with cool architecture designs and color coordinating trims. Others do themed houses which are trending right now, and a regular birdhouse can be transformed into a dynasty palace, country tea cottage, or even a modern 5 story home.

Sport themed birdhouses are also a thing if you didn’t know. However, not all of these paint options are best for birds.

Painting your birdhouse with acrylic paint is also a super kid friendly activity that your little ones will love! My kids have painted birdhouses like these, and they come unfinished, so they can get crazy and paint as they wish.

There are a few different types of birdhouses to choose from. For example you may want a more private boxed birdhouse like this one, that only has an opening for the birds, and for your to lift up of course. Or you may want a fun home looking unfinished birdhouse such as this one.

Below in the article I have linked pictures of all my favorites unfinished birdhouses, and even some kid friendly ones, so read on!

Is Painting Birdhouses Good for Birds?

Most birds that use birdhouses to nest and live in, aren’t usually picky about their home. What they mostly care about is that it can accommodate their family and is safe in size and shape for them. When you paint a birdhouse, you must make sure you choose a non-toxic acrylic paint, otherwise it can be poisonous for the birds.

When choosing colors, keep in mind of where you’ll be keeping the birdhouse. If it will be in a shaded areas such as your covered patio, you can typically go with darker colors, but if your birdhouse will be exposed to the sun constantly, a dark color will overheat and smother the birds.

In my opinion, the best colors for a birdhouse depend on the house type and where it will be stationed. As a rule of thumb, natural camouflaged colors such as gray, dark green, brown, and even tan help the birdhouse blend into its environment to keep nesting birds safe from predators.

If your birdhouse will be mounted in a beautiful garden, you can definitely choose more colorful paints that go with nearby floral hues. White paint is recommended for common martin birdhouses because it helps reflect heat away from the open area, and as we all know, any house can benefit from that heat reflection on hot summer days.

Florescent, metallic, or iridescent paints should generally be avoided because of their overly dramatic brightness and other additives in the paint that could be harmful to wildlife.

Tips for Painting a Birdhouse

– Always use water-based latex paint, and avoid lead-based paints since they can be toxic to birds.

– Avoid painting the inside of a birdhouse or around the entrance hole. Since growing birds sometimes peck at surfaces, they could ingest paint chips, or small chips of paint could get into the hatchlings’ delicate eyes.

-Make sure that the paint does not block or seal small ventilation holes or drainage holes in the house. These holes are necessary for a safe birdhouse, and should be kept open and useful at all times.

-Remember to give the paint enough time to dry thoroughly before mounting the house for birds to use. This allows potentially toxic odors to disperse before birds inhabit the house, and will keep those odors from attracting nearby predators.

For more tips on keeping your acrylic painted projects outdoors, check out one of my other articles, that go over safety and heat related questions.

How to Seal Birdhouses

Now that you finished painting your birdhouse, it’s time to put the final touch and seal it with some acrylic paint sealant. This is important because you want to ensure your birdhouse remains safe, and the paint doesn’t wash off in the rain, or other weather conditions.

I highly recommend this acrylic paint sealant. It’s durable and protects against UV rays! Whenever you’re done with any acrylic paint project, you always want to make sure you either spray or paint on a clear sealant. Some paint sealants come in aerosol forms, while others you need to paint them on.

You’ll want to make sure you cover the area where you’ll be working with newspapers or plastic sheeting. The paint on the birdhouse should be dry before you begin to work. You can also use a paintbrush to coat all the surfaces on the birdhouse, making sure to get under the eaves and on the interior, if you can reach it.

Wait for your birdhouse to dry, and then reapply a second coat for the best protection. Wait two days for the product to dry completely before hanging up your birdhouse

Always remember to look for a product that offers protection against pests, mildew, UV rays and water. It should be clear, with no tints or finishes so that it doesn’t change the look of the paint on your birdhouse.

Birdhouse Painting Ideas for Kids

Lately I have seen a lot DIY ideas for painting birdhouses, but I also wanted to share hoe much fun it can be for kids too! It’s a great activity to keep them busy, and they get to learn about all sorts of birds.

Materials You Will Need:

• Unfinished wooden birdhouses
• Acrylic Paint for Kids
• Paint brushes
• Acrylic Paint Sealer

Your kids will have tons of fun designing their own birdhouse, and can even mount them later once they are dry. I usually set up in the patio and just have them pick out their colors before we start. They will love learning about how their birdhouse will help birds rest and also possibly nest in them.

Once they’re done, remember to let the birdhouse dry for an hour or so, and then seal it with the acrylic paint sealer.

I hope you guys enjoyed this article, and don’t forget that whichever paint you go with, make sure it’s non-toxic and overall safe for the birds. Also, check out my other articles for all you acrylic painting needs, as well as my top pick products in my Recommended Products Page.

Happy Painting!

The post Is Acrylic Paint Safe for Birdhouses? appeared first on Acrylic Art World.

The answer is no, dried acrylic paint will not melt in the sun if you’re painting outside or have an outdoor painted project. However, they can be affected if for example you leave them in a really hot car, since that changes the heat chemicals of the wet paint. What I recommend if glossing it with varnish that has UV protection, to ensure your project stays vibrant.

If you will be placing an acrylic painting outside, you may want to protect it with a varnish so apart from the natural dust and other things, it is also protected against the sun’s UV rays. Many varnish sprays like this one, have UV ray protection, which is ideal if you’re hanging a painted birdhouse or a painting outside.

Can I Hang an Acrylic Painting in the Sunlight?

While the best way to preserve your acrylic painting is to keep it in a cool, dark place for eternity, that’s not usually the best way to enjoy it, and sometimes, sunlight just can’t be solved for in a room that gets certain exposures throughout the day.

Certain paintings can withstand light and sun exposure, while others should never be hung in front of a window under any circumstances. The deciding factor for whether or not your artwork can be hung in direct sunlight is the media and materials it’s created from.

Works That Can Withstand Some Sunlight.
Most oil paintings will do just fine in the sun, with very little fading, so long as there is no exposed canvas (sunlight can damage canvas, but not through the oil paint.) Works made from acrylic paint are also resilient and typically can withstand sunlight.

Works That Cannot Withstand Sunlight.
Watercolors should never be hung in direct sunlight, as they are vulnerable to fast fading. The same goes for works on paper and photography, as even most indirect light can cause fading.  This is even the case with frames made of UV plexi glass, since they cannot prevent all sun damage.

So if you want to hang your acrylic painting outdoors, just remember that although acrylic paint is more resilient to heat, it can get damaged but more than likely it will not. I have a friend who has some outdoor acrylic paintings and they have been there for years. Just make sure to dust them off so you don’t get bugs or dust particles on your painting.

As for acrylic painted birdhouses, they will be totally fine. I have even painted a few with my kids and though they do get dusty, they are still in great condition and still very vibrant in color. Amazon has some really cool birdhouses worth checking out, like this one. You can DIY a nice acrylic paint birdhouse in a few steps, and it’ll last a while!

Can You Leave Acrylic Paint in a Hot Car?

While it may be more convenient to just leave your art supplies in your car, I highly advise against it. Not only will your acrylic paints get damaged in extreme heat weather, but also in extreme cold weather. The ideal storage temperature for acrylic paint is between 60F and 75F (16C – 26C). 

If acrylic paints are stored at really low temperatures (40F / 4C or below), the paint film will become brittle, which could result in damage.

So will your acrylic paints melt in the sun if left in your car for a while? No, but they will get damaged which can affect the future use of them.

Acrylic paints are water-based paints that dry much more quickly than other paints. Being water based, these paints are especially sensitive to extreme temperatures. Too much cold, and the water and components of the paints will freeze. With excessive heat the paint will dry out and become unusable.

I always recommend leaving your acrylic paints in a room like temperature environment. If you must leave them in your car, make sure it’s not too hot outside, and try to cover them with something so no direct sunlight hits them.

Can Oil Paint Dry Under Sunlight?

For those of you who use oil paints as well, you might be wondering if the same answers apply here. While you can speed up the dry time of your oil painting, it might end up doing more damage in the end.

In my opinion it is bad to keep an oil painting under direct sunlight. Oil contains chemicals that can react with the UV rays in the sun. This can cause fading and deteriorated quality.

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to keep your acrylic painting or painted birdhouse outdoors, it’s totally fine. As mentioned above, I don’t recommend leaving or storing your acrylic paints in high heat like your car.

When it comes to oil paints, well you definitely don’t want to leave those precious paintings outdoors, not only because of the dust and air particles, but because of the color change you will be exposing it to due to the heat/cold weather.

Remember to always store your acrylic paints at a temperature of about 60F – 75F (16C – 26C). Don’t forget to check out my other articles for everything you need to know for painting with acrylics. We go over all the questions, tips and advise.

Happy painting!

The post Will Acrylic Paint Melt in the Sun? appeared first on Acrylic Art World.