About the project
An old woodworking idea, restarted with smaller promises.
Make Birdhouses is Dan Cary’s attempt to make a real woodworking experience reachable for people who do not own a workshop—without pretending the first prototype is already a finished product.
Where it began
Shape the hard parts. Leave the meaningful part to the builder.
Dan wrote the original Make Birdhouses plan in 2014 after noticing a simple barrier: many people can assemble a lasting wood project, but far fewer have the saws, drills, space, and confidence to prepare every piece safely.
The original plan imagined a much larger operation. This version starts with one proposed kit, direct conversations with families and group leaders, capped experiments, and evidence before expansion.
Dan also maintains dancary.com, where Make Birdhouses appears alongside his research, writing, and other public projects.
What must happen before sale
Review gates, not launch theater.
The current plan does not accept orders or payment. A founding batch only makes sense after the evidence below exists.
- 01Three physical prototypes
Build, inspect, revise, and document actual wooden kits rather than relying on concept art or CAD.
- 02Species and design review
Confirm intended species, dimensions, entrance, ventilation, drainage, cleanout, placement, and maintenance guidance.
- 03Packed cost and weight
Measure the real wood, hardware, guide, packaging, labor, shipping size, and contribution margin.
- 04Ten supervised builds
Observe instruction clarity, timing, mistakes, required tools, adult support, and cleanup across real builders.
- 05Warnings and terms
Set evidence-based age guidance, supervision language, tool list, use limitations, support policy, and customer terms.
- 06Dan’s final go/no-go
Review demand, repeatable quality, fulfillment capacity, and risk before offering a paid founding batch.
What visitors can expect
Clear labels for what is real and what is still a hypothesis.
Concept art stays labeled. Illustrations show direction, not proof of a finished kit.
Targets stay targets. Prices, pack sizes, tools, timing, and specifications remain provisional until measured.
Prototype limits stay visible. The free plastic house models are not occupancy-ready and must not be installed for birds.
No hidden funnel. The site has no checkout, analytics tracker, advertising pixel, or mailing-list automation.
A useful next conversation
Tell Dan what would make the build worth doing.
Family builders, first-time woodworkers, group leaders, educators, librarians, and nature-program facilitators can all sharpen the design before the first paid batch is considered.