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4 DIY Toad House You Can Make Today (With Pictures)
Whether you have noticed toads in your garden or not, making a DIY toad house is a great way to spruce up your garden and provide extra shelter for anything that jumps in your garden. In fact, toad houses may be able to attract toads to your garden, where they can consume insects.
There are many ways to make DIY toad houses. Using a clay pot is one of the easiest ways, for instance. Read on below for some DIY plans to make your own toad house.
The 4 DIY Toad Houses
1. Terra Cotta Pot Toad House by Crafting Cheerfully
| Materials: | Terra cotta pot and saucer, natural materials for decoration, adhesive |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
As we’ve stated, most toad houses use terra cotta pots. You’ll need to bury half of the pot in the ground, allowing the toad to hide inside effectively. Therefore, you’ll only need to decorate the upper half of the pot—not the lower part, since it will be underground. You can use a pot of just about any size, but it will affect the size of the toad that can use it.
You don’t necessarily have to decorate the pot, either. If you just want to partially bury the pot into the ground, you absolutely can.
2. Broken TerraCotta Pot by The Spruce
| Materials: | Old flower pot, handful of leaves, pain |
| Tools: | Shovel |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This plan is extremely similar to the one above. However, it has a broken side, which goes into the ground. You can purchase a new pot or use an old one. If you already have one that’s broken on one side, then adapting it for this project can be useful.
You can paint the pot with non-toxic paint if you want. Just be sure it is safe for the toad and the environment. Many people like to paint the house or otherwise indicate that it isn’t just a pot. Otherwise, some well-meaning person may remove it.
3. Plastic Toad House by My Garden Life
| Materials: | Clay or plastic bowl, pebbles (or other décor), tile adhesive, grout (optional) |
| Tools: | Cutting tool, putty knife, sponge, paper or plastic, magic eraser sponge, plastic disposable gloves |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
If you want to put a bit more work into it, you can make this very professional-looking toad house instead. The directions are a bit more complicated, and it involves directly cutting a plastic house, decorating it, and then adding grout along the outside. Because you’re using grout, it takes quite a bit more work than other plans.
Despite this, the finished product is a lot nicer. Therefore, if you have some DIY skills or want to put in some extra work, this house is a solid option.
4. Stone Toad Hole by Welcome Wildlife
| Materials: | Stones |
| Tools: | None |
| Difficulty Level: | Medium |
If you have a bunch of extra rocks, you can build a stone toad hole. You don’t need anything but the rocks and some finesse when stacking the stones. It may take a bit to find the perfect setup, but this method mirrors what toads hide in naturally. Therefore, it is a great option for those that want a more natural-looking house.
You can leave the stones alone or decorate them with paint. Because these stones aren’t held up by anything, they can be a bit more unstable than other options. If you live in an area with lots of wind, you may want to keep this in mind.
Conclusion
Toad houses are a great way to make toads feel more comfortable and safer in your garden. They provide some extra coverage, allowing the toad to escape predators and get out of the elements. You can make these toad houses very aesthetically pleasing, too, and they’re often one of the easier projects to try.
Most of the plans on this list are very easy. If you have a flower pot laying around, you can make a toad house in less than 30 minutes (unless you decide to decorate it heavily). You can put in a bit more work beyond that, though, and make a professional-looking house if you want.
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Featured Image Credit: samray, Shutterstock
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Nicole is a lover of animals of all sizes but is especially fascinated with the feline variety. She’s the proud mom of Baby, a Burmese, and works every day so he can relax in the sunshine or by the fire. She’s always had a cat in her home and has spent countless days with others, observing behaviors and softening up even the grouchiest of the lot. Nicole wants to share her kitty expertise with you so you and your cat can live happy, healthy, and care-free.
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