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School holiday fun: DIY bug hotel for little explorers

27 Mar 2026

Looking for the perfect school holiday project for the kids? They will have loads of fun painting these little houses for this bug hotel. And it’s a project that keeps on giving! Once in the garden, they can go out and investigate all the bugs that will make their home within.

You will need:


Step 1: Start by priming the untreated pine post with one coat of Resene Quick Dry (use untreated wood so that it is nicer for the bees/bugs). Next, use a mitre saw to make houses – set the saw at 45 degrees to cut the two roof slopes and then set it straight again to cut the height of the house. Vary the height of the houses – Fleur’s range from 70mm to 95mm high. Sand any rough areas, wipe away the dust, and then prime the base and roof with more Resene Quick Dry.


Step 2: Use an electric drill and a variety of different sized drill bits to drill holes into the front face of each house. Vary the hole sizes from 4mm to 10mm. 

Paint the houses in whatever colours you like! Fleur used Resene Norwester, Karma, Glamour Puss and Butterfly for the walls, and Madison, Pirate Gold, Irresistible and Kingfisher Daisy for the rooves.


Step 3: Cut the H4 treated pine post to the length you want and then stain it with two coats of Resene Woodsman Pitch Black or paint it in your chosen colour. Starting at the top of the post, drill a pilot hole at an angle into the base of each house and screw the house to the stained post.


Step 4: Work along screwing the houses, one by one, on to each of the four sides of the post.


Step 5: Finish by screwing a house to the top of the post, dig a hole in the ground, put the post in the hole, compact the ground around the post and wait for the bugs and bees to arrive!

project and images Fleur Thorpe

Published: 27 Mar 2026