Instructions

There are three different types of weta houses you can build depending on what tools and equipment you have and how much effort you want to put in.

Weta house
This is the easiest home to build. It doesn’t need a hinge or a hook but is maybe not as tough as the hotel. To make it easier you can build it without a clear plastic window (but when you open the door the wetas might fall out).
Weta hotel
This is a little bit harder to build than the weta house, but easier to build than the branch house. It will need a bit more stuff than the weta house, such as a hinge and a hook. If you don’t have a router to cut out an area for the clear plastic window you can skip that step and instead just put packing around the edges of the plastic window to keep the light out.
Branch house
This is similar to the weta hotel but is also a bit harder to make because you have to cut the branch in half and branches aren't usually straight so it can also be hard to put hinges and hooks on.

Tips

You can get untreated planks of wood from old pallets. Stores, like bunnings or mitre 10, will leave these outside for anyone to pick up.
Anything metal like nails, screws, hinges, or hooks should be galvanised (or zinc plated) so that they won’t rust so easily.
If you want a window to stop the wetas falling out when you open the door you'll need a sheet of clear plastic - you can buy these from hardware stores (we got ours from bunnings). To cut these put a straight-edge on top of it and then score it with a knife (a lot) so that it has a deep mark in it. Then put it over the top of a straight- edge and push down to snap it.
When drilling put an old bit of wood under whatever you're drilling so you don't make holes in your workspace.
Think about how you're going to attach your home to a tree/fence. Try to have the bottom plank sticking out, so you can easily nail it up later.
Before nailing your weta home up to a tree/fence drill holes through the wood where you will put the nails in. One time we didn't, and our house split when nailing through it.