somehow, birds don't like the birdhouses I make.

Please do not put perchs on birdhouses by the entrance hole. The perch gives pest birds such as starlings a place to sit and prey on the baby birds in the house. Leave off the perch and notice how the residents just land on the entrance hole when they enter. Also do not use a hole larger than is needed for the bird you want to reside in the house. Entrance hole requirements can be found at - http://birding.about.com/od/birdhouses/a/birdhouseholes.htm.