Friday, May 20, 2011

DIY bird feeder

My boys have really taken an interest in the birds outside, especially the hummingbirds!


Earlier in the week, we picked up a cheap hummingbird feeder and made hummingbird food (boiled 4 cups of water and added a cup of sugar and refrigerated). We hung it right outside where we eat and are able to see the feeder. 

Well, that left out the rest of the birds! I had mentioned to my dad that we were on our way to get some bird food and a feeder, and he told me to stop by since he had some bird food already, and he sent us home with not only the bird food, but the supplies to make a bird feeder just like my great grandmother used to make!

Here's a super simple bird feeder that you can make with your kids:

An old juice bottle with lid cleaned out
Some string
bird food
sharp scissors or box cutter, pliers, screwdriver or drill


Cut from the top halfway down the bottle "doors" on each of the 4 parts of the bottle. Only cut three sides on each piece so that the birds have a landing spot to hang out on while they eat. 


Fold down. It might be kind of stiff, so use your pliers to help crease the plastic



Fill bottom with bird seed



Poke a hole in your cap


Tie a really large knot in some string 


and thread through cap


Place cap back on bottle and your bird feeder is finished!


Of course you can paint it, sticker it, mod podge it, or whatever you'd like (I liked it plain, but I have a suspicion my little artist will convince me otherwise)



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4 comments:

Diana Waite said...

CLEVER!!!

Anonymous said...

I see two things that may be a problem with this design - one is there are no perches for perching birds (ex. chickadees, cardinals, house finches, goldfinches) to perch on when feeding - and secondly the way the flaps are cut and folded back would allow rain water into the seed, thus causing moldy seed which could easily make birds sick if they ate it. Just wanted to point that out for you to consider. Thx.

Unknown said...

Very cute and resourceful! I agree with Anonymous about the flaps. Try doing the reverse so the flaps are awnings to keep weather out, then use 3/6" to 1/4" dowels poked through the sides under the openings. Great idea!

Unknown said...

I had a squirrel that chewed the tie off so the feeder fell off...it was a tie like the shoe lace...I was quite surprised

I think wooden stakes on the bottom with holes big enough for the birds beaks would work great!...i saw that design somewhere on pintrest too...i am always looking for ways to build my own as the feeds are to expensive to bu
y.

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