Making homemade bird feeders are a great way to start feeding wild birds. You don’t need to purchase any bird feeder building supplies. All you need are simple materials that can be found at home. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Birds aren’t picky about where they eat their food from. You can use day old bread to feed your birds. Here’s how:
Materials:
Slice of bread
Cookie cutter
String or yarn
Bird seeds
Plate (aluminum or paper)
Knife (plastic works fine)
Peanut butter
Steps:
1. Cut out a nice shape from your bread using the cookie cutter.
2. Carefully make a hole in your bread.
3. String the yarn through the hole. Tie both ends together to use as hanger.
4. Allow bread to become firm by setting them out for a day or two.
5. As soon as the bread is firm, smear some peanut butter onto the bread using a knife.
6. Cover the peanut buttered side with bird seeds.
7. Do the same thing (steps 5 and 6)to the other side of the bread.
8. Fill with bird seeds and hang outside for birds to enjoy.
Another inexpensive way to create a homemade bird feeder is make a bird feeder from a drink bottle. Here are the materials and steps for you to follow:
Materials:
Plastic bottle (soda bottle is fine)
Small drill
Duct tape
Wire
Dowels (for perches)
Steps:
1. Strip off any labels or stickers.
2. Wash bottles thoroughly and let dry.
3. Using your drill, make two small holes at the bottom area of the bottle. Thread the wire through one hole and through to the other. Twist the ends together to use for hanging. Use duct tape to close up the holes so water can’t get into the feeder.
4. Make 5/16” holes at opposite sides of the bottle. Insert dowels into the holes. This will serve as your perch. Repeat to make several perches.
5. For thistle seed feeder, make 1” by 1/8” slots at about 1 1” above your perches. To make a feeder for sunflower seeds, make 5/15” holes at 1 1” – 2” above your perches.
6. Hang the bottle upside down outside.
An even more enjoyable way to start bird feeding is to make bird feeders from a cup and saucer. These steps will show you how:
Materials:
Cup (clear glass)
Saucer
Brush (sponge, stencil, liner)
Glue
Hot glue and gun
Craft beads
1’ dowel
Brightly colored paint (acrylic)
Spray matte finish
Steps:
1. Using your spray matte finish, spray the exterior of the cup and the underside of the saucer.
2. Using your sponge brush, paint the outside of the cup.
3. With a small craft brush, make some designs on your saucer.
4. Use the liner brush to make additional embellishments on your saucer.
5. Using your stencil brush, paint designs on your cup. You can paint on flower designs and using a liner brush, paint on leaves and stems and other embellishments. Use your imagination!!
6. To assemble, attach the cup to the middle of your saucer using glue. Let this dry thoroughly.
7. Attach the craft bead to the bottom of your cup and saucer. Do this with glue and let dry thoroughly.
8. Glue the dowel onto the hole of the craft bead. Use any strong glue or hot glue for this.
9. You now have your homemade cup and saucer bird feeder. Fill this with birdseed and put outside for the birds to enjoy.
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