MORE Bird Feeders

Even MORE Homemade Bird Feeders….

 

Homemade Bird Feeder Seeder
Take a large plastic milk jug that you were planning on throwing into your recycling can. About two inches up from the bottom, cut out a large hole. Next, poke some holes in the bottom of the jug in case it rains so that water will not accumulate inside the feeder. Then punch a hole and push in a stick or a popsicle stick so that birds have a perching place. Fill with wild bird seed.
You will be able to watch birds perching and eating as well as birds hopping inside of the jug to dine.

 Homemade Bird Feeder – The Ground

Remember that some birds prefer to eat with their feet on the ground. Therefore, you don’t need anything but a yard and seeds for this bird feeder. Simply toss some wild bird seed out for your feathered friends. For special treats, include cracked millet, thistle or black oil sunflower seeds.

 

Egg Carton Bird Feeders
Cut off the top of an egg carton and dispose of the top in the appropriate manner. Punch a small hole in each of the four corners of the bottom of carton. Thread a piece of string through each hole and tie a knot underneath the carton at each location so the string will hold. Pull together all four strings at their other ends and tie them together into a knot above the carton. You can now fill the egg carton with seeds and hang it in a tree.

Milk carton bird feeder

Fashioning a bird feeder out of a milk or juice carton is just as straightforward as building one from a plastic soda bottle. Simply cut out equally sized “windows” in three sides of the carton, leaving 1-2 inches of space from the bottom of the carton. Then poke two holes at the top of the carton and feed in fishing wire or other sturdy string, so you can hang the feeder from a tree or porch.

Tray bird feeder

Got leftover pieces of wood from a past house project? Then you can make the tray bird feeder! You’ll also need an aluminum screen that you can buy at a hardware or home improvement store, as well as experience using a drill and hammer.  You can even up-cycle old windows, picture frames or other wooden household items into a tray bird feeder.

Tray bird feeders attract the widest variety of birds, but be careful if your yard is full of other critters: They are not squirrel-proof.

 

License Plate Feeder

Get your hands on some old license plates and get to work on this clever feeder. 

Here is how to easily make it yourself:

• For the top of the feeder, look for two plates with similar weight and complementary colors.
• Line the two top plates up together by the top bolt holes. The overlap is your bend line.
• Use tin snips to cut the half plate into four pieces to be used as the side connectors.
• The last license plate is the base. Mark a line about 5/8 inch around the edge. Bend the sides up and overlap them to form corners.
• Bend a coat hanger into a V, thread the ends into the holes at the top, and hang it up!

 

  

Mason Jar Feeder

This feeder is cute as a bug! Who knew a mason jar and some wire could look like a masterpiece? Don Hutchings makes these feeders, which are perfect for outdoor bird feeding or even an indoor decoration. Instead of welding, Don suggests using J-B Weld, a product you can buy at home improvement and hardware stores.

Make it yourself:

• Don suggests using 6 feet of 9-gauge wire to wrap around the jar, and 15 feet of 14- to 16-gauge wire for the wings.
• Wrap 9-gauge wire around the jar, leaving 2 inches at the end.
• Roll the next wire into a 10-inch circle, leaving 18 inches at the end. Squeeze the circle in the middle, using the remaining length to wrap around the coil.
• Use two washers as the eyes. Connect them with J-B Weld and let dry. Then attach with J-B Weld to the front of the jar.
• Apply substantial amount of J-B Weld to the bottom of wings and attach them to the wire around the jar.

 

 

Hanging Planter

The birds probably won’t appreciate the cool, stylish design of this feeder, but it’s sure to have some human admirers. When you’re working with stained glass mosaic pieces, one piece is never quite like another.

Make it yourself:

• Uses scraps and leftovers from stained glass.
• You can draw out a design (like the birdhouse design of the one pictured) or just use an abstract shape.
• Draw out the shape you want. Then use a mosaic nipper to cut the pieces to the size and shape you need.
• Glue the pieces to the base, a clay pot saucer. Once the glue is dry, use nonsanded grout to fill it in. Use a grout color that will let the colors of the mosaic stand out. Let the grout dry for at least 24 hours.

 

Homemade Bird Feeder from Vintage Teacups

This little teacup bird feeder will make your garden so much cheerier! 

I have a set of 3 teacups that I found at my local thrift store. When my girls were little, we used to drink tea from them at our weekly “Tea Party”, but girls grou up and out of “Tea time”, so instead of gathering dust…I made them into bird feeders.  Now they STILL bring me joy!  Collect old spoons from your thrift store, the dowel from your home improvement store.

You will need:

• 3 feet of 1/2 inch copper plumbing pipe per bird feeder (I paid $4 for three feet at a hardware store)
• copper cap
• sand paper or sanding block
• teacup
• epoxy
  (I used 5 minute epoxy. If you are making a bunch of these go for the slower drying epoxy.)
• mixing tray and bamboo stick
• Q-tip
• Birdseed

FIRST: Paint the dowels so they were ready for the party. Next, sand the bottoms of the cups and the center of the saucers. Then use a strong adhesive for glass to attach the glass pieces together and the spoon to the saucer. I recommend ‘Super Glue’ Glass Adhesive.  Lastly, use a hot glue gun to attach the saucer to the dowel. 

 

Orange Bird Feeders

 Stuff a scooped-out orange with a few simple ingredients and create a yummy feeder for the birds. The kids will love making the goopy mixture and hanging the colorful “baskets” from trees and shrubs.

Materials Needed:

• 2 oranges
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup rolled oats or cornmeal
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
• 2 bowls
• knife
• spoon
• small wooden skewer or nail
• 4 pieces light twine or heavy string, each 8 to 10 inches long

Prepare the Baskets

Use a sharp knife to cut the oranges in half. With a spoon, scoop out the fruit into a bowl, working carefully to avoid cutting through the rind. Don’t worry about getting out every bit of fruit; it’s fine if some sticks to the rind. Set the removed fruit aside for snacking or fruit salad.

On each of the four rinds, use a small wooden skewer or a nail to poke one hole in the rind, then make another directly opposite the first hole. Thread the end of one piece of string or twine through each hole (use the skewer or nail to help push it through the holes, if necessary) and tie it.

Mix the Filling

Place peanut butter in an empty bowl. Add 1 cup cornmeal or rolled oats and 1/4 cup raisins or sunflower seeds (if desired) and stir or knead them into the peanut butter. The resulting mixture should be slightly sticky. If it’s more crumbly than sticky, chop up a tablespoon or two of the fruit you removed in the previous step and work it into the mixture to add moisture.

Fill the Baskets

While holding the string or twine handle out of the way, pack some of the peanut butter mixture into each of the four rinds

http://www.hgtv.com/gardening

 

 

 

 

“I’ve never made a fortune and it’s probably too late now. But I don’t worry

about that much, I’m happy anyhow.

And as I go along life’s way, I’m reaping better than I sowed. I’m drinking

from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

I haven’t got a lot of riches, and sometimes the going’s tough. But I’ve got

 loved ones around me, and that makes me rich enough.

I thank God for his blessings, and the mercies He’s bestowed. I’m drinking

from my saucer, ’cause my cup has overflowed.

I remember times when things went wrong, My faith wore somewhat thin. But all

at once the dark clouds broke, and the sun peeped through again.

So God, help me not to gripe about the tough rows that I’ve hoed. I’m drinking

 from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.

If God gives me strength and courage, when the way grows steep and rough. I’ll

not ask for other blessings, I’m already blessed enough.

And may I never be too busy, to help others bear their loads. Then I’ll keep

drinking from my saucer, ‘Cause my cup has overflowed.” 

http://elizabethkartchner.com

 

 *Find even more great tips, recipes, DIY and MYO at Birds & Blooms Magazine—–>HERE

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article is hopping around the following Blog Hops:

Homestead Barn Hop, Wildcrafting Wednesday, From the Farm Fridays, Simple Saturdays Blog Hop, Simple Life Sunday Blog Hop.

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Medical Disclaimer:

Nothing in this post is to be construed as medical advice, simply a sharing of things that have worked for me & my family. If you have any symptoms of serious illness, taking medication, pregnant or nursing, or have never worked with herbal materials or essential oils before, please consider consulting a medical professional before use. I am unable to offer advise for your particular medical situation; please ask your Doctor, Nurse Practitioner or Naturopath for further guidance.  The statements made here have not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act.