DIY bird feeder – this is how you can turn recycled materials into bird feeders!

Invite feathered friends into your garden with these DIY bird feeder ideas and help them in the fall/winter period. You can create such a simple DIY project using recycled materials such as plastic bottles or even toilet paper rolls. So instead of throwing them away, you can make bird feeders in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. If you want to teach your kids something useful and animal friendly, as well as spend quality time together, this would be the perfect occasion. Here are some creative craft ideas to get inspiration from during the cold season.

Simple and cheap DIY bird feeder craft project

Make a DIY bird feeder using the supply of recyclable items in your home. As mentioned above, all you need could be a plastic bottle, a toilet paper roll, or a chipped coffee cup or mug. You could even use natural products such as an orange peel filled with sunflower seeds and hang it on a tree branch in your garden area as a feeding station.

In addition, it is advisable to buy a small seed mix of birdseed. Millet and oatmeal help a variety of birds like sparrows and finches, and if you have chickadees in your yard, they’ll enjoy sunflower seeds. Also use vegetable fat or lard to keep the food in place. It is also worth noting in this case that you should avoid using cooking fat as it can coat birds’ feathers. There is a project for everyone, regardless of age or previous experience.

DIY bird feeder from a plastic bottle

One-third of all plastic waste in seas and oceans consists of plastic bottles. You may have made efforts to reduce the amount of single-use plastic items you buy. However, if you find you have a plastic bottle that you are done with, don’t throw it away. Instead, use it for a DIY bird feeder craft project.

This is a favorite among elementary school students, as well as an easy DIY project for bird lovers of all ages. After rescuing a 1- to 2-liter plastic bottle from the recycling bin, look around your house or yard for two wooden spoons, pegs or twigs to use in the project. These will create a place for the birds to sit while they feed.

Materials:

• Empty Plastic Bottle
• Scissors or craft knife
• birdseed
• two plastic or wooden spoons and some string

Instructions:

• First, cut two holes in your plastic bottle, making sure they are directly across from each other.
• Then repeat with two more holes located slightly higher. Scissors can make your holes bigger.
• Make sure your holes aren’t too small, you may need to open them up a bit more with scissors.
• Now slide the two spoons through the holes.
• Fill the bottle with birdseed and put the lid back on.
• Finally, tie the string around the top of the plastic bottle
• The bird feeder is now ready to hang in your garden.

How to make a bird feeder from a toilet paper roll

It is believed that on average a person uses about 100 rolls of toilet paper per year. That’s a lot when you think about recycling opportunities. Even if you don’t use that much of it around your household, you probably have a few cardboard tubes that need to be recycled every month, so why not use them to help the birds in your garden with this feeder idea?

Materials:

• Toilet paper roll or cardboard tube
• pencil
• line
• vegetable fat or lard
• birdseed

Instructions:

• First use the pencil to make two holes on either side of the toilet paper roll.
• Then thread the string through and tie a knot.
• Take some vegetable fat or lard and smear it on the toilet paper roll or cardboard tube.
• Next, roll the toilet paper roll or cardboard tube in the seed mix until it is covered all over.
• Before you hang the bird feeder in your garden, you should push some twigs through to use them as perches.

Turn old tea or coffee cups into bird feeders

Perhaps you have a favorite cup at home that has a crack or chip? Or maybe someone gave you a mug and you just can’t part with it, even if you don’t actually drink from it anymore. These can easily be turned into bird feeders, which can be another great craft idea. You can give new life to your unusable ceramics and you can still admire them when you look out your window.

Materials:

• Chipped tea cup or coffee cup
• twig
• string
• vegetable fat or lard
• bird seed

Instructions:

• First, tie your piece of string around the handle of the chipped cup.
• Then roll vegetable fat or lard into a ball and place in a bowl with birdseed.
• Cover the ball with seeds, aiming for a mixture of about 1/3 fat and 2/3 seeds.
• Then place the seed-covered fat in the cup and press down to make sure it stays in.
• Finally, tuck in a small twig to serve as a perch.
• Now hang the bird feeder in your garden for the birds to enjoy and for you to admire.

Also read: How to Make a Heated Humming Bird Feeder? Super Easy DIY Craft