7 DIY Bird Feeder Ideas – Fun Recycling Activities for Young and Old

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If you want to attract wildlife to your garden or backyard, installing bird feeders is a great idea. Why not take advantage of the opportunity to feed birds and also engage in a creative DIY with your kids? Yes, that’s right, you can create a DIY bird feeder and recycle materials around the house while also spending quality time with the kids. In today’s guide, we’ll provide you with 7 of the most creative and fun DIY bird feeder ideas, so that you can find your favorite.

7 DIY Bird Feeder Ideas for Child and Parent

1. Teacup DIY Bird Feeder

Perhaps one of the cutest DIY bird feeder ideas in today’s guide, this one is also extremely easy to make. All you need is an old (or new) teacup and saucer. What you have to do to create the bird feeder is glue the teacup to the saucer, like in the image below. This makes for a very creative bird feeder because once you place the birdfeed in it, it will look as if it has spilled from the teacup into the saucer.

bird feeder made of a teacup

Not only is this bird feeder incredibly cute, but it’s also easy to hang. You can simply tie a ribbon around the handle and hang it from a tree. The great thing about this DIY is that you can make it your own by choosing the color and print of the teacup and saucer, as well as the ribbon. You can go for a romantic and vintage pattern like in the image above, but you can also use a white cup and paint it with your kid if you want the DIY to be even more creative and exciting.

2. Mason Jar DIY Bird Feeder

Another great way to repurpose old dishes is to turn a mason jar into a bird feeder. For this DIY, you’re also going to need a metal chick feeder. If you don’t have one already, you can buy one quite cheap online. Then, all there’s left for you to do is attach the two objects. You can also play around with the way you’re going to hang the bird feeder.

bird feeder made of a mason jar

For example, in the image above, you can see the feeder is hung from a tree branch with a string. Now, what’s interesting is that the piece of string is tied to a lid. This is one of the easiest ways in which you can create a hanger for your bird feeder. Just use an old lid you have around the house and glue it to the bottom of the mason jar. Make sure you use an extremely strong glue since the bird feeder is going to be outside in the rain and other weather elements for a long time. Then, all there’s left for you to do is fill the feeder with seeds and wait for birds to appear.

3. Soda Bottle DIY Bird Feeder

The next bird feeder idea we have for you today requires just a plastic soda bottle and a few wooden spoons, depending on how many birds you want your bird feeder to be able to accommodate at once. This is the perfect DIY to do with a child because it’s extremely easy to accomplish. You just need to make some holes into the bottle and place the spoons through them.

bird feeder made of a plastic bottle

What you have to remember to do is create a downward angle with the spoons. Otherwise, the birdfeed won’t reach the top of the spoon. Again, if you’re looking for a way to make this DIY a bit more creative and keep your child entertained for a longer period, you can suggest decorating the bottle. You could use a more colorful bottle, or use a clear one and paint over it. Small decorations attached to the bottle are another option, as well as what you choose as a hanger.

4. Teapot DIY Bird Feeder

Do you sense a theme here? Another tea-related object that you can turn into a bird feeder is a teapot. The great thing about a teapot is that it can be both a bird feeder and a nester. If you want to provide the birds in your garden with a welcoming environment, you could allow them to build their nest in the teapot. Soon enough, you’ll be able to see baby birds there. Moreover, later on, they’ll start flying around your garden as well.

bird feeder made of a teapot

If you don’t want to turn it into a nester, a bird feeder is also an amazing idea. There are two ways in which you can attach the teapot. You can tie a string around its handle and simply hang it somewhere. However, you can also glue it to a wall, like in the image above. There’s one other thing we particularly love about that teapot, and that’s the fact that it’s old. As a result, it provides the entire garden with a vintage feel.

5. Pinecone DIY Bird Feeder

Slightly different from the rest of the DIY bird feeders we’ve mentioned today, in that this is not a container in which you place birdfeed, this bird feeder is bound to be great fun for your kids to make. Why? Because it implies covering pinecones in peanut butter or lard and then adding birdseed all over them. Naturally, the food won’t last as much as it would in a larger container that you only have to refill once in a while.

pinecones serving as bird feeder

Even so, the pinecones will look amazing hanging in your garden. Moreover, you could turn this into a weekly project. If your child enjoys doing it, you could ask him or her to be in charge of covering the pinecones in peanut butter and seeds every week. Not only will this be a fun activity. You’ll also teach your kids about responsibility and what it means to take care of another living thing.

6. Cookie Cutter DIY Bird Feeder

Another DIY bird feeder idea that doesn’t involve an actual container, this one at least ensures that the birds in your garden will have access to more birdfeed. All you need to complete this DIY are some cookie cutters (in whatever shapes you like), water, and gelatin. First, you have to mix the water and the gelatin. Then, add the birdseed and place the resulting mix into a cookie cutter. This will allow you to mold it as you wish.

birdfeed made in the shape of a star

Give the mold time to set. Once that happens, take a piece of string and look for a good place where you can hang it. Imagine little colorful stars made of birdfeed hanging all over your garden, just like in the image above. If you don’t have cookie cutters at home and you don’t want to buy some for this DIY, you can use anything you have around the house that can create a mold, such as the lid of a mason jar.

7. Juice Carton DIY Bird Feeder

Perhaps one of the most hilarious DIY bird feeders on today’s list, this one will put a smile on your child’s face, as well as on the face of anyone who visits your garden. What’s even better is that making one is fairly easy. You need an empty juice carton, a knife, four plastic bottle lids, a pair of googly eyes, some paint, a craft stick, and a hot glue gun.

bird feeder made of a juice carton

As you can see, the idea is to turn the bird feeder into a cute owl. For this purpose, you’ll need to cut holes into the juice carton. This will make the mouth and wings of the owl. Since most milk cartons are white, use some paint to make the bird feeder livelier. Then, use the 4 plastic bottle lids to create the eyes, just like in the image above. Add the googly eyes for a nicer effect. After also creating a nose for your cute owl, attach the craft stick to the juice carton using the hot glue gun. This will provide the birds with a place where they can rest and enjoy the delicious treats you put out for them.

Summing Everything Up

No matter how old you are, creating DIY bird feeders out of recycled materials is an experience that’s going to be a lot of fun. Especially if you care about how your garden looks and you enjoy decorating it as creatively as possible, adding some unique bird feeders to it is just what you need.

We hope you’ve enjoyed these 7 DIY bird feeder ideas, and that you’ve managed to find one that you’re just dying to build for your garden. We’ve purposefully selected ideas that you can easily do with your kids. Why? Because that way, not only will you get to spend more time with them, but you’ll also get them more interested in the garden and learning about wildlife. As a result, maybe next time, they’ll be the ones who ask you to build a DIY bird feeder together.

If you’re interested in purchasing a bird feeder, we recommend the Perky-Pet Copper Panorama Bird Feeder or the Balance Living Hanging Wild Bird Feeder.

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