3 Ways To Build a Simple DIY Bird Feeder

3 Ways To Build a Simple DIY Bird Feeder


Did you know that birds, on average, eat between ¼ to ½ of their body weight every day? That's a lot of food for our feathered friends to find, especially during harsh weather or scarce resource periods.

Creating a DIY bird feeder is a fun weekend project, and it's an essential lifeline for local birds. Birds need steady food supplies to survive cold nights, harsh weather, raising their young, and the demanding work of migration. Homemade bird feeders will attract more birds to your garden, which is great for pest control in the summer, and because they are so fun to watch.

Building a simple DIY bird feeder isn’t expensive, either. For many of these, you can use supplies you already have around the house for the rest.

Muffin Bird Feeders


These simple DIY bird feeders don't need many materials to build, yet attract a variety of birds to your yard. They're also great if you don't have a place to hang traditional feeders since you can place them on windowsills, railings, or in tree crooks.

Materials

  • 2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
  • 2/3 cup boiling water
  • 2 cups birdseed (look for mixes with black oil sunflower seeds, millet, and safflower)
  • Standard muffin tin
  • String or ribbon (cut into 8-inch lengths)
  • Vegetable oil (for greasing)

Make The Muffins

First, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water, stirring until completely dissolved. Next, pour in the birdseed and mix thoroughly. Make sure every seed gets coated with the gelatin mixture. Let this mixture sit for about 2 minutes to allow the seeds to absorb some of the liquid.

Lightly grease your muffin tin, then fill each cup about 2/3 full with the seed mixture. Press both ends of your string pieces into each muffin to create a hanging loop. Cover the ends of the string with more seed mixture, filling the cups completely. Let the muffin feeders dry overnight.

Pinecone Bird Feeders

Pinecone bird feeders are the most natural diy bird feeder option because they use materials straight from your backyard.

Materials

  • Pinecones
  • Peanut Butter (If dealing with peanut allergies, substitute with vegetable shortening like Crisco, suet, sunflower seed butter, coconut oil, or other nut butters)
  • Birdseed
Preparing the Pinecones

Gather a bunch of large pinecones with open scales because these have lots of space for seed. Clean the pinecones in a bucket of water, stirring to release dirt and bugs. Next, let them air dry for about 30 minutes. To fully open the scales, place the pinecones on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 200°F until dry.

Once your pinecones are ready, tie a piece of string or twine to the top. Do this first before your hands get all sticky! Use a butter knife to generously spread peanut butter around and between all the scales of the pinecone. Work the peanut butter deep into the crevices.
After coating, roll the sticky pinecone in a shallow dish of birdseed. Press the pinecone firmly into the birdseed to ensure good coverage.

Plastic Bottle Bird Feeders

This is an excellent way to recycle while creating a feeding station for our feathered friends.

Materials

  • Plastic 500ml - 2-liter soda bottle
  • Chopsticks or dowls
  • Birdseed

First, remove all the labels and thoroughly wash the bottle. Make sure there is no soap residue inside. Use scissors to carefully cut feeding holes. Make these approximately 2 inches from the bottom of the bottle. These openings should be large enough for birds to access seeds but small enough to prevent spillage. Smooth any jagged edges so the visiting birds don't get cut or hurt.

Create perches by poking holes directly below each feeding opening. Insert wooden spoons, chopsticks, or pencils through these holes. Leave about 5 inches on each side for the birds to comfortably perch. Next, fill the bottle with birdseed.

Where To Place Bird Feeders

Hang the bird feeders from tree branches or place them around your yard. The best locations are on window ledges, porch railings, or in crooks of trees where birds naturally perch. Birds particularly like feeders placed near protective cover like shrubs or small trees, because that allows them to escape from predators quickly.

 

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