Easy DIY Recycled Bird Feeder Creations

Explore recycled bird feeder creations crafted from upcycled and thrifted materials. Bring sustainability to your backyard while inviting birds to dine in style.

How do you make a recycled bird feeder?

I like creating bird feeders out of recycled materials.  I place them around the yard to remind me of my grandparents and to keep squirrels and pests out of my garden and fruit trees while they’re growing. In this post I’ll share several DIY bird feeders I’ve made out of recycled materials.

Recycled Bird Feeder Creations

Recycled Can DIY Bird Feeder

Materials:

• Recycled can
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Star stickers or paint (optional)
• Bird seed

Decorate the Can

For this bird feeder, I cut some ribbon with a scissors. I glued some ribbon around a recycled can, and I made a loop to hang the bird feeder. You could use twine outside instead of ribbon if you’d like. I added some star stickers but you could paint or decorate the can however you want.

Add Perch

I hot glued a small stick onto the edge of a can for a bird perch. You could use dowels for this step if preferred.

Fill with Seed

Once that cooled, I added some bird seed to the can.

If you are wondering what is the best bird seed to buy, you might enjoy this article: The Best Seeds for Backyard Bird Feeders

Hanging

I hung the bird feeder up outside with a plant hanging hook onto a tree.

Tea Cup Feeder

Materials

• Tea cup
• Saucer
• Silicone adhesive
• Bird seed

Assemble The Pieces

Pour some bird seed in a tea cup and saucer and place outside. You could opt to silicone the cup to the saucer to make it more secure.

Fill and Place The Feeder

Silicone a tea cup to a saucer, and then silicone the saucer to a candle holder and let that dry. Place it somewhere in your yard for the birds to enjoy.

Vintage Dishes Recycled Bird Feeder

Materials

• Vintage cup
• Plate
• Water
• Bird seed
• Silicone adhesive

Assemble The Pieces

Silicone a vintage cup and plate together and let that dry.

Fill and Place The Feeder

Put bird seed on the plate, water in the cup, and set it somewhere outside.

Recycled Punch Glasses Bird Feeder

Materials

• Vintage punch glasses
• Hanging tea light candle holder
• E6000 adhesive
• Bird seed
• Water

Assemble The Pieces

E6000 vintage punch glasses onto a hanging tea light candle holder.

Fill and Hang The Feeder

Once the glue has dried, fill the glasses with bird seed and water, and hang outside.

Bowl Bird Feeder

Materials

• Bowl
• Skewer
• Broken solar light stake
• Silicone adhesive
• Bird seed
• Water

Attache the Skewer

Silicone a bent skewer to the bottom of a bowl and let that dry.

Fill and Place The Feeder

Place the skewer in a broken solar light stake, place somewhere outside, and fill with bird seed.

More Recycled Bird Feeder Ideas

Create a simple and eco-friendly bird feeder by repurposing a juice carton into a hummingbird feeder. Begin by cutting a large hole in the side of the carton using a utility knife. This will serve as the feeding port for your avian visitors. Next, fashion a perch using wooden spoons, providing a convenient resting spot for hummingbirds as they sip nectar.

For extra durability, consider coating the feeder with white paint to protect it from the elements. Fill the feeder with a homemade nectar solution made from natural materials like sugar and water. Hang your DIY hummingbird feeder in a sunny spot to attract these beautiful birds to your garden.

Another easy project involves creating a soda bottle bird feeder to cater to a variety of bird species. Start by cutting an opening near the top of the bottle with a utility knife, allowing birds to access the food inside. Attach a wooden spoon or stick as a perch beneath the hole for birds to land on while feeding. Fill the feeder with black oil sunflower seeds, a good food source loved by chickadees, cardinals, and jays.

To deter squirrels and provide excellent drainage, consider incorporating poly lumber material into your feeder design. This durable material ensures that your feeder will withstand weather conditions while also preventing squirrels from gnawing through it. Plus, with its split design, you can easily clean and refill the feeder to keep your avian visitors happy year-round.

For ground-feeding birds like sparrows and starlings, repurpose an empty milk carton into an oasis feeder. Cut a large hole in the top of the carton and fill it with a mixture of berries and seeds. This DIY feeder offers a good food source for larger birds while keeping the contents protected from squirrels and other pests.

By creating your own bird feeders using recycled materials, you not only provide a sustainable solution for feeding birds but also contribute to conservation efforts endorsed by organizations like the National Audubon Society. So grab your scissors and get crafting to welcome a diverse array of feathered friends into your backyard sanctuary.

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