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Make your own bird feeder

A plastic bird feeder with a yellow lid and another feeder with a green lid hanging from a tree

Recycled plastic container

A plastic bird feeder with a yellow lid hanging from a tree with another plastic bird feeder with a green lid in the background

You will need

  • An empty plastic container with a screw top lid
  • Twine or string
  • 2 short wooden spoons
  • Scissors
  • Bird food balls

To make

  1. Near the base of the container, cut 2 small holes – a hole on 1 side, and the other directly opposite on the other side. The handle of the wooden spoon should fit snuggly into the holes.
  2. Push the wooden spoon handle through 1 of the holes and out of the hole on the other side.
  3. Just above the spoon handle, cut a small section out of the plastic container, 3 or 4cm2. Do this on both sides of the container.
  4. Add 1 of your bird food fat balls to the container.
  5. Just above the top of the fat ball, repeat steps 2 and 3 and then add another fat ball and screw on the lid.
  6. Cut 2 lengths of twine (the length will depend on how high/low you would like the feeder to hang). Tie 1 piece of twine around the top of the container (there may be a ridge in the container for the twine to ‘sit’ in), and tie on 1 side of the container. Repeat with the other piece of twine, tying the knot on the opposite side of the container.
  7. Take the entire end of the twine and tie a knot at the top of the container. Make a knot further up the twine to hang.
  8. Hang in your garden!

Recycled bottle

A plastic bird feeder with a green lid hanging from a tree

You will need

  • An empty plastic bottle
  • Reusable can cover
  • A twig
  • Twine or string
  • Scissors
  • Bird food balls

To make

  1. Remove any labels from the plastic bottle and cut the bottle to the size you would like.
  2. Near the base of the container, cut 2 small holes – a hole on 1 side, and the other directly opposite on the other side. The twig should fit snuggly into the holes.
  3. Push the twig through 1 of the holes and out of the hole on the other side.
  4. Just above the twig, cut a small section out of the bottle, 3 or 4cm2. Do this on both sides of the bottle.
  5. Add 1 of your bird food fat balls to the bottle.
  6. Put your lid cover onto the top of the bottle.
  7. Cut 2 lengths of twine (the length will depend on how high/low you would like the feeder to hang). Tie 1 piece of twine around the top of the container (there may be a ridge in the container for the twine to ‘sit’ in), and tie on 1 side of the container. Repeat with the other piece of twine, tying the knot on the opposite side of the container.
  8. Take the entire end of the twine and tie a knot at the top of the container. Make a knot further up the twine to hang.
  9. Hang in your garden!