DIY Bird Feeders to Make At Home!

By Isabella Sorresso
Bird Feeders

Living in Florida has many advantages, one of which is that there is an abundance of wildlife right outside your door, like lizards, squirrels, deer and a variety of birds. You can get an even closer look at the house finches, eastern towhees and common starlings flying around your neighborhood by making DIY bird feeders with your own little chicks!

MILK CARTON BIRD FEEDER

Materials:

Directions:

To make this bird feeder, you first need to wash out the milk carton to make sure there is no milk left at the bottom. Then, use the marker to draw where you want the cutouts in your bird feeder to be. Though the final design is up to you, the cutouts should be high enough on the carton that the finished birdhouse can hold a significant amount of birdseed, and the opening should be big enough that birds can reach the seeds.

Using a box cutter carefully, an adult should cut along the marker lines. Once you have the desired cutouts, paint over the milk carton to create a nice blank canvas.

After painting, the fun part begins: decorating the bird feeder! You can use buttons, pom poms, glitter, stickers or paint to create your own designs.

Once you are finished decorating, leave the feeder to dry overnight. The following day, cut a small slit in the bottom of the carton for the popsicle stick to fit through. The popsicle stick will act as the bird’s perch to sit and eat from the feeder.

If you want the bird feeder to be able to hang, cut two holes into the top piece of the carton and loop the string through it.

Finally, add in your birdseed and hang your bird feeder in a tree for your feathered friends to enjoy!

 

Materials:

  • 2 cups of birdseed
  • Cookie cutters (or other items to act as molds)
  • 1⁄2 ounce of gelatin
  • 2⁄3 cup of water
  • Parchment paper
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • Plastic straws
  • String or twine

Directions:

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and add in gelatin powder. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved. Then slowly mix in two cups of birdseed until the mix starts clumping together and is slightly sticky to the touch.

Next, place parchment paper on a baking sheet and pick out your cookie cutters of choice. If you are using another type of mold, like a mini Bundt pan or cupcake tin, you do not need to use the parchment paper or baking sheet.

Use a light coat of non-stick cooking spray on the cookie cutters or molds,and begin filling them with your birdseed mixture.

Once you have filled the molds, use a plastic straw to poke a hole all the way through the bird feeder and place in the refrigerator overnight.

After the mixture has solidified, remove the feeders from the molds and take out the straws. Loop a piece of string or twine through the straw hole and tie together so the bird feeders can hang from the tree branches.

 

Strawberry Picking In Gainesville And Beyond!

5 Tips For Making Homework Feel Less Like Work

Ready, Set, Swim: When Can I Start Swim Training My Baby?

How To Introduce Your Baby To Solid Foods

READ COMMENTS ADD COMMENTS MODULE TK