We present to your attention several options for interesting bird feeders made. It turns out that the feeder can be easily made from ordinary plastic bottles, all kinds of boxes, wood - there would be a desire. This article will try to awaken this desire in you, thanks to which many birds will be able to comfortably survive the winter.
To begin with, let's take a look at a great many different feeders made from a variety of materials. This will help you decide on the image, choose the option that suits you.
plastic bottle and glass jar
Indeed, with the help of wood, the feeder can be given any look: you can build a mini-castle, you can put an ordinary “dining room” on racks, you can decorate the feeder with intricate carvings, etc. as far as your imagination allows and there are the necessary building materials.
It is very good when children are involved in making - they immediately develop such character traits as caring for their neighbor, love for animals, responsibility, they show an interest in crafting, creating something!
Whatever you make your feeder out of, it is important to know the basic (and mandatory) elements of the feeder:
1. Your feeder must be with a roof - so the food will remain dry and not covered with snow, and it will be easy and simple for the bird to enjoy your treat;
2. Be sure to make the opening of the feeder wide enough, the birds are very shy, especially afraid of enclosed spaces. What if several hungry flyers arrive at once in your “bird dining room” for lunch? It is important to take care of this option;
3. When choosing a material for the feeder, be guided by its strength and moisture resistance: the denser and more moisture-resistant the source material, the longer your feeder will last;
4. The feeder very often turns out to be too light, therefore it reacts to every gust of wind, while grains and crumbs crumble and the birds remain hungry. To cope with this problem, you need to slightly weight the feeder. To do this, lay a piece of plywood, linoleum on its bottom (strictly according to the size of the bottom).
Now you will learn how you can independently make a similar feeder from all kinds of cereals.
This feeder looks great and, at the same time, perfectly copes with its functions! Tree branches adorned with such "decorations" give your garden an aesthetic and exclusive look. So let's get started!
We will need:
All kinds of grains, crumbs, seeds - all raw, as fried ones will only harm small flyers;
Egg;
Oatmeal;
Honey;
Gelatin;
Flour;
Pencil;
Thick cardboard;
Scissors;
Dense kapron thread.
1. Using a pencil and a regular sheet of paper, draw the shape of the future feeder. Hearts, stars, triangles, circles, squares - any geometric shapes will look beautiful;
2. Cut out a paper blank with scissors and attach it to thick cardboard. Circle with a pencil and carefully cut along the contour;
3. Take care of preparing bird food in advance. Pick up unroasted and unsalted grains, all kinds of bread crumbs;
4. Using a needle and a dense nylon thread, make a hole in the cardboard base and thread the thread into it - with its help this “delicacy” will be attached to a tree branch;
5. In order for the grains and crumbs to stick together and attach well to the cardboard base, start preparing natural glue:
- 2 tbsp. tablespoons of oatmeal (in no case oatmeal);
- 1 egg;
- 1 teaspoon of flowing honey;
- Flour.
All ingredients are thoroughly mixed in a bowl and left for 30 minutes. for swelling.
6. We apply the prepared adhesive mass to the base;
7. In another container, thoroughly mix all our grains;
8. We dip and roll in the resulting crumb-grain mixture our base coated with “glue”;
9. Ready grain feeders must be put in the refrigerator for several hours - the mass should solidify well and acquire the necessary strength;
10. Hang such delicious “treats” on the branches of trees and watch from afar the feast of birds that have flown in to treat themselves and feast!
Dissolve one sachet of gelatin in warm water;
Pour all kinds of grains into the still warm solution;
Prepare ordinary cookie cutters, put a thread in them and fill with the resulting grain mixture;
Send the molds with the contents to the refrigerator to thicken;
Delicious toys are ready, you can safely hang them on the branches of trees!
Another "quick" option is to get a few old cups, or take ordinary plastic cups, fill to the top with the prepared mixture (on any basis from the proposed ones). After the mixture thickens in the refrigerator, tie the feeder to a tree branch with a ribbon! The quick version is just as good! 
An ordinary cardboard box can successfully serve as a dining room for birds! However, it is advisable to pick up boxes covered with a special protective layer, laminate - this way the life of your feeder will increase significantly!
Juice boxes are ideal (they are covered with a special moisture-proof layer inside and out), from small equipment, medium boxes from postal parcels, bright candy boxes. Even shoeboxes will do a great job with the functions of the feeder!
Candy box bird feeder
You will need:
Candy box (3 pcs.)
Two medium nylon twine or two shoelaces.
Insert one edge of the box into the other so that you get a triangle of three candy boxes connected to each other, as shown in the picture:
Pass the cord through the roof of the feeder, with the second cord securely attach your feeder to the tree.
candy box feeder
The feeder is ready, it remains only to fill in delicious grains and crumbs!
Even a child will cope with the manufacture of such a feeder (by the way, do not forget to involve children in this entertaining activity).
You will need:
Juice or milk box;
Long lace;
Knife or scissors.
Take an appropriately sized box and, using scissors or a knife, carefully cut a hole in the side of the box.
Through the top edge of the box, right in the middle, thread the string and fasten the “freshly prepared” feeder to the branch.
Hurry up and fill in the bird food - they have already discovered a new bird feeder and are eagerly waiting for your treat!
If you want to make a large enough feeder. To fit a whole flock of birds in it - take an ordinary postal parcel box! Glue the top carefully with adhesive tape, cut wide holes in the side moans, fix it on a tree - you're done! See what happened:
That's where there is a soul to turn around! There are all sorts of plastic bottles around. various forms and colors! There is a huge opportunity to show your creativity, invention, originality!
Let's take a closer look at the idea of turning an ordinary plastic water bottle into a bird feeder.
We will need:
- Knife or scissors;
- Plastic bottle with a capacity of 5-6 liters;
- Wire;
- Bird food.
1. Using a knife or sharp scissors, carefully (so as not to cut yourself) cut a wide hole in a plastic bottle, located slightly above the bottom of the bottle (2-3 cm will be enough);
2. You can make several windows, one on each side.
3. Wrap the neck of the bottle with a strong wire and fasten the other end of the wire to a tree branch;
4. Lay plywood or a piece of linoleum on the bottom of the feeder, with their help we will make our feeder heavier and it will not sway and turn over with every breath of the breeze;
5. Pour in bird food and wait for your invited "guests"!
Plastic bottle feeder with spoons
Let's say that you want to make a small compact plastic feeder, then take a 1.5-2 liter plastic bottle!
You will need the following materials:
1.5-2 liter plastic bottle;
Wire;
Sharp knife or scissors;
Two wooden spoons for coasters;
Bird food.
Step-by-step instruction:
1. Take a plastic bottle with a capacity of 2 liters, measure 15 cm from the bottom of the bottle with a ruler and make a through hole for a wooden spoon at this height in the very center of the bottle;
2. Rise even higher (approximately to the middle of the bottle) and make another through hole for the second spoon. Only at a different angle (perpendicular to existing holes);
3. Insert through the spoon bottle;
4. Enlarge the hole on the wide side of the spoon - the grains will spill out and it will be convenient for the birds to peck them;
5. Pour the bird food into the bottle;
6. Tie the neck of the bottle with wire and attach it securely to the branches of the tree.
The feeder is ready! In a few minutes, birds wishing to treat themselves will visit it.
Another option for a plastic bottle feeder, more simplified:
We use the same materials as for the feeder with spoons. But now we don’t need spoons, but instead prepare electrical tape.
So, in a two-liter bottle we cut a large hole at a height of 5-7 cm from the bottom of the bottle. In order to make it convenient for the birds to sit on the cut edges of the bottle, we paste over the cuts with electrical tape or tape (your choice). We wrap the wire around the neck of the bottle and fasten it to a tree branch. Pour food - you're done!
DIY wooden bird feeder
We have already considered quite a lot of different options for bird feeders, made from all kinds of improvised means and even waste. It will not be right at all if a reliable and durable wooden feeder is left without attention - these are the feeders that hung on the trees in our childhood. It was them who were taught to make us at labor lessons by our Trudoviks!
Recall the manufacturing technology and - for business!
First, let's get creative and draw a little! Armed with a piece of paper and a pencil, draw the feeder you plan to make. Seeing it on paper. Estimate the dimensions of the future bird "dining room". Only after that you can start making the feeder.
As an option - use the ready-made drawings, which are presented at the very beginning of this article. The dimensions are already indicated there, the contours are clearly outlined - you can safely proceed to the next events.
For the manufacture of wooden feeder you will definitely need the following tools:
1. Hacksaw;
2. Hammer;
3. Nails.
Prepare the following materials in advance:
Plywood of the right size;
Bars 2x2 cm;
Thin wooden board for the base of the feeder.
We go strictly by size! Dimensions are shown on the drawing.
1. From thin wooden board(solid) cut out a rectangular base of the desired size;
2. Now go to the plywood sheet and cut out a rectangle of the same size as the base - this plywood sheet will serve as the roof of your feeder;
3. We cut the bar into four parts, and one pair of bars should be 3 cm shorter than the first pair. Thanks to this design, the water will flow smoothly over the roof of the feeder and not stagnate on it - the roof will last much longer!
4. We retreat 1-1.5 cm from each edge of the feeder and nail the racks, first to the base of the feeder. And then we nail the roof to the racks. The front struts should be shorter than the rear;
5. We nail a wire or a strong nylon cord to the middle of the roof and fix the feeder on the tree.
All! The work is done, we pour the food, and admire the fun bird feast! Don't forget to take pictures - the memory will last a lifetime. There will be something to show to the grandchildren and what to make together with them!
In no case do we paint the feeder with paint or varnish - the birds do not tolerate such smells and will not visit the painted feeder with their presence!
What food is good for birds, and what, on the contrary, can harm them?
Feeding birds is a laudable occupation, but it is worth knowing that not all food is suitable for birds to eat! One food can provoke a disease of a gullible and hungry flyer, another can lead to the death of a bird, but the third one will definitely help a bird survive in a cold and hungry press and live until the long-awaited spring!
So, what can not be given to birds for food:
- Crumbs from fresh white bread;
- Crumbs from rye bread;
Skins of bananas and all kinds of citrus fruits;
Cream pies, cakes;
Crisps;
Roasted and salted seeds;
Cereals;
Nuts.
What can and should be treated to birds:
- Raw seeds;
- Buckwheat, millet, oats, millet;
- Crumbs and small pieces of stale white bread;
- Dried and cut into pieces fruits (dried fruits);
- Titmouse are very fond of small cubes of unsalted lard;
- For red-sided bullfinches, put mountain ash, viburnum in the feeder.
A few more photos of the original feeders:
Thanks to your attention and care in the winter, there will be a real chance to survive more birds, which, in turn, will surely thank you later with their songs and “health-improving” work in your garden!
Watch also the video: Do-it-yourself bunker bird feeder in 10 minutes.
DIY bird feeders: drawings, photo instructions. From this article you can learn how to make bird feeders: an overview existing species structures and general recommendations for their creation and placement, the selection of suitable building materials, photos and drawings with a detailed description of the technology.
Making bird feeders: drawings, descriptions and technologies
Having decided on the type of construction and material, you can proceed to the direct manufacture of the feeder. It should be noted that not all types of grains are suitable for feeding birds. The favorite food of birds that remain for the winter is the seeds of wild grasses. It is desirable that these were burdock plant species. Turnip seed is suitable, which can be harvested in the summer or purchased at ready-made at the pet store.
Forged fruit holder for vitamin feeding of birds
Homemade feeders can be filled with:
- oats and millet;
- small sunflower seeds (not roasted);
- hemp and flax seeds;
- dried pods of acacias living in the middle latitudes (wisteria, honey locust, sophora, etc.);
- pumpkin seeds;
- dry pea pods (it must be ripe and firm);
- pine nuts;
- millet (in small doses);
- seeds of such deciduous trees as ash, hornbeam, linden, maple, alder;
- acorns and seeds of coniferous trees, for example, beech nuts, ruffled cones (if the feeder is designed for stubblers).
Drawing of a square wooden bird feeder
Note! Rye, wheat and bread are not allowed. They are harmful to birds. Moreover, black bread is the most dangerous, because it causes inflammation of the goiter. Poorly perceived strongly swelling cereals during cooking, for example, buckwheat, pearl barley, rice. The peel of any tropical fruit and citrus is deadly to birds.
How to make a birdhouse with your own hands: assembling a wooden structure
To build a wooden birdhouse, you will need skills in working with carpentry tools.
Large wooden bird house
To work, you will need the following materials:
- wooden beam for racks (2x4.5 cm);
- plywood square as flooring on the bottom (25x25 cm);
- wooden pieces for the construction of the roof (22x35 cm, 2 pcs.);
- fasteners (adhesive composition, self-tapping screws, nails).
It does not hurt to first find a suitable drawing of the feeder, which will help you navigate during the assembly of parts.
Drawing of a wooden feeder: 1 and 2 - roof slopes, 3 and 4 - roof ridge, 5 and 6 - side walls, 7 and 8 - sides
First, the base is assembled: sides and bottom. To do this, the bars, pre-cut in accordance with the size of the bottom, are glued from the end sides and fixed to the screws. The result is a wooden frame. A pair of sides running in parallel must be made about 5 cm longer than the bottom. They will be used to install the perches. With the help of nails, the bottom is nailed to the frame.
At the next stage of making the feeder do-it-yourself racks are mounted from wood. In order to fasten the corresponding parts from the inside of the box. The optimal length is 18-20 cm.
A wooden feeder will harmoniously fit into the general view of a frequent yard
A truss system is attached to the racks. To do this, you need to connect a pair of bars at a right angle. To strengthen the place of fixation, the joint is fixed with a piece of timber. The result is a right angle with equal sides. According to the drawing, it is necessary to make two such parts.
Useful advice! In order to properly connect the parts of a bird feeder made of wood, when fastening the bars, you need to lay the flat wide part on the table. After that, an additional element is attached from above at an appropriate angle.
How to make an ice cream stick feeder
Then the rafters are attached to the racks with self-tapping screws. Next, the roof slopes are installed. To do this, two wooden elements are installed on the rafters. If a wooden corner is available, you can make a skate. A bird feeder made of wood needs a perch. To do this, sticks or a window glazing bead are glued between an elongated pair of sides.
This design can be both stationary and suspended. It can be mounted on a pole or, by making a couple of holes in the ridge, hang it on a wire.
How to make a do-it-yourself bird feeder out of wood: plywood construction
An alternative option for a wooden feeder would be a construction made of plywood.
The material allows you to choose any modification:
- open;
- with a gable or flat roof;
- with bunker.
Drawing of a plywood feeder: 1 - side wall 2 pcs., 2 - base, 3 - bottom, 4 - roof 2 pcs.
Plywood is a wood-derived material that is much cheaper and lighter in weight. Before you make a bird feeder out of wood, you must definitely select the appropriate drawing. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the type of birds living in the region. Such large birds like magpies, pigeons and jays can eat all the food, leaving small birds without food. Therefore, if the feeder is designed for tits, the openings should be such that large species cannot reach the grains.
To work, you will need the following tools and materials:
- jigsaw;
- sandpaper;
Little a simple feeder can be made from the remains of building materials
- adhesive on water based;
- nails and hammer;
- plywood sheet;
- timber with a section size of 2x2 cm.
In accordance with the drawing, markings are applied to the plywood sheet. After that, all the details are carefully cut out with a jigsaw. A square element 25x25 cm will be used as a flooring for the bottom. For the construction of the roof, you need to take larger parts, otherwise moisture will drain onto the feed. The edges of the resulting blanks must be sanded.
Plywood birdhouse drawing
From the timber you need to cut 4 racks 25-30 cm long each. If the structure will have a shed (flat) roof, a pair of bars should be shortened by 2-3 cm. The cut is made at an angle. All joints of parts are treated with an adhesive composition, after which they are fastened with nails. Racks are installed on the bottom, and sides are fixed to them. A roof is installed at the top of the racks. The design can be installed permanently or suspended using a hook and hardware.
Useful advice! If the wooden feeder will be varnished, it is recommended to use a water-based compound for this so as not to harm the birds.
Plywood house-dining room for birds
How to make a do-it-yourself feeder: a hanging grain structure
Suspended grain structures are the easiest option. Such a design can be made in a few hours.
For work you will need:
- raw bird food;
- oat groats;
- egg;
- gelatin;
- flour;
- needle and thick thread;
- thick cardboard and scissors;
- pencil and molds for filling.
Hanging structures made of grain not only help to feed the birds, but also decorate the garden
How to make an edible bird feeder with your own hands:
- Draw on the cardboard the figure you like, for example, a square, a circle, a triangle, a heart, etc.
- Cut out the shape according to the markup.
- Form a fastening by threading a needle and making a hole.
- Prepare the glue mixture. To do this, the following ingredients are mixed: 1 tsp. honey, egg, 2 tbsp. l. oatmeal and a small amount of flour.
- Leave the mixture for half an hour.
- Apply adhesive mass over the cardboard base.
- Mix grain feed with glue mass.
- Apply the resulting mixture to the cardboard base.
You can make grain hangers using a silicone baking dish
After that, the grain feeder should be placed in the refrigerator for several hours. When the mixture hardens, the products can be hung on tree branches in the yard.
There is another technology for making edible feeders:
- Dissolve gelatin packet in warm water.
- Pour food into it.
- Divide the resulting mass into molds.
- Insert thread for hanging.
- Send the molds to the refrigerator for several hours.
Original feeder-suspension of half an orange
After hardening, the feeders are completely ready for use. To make it easier for the birds to grasp, the molds can be placed in bright mesh bags.
How to make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle
In every home there is an unnecessary plastic container. Therefore, many are thinking about creating a bottle feeder. The material is cut with scissors or a knife, and the design is transparent and very light. This option is especially convenient, as there are several ways to create plastic feeders.
Children will also be happy to participate in the manufacture of feeders with their own hands.
How to make a plastic bottle feeder:
- A pair of holes are cut on both sides of the bottle. They should be symmetrical. The shape can be any: arch, square, circle, rectangle.
- Jumpers must be left between the holes.
- You can make a rain visor by making an inverted U-shaped slot and bending the plate up.
- The lower edge of the slots where the birds will land must be secured. To do this, the cut is covered with fabric insulating tape or adhesive tape.
- At the bottom you need to make symmetrical holes.
- A perch stick is inserted into the holes obtained.
A simple feeder made from a plastic bottle and wooden perches
Such a feeder can be fixed on a tree. To do this, the jumper is wound with a rope, tape or other material.
Useful advice! If you insert twine from a bottle through the birdhouse lid, having previously made holes in it, you can form a loop that will allow you to hang the structure on a tree branch.
Original feeder made from two plastic bottles
Do-it-yourself bunker feeder from a plastic bottle
The bunker design is very rational. It allows you to fill up the feed mixture with a margin for several days. As the birds eat the grains, the additive will automatically flow onto the tray.
To work, you need a couple of bottles of the same capacity. One container is marked with a marker. Near the bottom, it is necessary to make holes similar to those made in the previous version of the plastic feeder, and then remove 1/3 of the bottle (top).
Scheme for making a feeder from a plastic bottle mounted on a tree
A pair of symmetrical holes is made in the upper part. They will be used to hang the feeder with ribbons or twine. The second bottle will store the food. In the narrowest part of this container, several holes should be made through which the grains will spill. Don't make the holes too big. If necessary, it is better to expand them later.
The corresponding bottle must be filled with the feed mixture, screw the stopper in it and place it inside the container, which is cut off by 1/3. After that, twine is pulled through the holes, and the structure is hung on a tree.
From the neck of the bottle, you can make a hanging feeder from grains with the addition of gelatin
How to make a bottle feeder: the simplest design with a spoon
There is another version of the bunker design - a feeder with a spoon. For this, a bottle with a capacity of 1.5-2 liters is suitable. First you need to make a hole in the cork and stretch the twine through it. With it, the structure will be suspended on a branch. Then you need to make holes symmetrically (one on each side of the bottle). They should match the size of a wooden spoon.
On the side where the deep part of the spoon will be placed, the hole needs to be slightly expanded so that it is convenient for the birds to pick up food. It remains only to fill the feeder with the selected feed mixture and hang it in a convenient place.
Manufacturing technology of a feeder from a plastic bottle and a wooden spoon
Useful advice! To prevent the hopper feeder from accumulating moisture, several holes must be made in the bottom. To do this, you can use a small nail or a hot needle.
How to make a bird feeder from a 5L bottle
Water bottles with a volume of 5 liters can hold much more feed than standard containers. Besides big size The container allows you to make several holes, so that a large number of birds can feed at the feeder at the same time.
A 5 liter bottle is capable of holding a lot of bird food, with a supply of several weeks
For work you will need:
- wire or tape for hanging;
- clean bottle;
- birdseed;
- a cutting tool, such as a pruner, scissors or a clerical knife.
First, a hole is made for hanging the structure. Its location will depend on the nature of the placement of the feeder on the tree:
- Horizontally - a pair of wide holes is made (one near the neck, the other - from the side of the bottom).
- Vertically - with an indent of 5-7 cm from the bottom of the bottle, it is necessary to cut 3 rectangular holes or several square ones.
In a plastic bottle, it is desirable to make several holes-doors for the convenience of moving birds
It is most convenient to hang the bottle by the neck. If the structure is fixed in a horizontal position, two holes must be made in the wall and, after passing the twine through them, fix the feeder on the tree. Plastic structures are very light. To prevent the bottle from being swayed by the wind, before filling it with food, it is advisable to put ¼ of a brick on the bottom.
Technology for creating a bunker feeder from a 5 liter bottle
To create a bunker feeder, you will need several bottles (5 l - 1 pc., 1.5 l - 2 pcs.), As well as a clerical knife, a rope and a marker. First, markings are applied to a large container. With the help of a marker near the bottom, a zone is marked where a hole will be placed that acts as a tap hole. It is best to make 2 small slots and one large one through which you can install a 1.5 liter bottle.
Creation technology winter feeder for birds from a plastic bottle
Then a U-shaped hole is cut upside down. The upper part should be bent to make a protective visor from the rain. The lower edge of the opening is sealed with adhesive tape so that the birds do not get hurt during feeding.
In those areas where the bottle placed inside is in contact with the bottom of a large container, as well as in areas slightly higher, holes must be made. As the food is eaten, the grains will wake up through them. A round hole is made in the cap of a 5-liter bottle so that after screwing the thread, the neck of the inner container rises. Then, at the second bottle, you need to cut off the neck along with the top. The result should be a funnel. It should be put on the neck of the inner bottle and tighten the cork. The feeder is ready.
It is better to place the doors in the bottle not at the very bottom, which will provide a certain supply of food.
Useful advice! It is advisable to install the feeder under the roof so that the birds are more comfortable. For this, a canopy or gazebo is suitable.
How to make a feeder out of a box: a description of the process
A homemade bird feeder can be made from the simplest materials at hand. Almost every house has boxes of food products, shoes or electrical appliances. For work, it is desirable to select thick cardboard. An ideal option would be a bird feeder out of a box with a laminated coating, which will increase the life of the structure.
The feeder out of the box can be equipped with suction cups and attached to the window glass
The advantage of this method is that the box already has walls, a bottom and a roof. Therefore, the steps to convert it into a feeder will be minimal, you only need to cut holes in a rectangular or square shape on the sides.
To make a bird feeder with your own hands out of the box, you will need a clerical knife or scissors, cord and tape. Since cardboard is short-lived and vulnerable to moisture, it should be wrapped with tape for protection. This is done after the feeder is ready. When holes are cut in the side walls for access to the feed, you need to fasten the cord and hang the feeder. To prevent the structure from rocking from the wind, put a few pebbles or pour sand on the bottom.
Examples of bird feeders made from shoeboxes
You can slightly change the technology. In this case, the box lid is glued perpendicularly. As a result, it will serve as a feed stand. The second part of the box will replace the roof and railings. The design must be glued with adhesive tape.
Next, you need to organize a system of fasteners for hanging. To do this, a pair of hooks is made from wire. A piece of wire is bent in half and the end is pierced through the "ceiling" part of the feeder. After that, the wire is twisted and bent from the inside. Now the feeder can be hung on a branch.
Cardboard bird feeder technology
How to make a feeder out of a juice or milk box
To create such a design, you will need a Tetra Pak bag from liquid foods, such as juice or milk.
List necessary materials and tools for work:
- wire for hanging or nylon rope;
- a clean milk or juice bag;
- adhesive plaster;
- stationery knife or scissors;
- marker.
You can make beautiful feeders from juice or milk packages
The feeder should be comfortable for the birds, so markings are applied to the cardboard and a couple of holes of sufficient size are cut out on opposite sides. Through space will allow the birds to easily move and take food. For safety reasons, the window must be pasted over with adhesive tape.
Under the slots, you need to pierce a hole with scissors and insert cardboard rolled into a tube into it. This will be a perch. The material for its manufacture can be taken from scraps left over from previous operations. In the corners you need to make small holes where a rope or wire will be stretched for hanging. A milk carton feeder can be tied to a branch or attached to a tree trunk.
The technology of creating a feeder-house from a cardboard tetrapack
Useful advice! To prevent the structure from swinging, it is better to cut the slots not on opposite sides, but on adjacent walls of the package.
The feeder can be made from two juice packs. The first tetrapak needs to be cut along the narrow side parts so that the top remains intact. 1/3 is cut off from the second package, and a hole should be cut on the front side. This area will be used as a stern board. The bottom of the second tetrapak must be combined with the first package. If everything is done correctly, you should get a triangle. To fix the parts, it is better to use glue, as well as winding with tape.
Bird feeder made from a box, rope and wooden sticks
How to decorate a bird feeder with your own hands: interesting ideas
When the feeder is ready, you can start decorating it. In this case, everything depends solely on the imagination. The design of homemade dining rooms for birds is practically unlimited, the main thing is that all decor elements are environmentally friendly and safe for birds.
How to decorate the feeder with improvised materials:
- paint the structure with a coloring composition;
- decorate with weaving from ropes or twine;
- use materials of natural origin as decor, for example, moss, tree bark and branches, cones, acorns, chestnuts;
- decoration with colored ropes;
- use of chains with an unusual shape of links, etc.
You can decorate the feeder with carved elements
You can find many on the web interesting ideas for decorating homemade feeders. If you approach this issue thoroughly, you can make a house of an unusual shape. After that, the paint left after the repair, various figures and colored paper are used for decoration. However, do not overdo it with rustling and shiny details, otherwise the birds will be scared. In addition, decorative elements should not create obstacles for food intake.
The use of paint will not only change the color of the structure, but also protect the material from the negative effects of atmospheric factors. Coloring can be monophonic or multi-colored. In this case, you can use various drawings. It is better if their theme is intertwined with winter motifs. On sale you can find many interesting stencils that will simplify the process of decorating.
Bird feeder can be decorated with drawings
An interesting design will turn out if you arrange a wooden structure in the form of a bee hive or a miniature mill. This work is very meticulous, but if you try, you can achieve a complete resemblance to real buildings. Decoration in the form of small branches will give the design a natural charm. At the entrance, you can hang a beautiful cone or an edible garland, the main thing is that it does not block access to the feed.
For decoration, old dishes can be used, for example, a saucer with a cup or a tea infuser. To do this, 4 holes are drilled in the saucer and a rope is pulled through them. After that, the cup is glued to the saucer. This design can be hung in any corner of the yard. The carving, bright painting, pieces of leather and applications look original in the design of the feeders. By creating several designs in the same style, you can get beautiful composition, which will emphasize the exterior of the yard.
An easy way to decorate the feeder is to paint it in different colors.
Having spent a little time building a bird feeder with your own hands, you can not only provide the feathered inhabitants of the garden with a delicious snack, but also get a worthy decoration of the yard.
In winter, it is not easy for birds to get their own food under the snow. You can help them by making a bird feeder with your own hands. Draw to it exciting activity their children. In the process of working together, children can be told about how important it is to feed birds in cold weather, what kind of food should be poured, and which birds fly to the feeder in winter.
Why is it important to feed birds in winter?
Ornithologists give the following figures: out of every ten tits, nine die during the winter, mainly from hunger. The metabolism of birds is designed in such a way that they need to eat throughout the daylight hours, and in cold weather, even more calories are required to maintain life. A well-fed bird retains heat without problems until the morning, and a hungry bird has little chance of surviving a frosty night. There is especially little food in the second half of winter, when most of the berries and fruits have already been eaten or covered with snow.
The device of the feeder is not difficult at all, by making it yourself, you will save many bird lives if you do not forget to fill it in a timely manner.
What birds can be seen at the feeder in winter
In central Russia, more than ten species of birds fly to feeders. In cities, tits, sparrows, pigeons, and crows are more common. In large parks, gardens, on the outskirts or in countryside on the feeders you can see woodpeckers, goldfinches, waxwings, nuthatches, bullfinches, jays and many other birds. The most frequent visitors to the bird canteen are tits - a large yellow-breasted and black-and-white Muscovite and their closest relatives - blue tit and princelings.
Feeder in a hurry from a plastic bottle
Despite the unpresentable appearance, plastic bottle feeders can most often be seen on trees. They can be made from any container, but it is better to choose transparent plastic so that you can see how the feeder is empty. They have a lot of advantages:
- Waste plastic containers can be found in any household. Instead of filling the trash can with them, you can do a useful thing.
- To make such a feeder, you only need a kitchen or clerical knife and a piece of rope. If you want to do it as neatly as possible - mark the cutting lines with a marker and give it to the children - let them paint the future feeder. Such a beautiful bird canteen will be clearly visible on the white snow, and you will not miss it when you fill up the food.
- from plastic bottles you can make several - different shapes and types. By carefully observing the arriving birds, you can see the flaws in the design and make a new one without any problems.
And, finally, a person with any skills can easily and quickly make such a feeder. Teenagers can be instructed to make their own.
Rinse containers of strong-smelling liquids thoroughly. Birds have a delicate sense of smell and a strong smell can scare them away. It is better to take a container from under bottled water.
The easiest option is to cut a large hole in the side wall of the bottle. It should not be done too high so that the feeder does not turn into a trap. There should be a few centimeters left to the bottom. The cap on the bottle must be left so that snow and rainwater do not get inside through the neck. Choose a place for the feeder so that cats and other animals cannot jump into it from the ground or climb through a thick branch. At the same time, the bottle must be well fixed.
There should always be a variety of food in the feeder. Make sure you don't run out of food.
An interesting and convenient design of several inverted bottles mounted on a wooden pallet. It allows you to simultaneously feed a larger number of birds with different food.
How to make a tree feeder
Surely you have already made a few pieces from plastic bottles and hung them in a park or your garden. Now you can take on a more difficult task and make a do-it-yourself bird feeder out of wood. The simplest and most affordable material for it is plywood. It is durable and quite resistant to moisture. For work you will need:
- a sheet of plywood of a suitable size;
- wooden slats;
- pencil;
- jigsaw;
- a hammer;
- nails or screws;
- screwdriver or screwdriver.
Plywood needs to be cut with a jigsaw according to the dimensions shown in the photo below. It is advisable to nail slats to such a bird feeder along the perimeter of the bottom so that the food does not spill out of it. Plywood can be replaced with fiberboard, OSB or hardboard.
The assembly must be carried out in the same sequence in which the house is being built. The bottom is screwed to the base, then the gables. The roof is attached to them. Provide fasteners to a tree, pole or any other high structure.
The dimensions in the picture are approximate, and you can change them, but it is not desirable to make a large feeder with only corner posts, so that it does not turn out like in the photo below: 
For the same reason, you should not mount your craft directly on a tree trunk or a thick branch.
What food do winter birds need
Now you can make any bird feeder with your own hands. It remains to find out how to fill them and how to prepare food so that the birds are satisfied.
You can start collecting food for birds in the summer. Collect and dry the seeds of watermelon, melon, sunflower, pumpkin, hemp. All seeds must not be roasted. Shredded dried up will go into action White bread, cottage cheese mixed with dried bread so that it does not stick together, unsalted bacon, acorns, bunches of mountain ash, elderberry. For granivorous birds, bunches of weeds are dried in autumn - nettles, quinoa, burdock, horse sorrel.
If it was not possible to prepare the food in advance, ready-made grain mixtures for parrots and other ornamental birds are suitable.
You can not pour salty and spoiled foods into the feeders, including putting salted lard, moldy bread, millet, fried seeds. Brown bread, pies, whites and pizza are also not suitable.
Having made a bird feeder with your own hands, you will save a lot of birds, and you will meet spring with their cheerful singing. And in gardens and parks, they will help get rid of many pests on trees.
Homemade feeders - video
Winter is coming and our birds will need to survive it. Let's take care of them! Consider several options for how to make a feeder with your own hands.
- The feeder should be with a roof, as rain can wet the food or cover it with snow.
- The opening of the feeder should be wide - the birds are afraid of closed spaces.
- Choose a practical moisture-resistant material for making the feeder.
- The feeder should not be too light, as it is swayed by the wind and the food may crumble. If it's too light, make it heavier. This can be done with a piece of plywood or linoleum. Put it on the bottom of the feeder strictly according to size.
Wooden feeder
You will need: hacksaw, hammer, nails, plywood, bars 2:2 cm, thin wooden board.
Master Class
Blueprints
Drawing No. 1
Drawing No. 2
Drawing No. 3
We present to your attention several options for making wooden bird feeders. You can create an ordinary dining room feeder, a small castle or just a birdhouse. And if you are a jack of all trades, then the feeder can be decorated with wood carvings, creating beautiful patterns.
Grain feeders
You will need: food (raw), egg, oatmeal, flour, honey, gelatin, thick cardboard, scissors, thick thread, pencil, needle, molds.
Recipe #1
- Draw any figure on the cardboard. It can be a heart, a circle, a triangle, a square ...
- Cut out with scissors.
- Pass the thread through the needle, and make a hole in the cardboard figure, creating a fastener.
- Prepare the glue. To do this, mix: 2 tablespoons of oatmeal, an egg, 1 teaspoon of honey and a little flour.
- Leave the mixture for 30 minutes.
- Apply glue to the cardboard base.
- Mix the grain mixture with the glue mass.
- Apply the mixture to the cardboard base.
- Place the grain feeders in the refrigerator for several hours.
Recipe #2
- Dissolve gelatin in warm water.
- Pour food into it.
- Divide the mass into molds.
- Insert threads for fastening.
- Send to the refrigerator for several hours.
- Hang treats on tree branches.
Candy box feeder
You will need: 2 candy boxes, glue, 2 laces.
Master Class
- Spread the edges of the box with glue.
- Insert the edge of the box into another box in such a way that you get a triangle.
- Glue the base of the box to the triangle.
- Let dry 10 minutes.
- Thread the string through the top of the box.
- Tie a knot.
- Tie a feeder to a tree branch with a second string.
Juice box feeder
You will need: box of juice or milk, scissors, string.
Master Class
plastic feeder
You will need: plastic bottle with a capacity of 5-6 liters, scissors, wire.
Master Class
- Take the bottle and scissors.
- Step back 3 cm from the bottom of the bottle up and cut out a rectangular window.
- Put a piece of plywood or linoleum strictly according to the size of the bottom of the bottle.
- Take the wire, wrap the neck of the bottle.
- Attach the feeder to a tree branch.
Birdseed
Making a feeder is great, but you need to know exactly what you can put in it.
Birds can be fed raw seeds, millet, oats, millet, buckwheat, crumbs of a stale white bun, small pieces of dried fruits, mountain ash, viburnum.
Birds can't be fed fresh white and rye bread crumbs, pastries, cakes, chips, salty and roasted sunflower seeds, nuts and oatmeal.
Thanks to your care, the birds will survive in the winter. In turn, they will delight you with their songs in the spring. Birds are very important, as they are not only pleasing to the eye, but also perform a huge sanitary and health work!
(17
ratings, average: 4,18
out of 5)
Making a bird feeder with your own hands is a fascinating and useful thing, especially if the kids help you. After all, it is very difficult for our feathered friends to survive the winter cold. Sad statistics show that out of 10 birds, only 2 birds survive until spring sunny days. And by placing the original bird feeder with your own hands in a square, park or on your own personal plot, you will save more than one bird life from hunger.
How to make a bird feeder with your own hands?
arranging breeding ground for birds in your garden or summer cottage, you kill two birds with one stone: you save the birds from hunger in the winter and protect your crop from numerous pests in the summer. Our feathered brothers are effective fighters against midges and other harmful insects. Pichugi will delight you with cheerful chirping, flooding trills or funny games and fuss around food, and all this is exciting to watch.
Having shown a little imagination and made an original bird feeder with your own hands from improvised materials, you will decorate your garden with an unusual accessory! So what do you need to have on hand, how to make a bird feeder with your own hands? Of the materials, empty tin cans, corks from wine bottles, plastic canisters and bottles, cuttings of branches, unnecessary pieces of plywood, roofing material and boards, unused dishes (cups and saucers, mugs, teapots, decorative glass bottles), metal or nylon mesh can fit and other household junk. Rope, fishing line, various chains, ribbons and nylon ribbons, wire will fit for fastening and decoration.
Despite the variety of materials, all designs can be conditionally divided into four groups:
- Strong and durable feeders, similar to birdhouses, made of wood.
- "Disposable" feeders from cardboard boxes, do not require any costs, but will not last long.
- Easy to make, designs from plastic canisters, cans or bottles.
- Food suspended on strings.
What to use for feeding?
Experiencing a significant lack of nutrition in the cold months, pichugs will peck with great pleasure everything that you offer them. For feeding, use any ground cereals: buckwheat, rice, oats, millet and millet - everything will be eaten. Grind any nuts and grains, add a little honey to the seeds of pumpkin, melon, watermelon, quinoa, thistle, hemp, sunflower, quinoa.
In the bird feeder put small pieces of lard or chicken, boiled and finely chopped egg. Any dry berries and fruits, especially viburnum and rowan clusters, will not be left without attention.
When setting up a dining room for birds, one should not forget to regularly fill the feeder with a nutrient mixture, since birds, getting used to feeding in one place, are ready to fly quite a long distance for food. And not finding food in the usual place, tired and hungry, they can die. Do not use rye bread, roasted nuts, cereals, grains and seeds, salty foods, citrus fruits, fresh rolls for bait. Such products will harm the birds.
When choosing a material for the manufacture of a feeder, you need consider a few things:
How to make a bird feeder accessible and safe?
It is necessary to arrange feeders in open, well-visible areas, that is, in places accessible to birds. In dense branches, heavily ventilated areas, or in places where cats can get to, you should not organize bird feeding areas. Bird feeders, fixed on a tree trunk or branch, or on the walls of outbuildings at a height of about one and a half meters, are easily accessible for birds, it is convenient to add food to them and they are inaccessible to domestic predators.
Most of us imagine a bird feeder as a small house or birdhouse. This form is an ideal solution for organizing bird catering.
Whatever material you choose, design must include:
Lightweight bird feeders made of plastic or cardboard are easy to make heavier by laying a piece of unnecessary linoleum or plywood on the bottom.
The most original bird feeders - grain
To make it, you need a mixture of raw grains, seeds, nuts and bread crumbs. We will make the basis of the feeder with our own hands from thick cardboard and nylon thread, using scissors and a thick needle. Adhesive base made from oatmeal mixed with egg and honey, or from gelatin. Mix 2 tablespoons of oatmeal (not cereal), 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of honey, leave for 30-40 minutes. At this time, we cut out the base for the feeder from cardboard in the form of hearts, stars, and any other geometric shapes.
To fasten a delicacy treat on branches, using a thick needle, we thread a thread, lace, braid or ribbon through a hole in a cardboard blank. We apply the swollen sticky mass to the base and roll it in the prepared grain mixture. We put it in the refrigerator for solidification and after a few hours the treat for birds is ready!
With a gelatin base, the manufacturing process is even easier. We mix the prepared nutrient mixture with a warm gelatin solution and pour into silicone baking molds. Having put a loop for fastening on branches, we send it to harden in the refrigerator.
The original solution for such feeding will be old crockery. We leave the food prepared in any way to solidify in mugs or a teapot that has become unusable. We tie the fastening thread to the handle of the product. We hang sweets on trees and watch the feast of birds.
Cardboard box feeder
How to make a do-it-yourself feeder from a box of sweets or parcels, milk or juice. Having put the edges of three candy boxes into each other in the form of a triangle, we glue or use adhesive tape, thread any cord or ribbon through the roof and fasten it to a tree. The feeder is ready. Designs from packages from any drinks will last a little longer, since they have a laminated layer inside and out, moisture-proof. An entrance is cut with a knife or scissors, a round or square hole in one of the sidewalls, a little higher than the bottom of the box. A rope is attached to the top for hanging on a tree. The feeder is ready in a few minutes.
Similarly, you can make a feeder with your own hands from plastic containers: bottles, canisters, cans.
It is easier to fix a plastic feeder with a wire. And to protect the birds from injury, glue the inlet with tape or tape. From plastic bottles, spending a little more time, you can make an elementary bunker feeder. To do this, two through holes are made in a one and a half or two-liter bottle: the first at a height of 10-15 cm from the bottom and the second in the center of the container, perpendicular to the first. Two wooden spoons are inserted into these holes. Holes on the wide side of the spoons expand to spill feed. Through the neck of the bottle, it is convenient to add food to the feeder, under the weight of the grain mixture plastic feeder gusts of wind are not terrible, the food remains dry and accessible to birds for a long time.
Having warmed from the inside, with yarn or sisal, one and a half or two-liter capacity, you will know how to make a birdhouse from a bottle.
A little more time and skill will be required to make a plywood bird feeder.
It can be with a gable or flat roof, open or with a bunker compartment. To make even the simplest feeder, like a birdhouse, you will need a drawing that can be found on the Internet or calculate the design yourself. Of the tools needed: hammer, jigsaw, nails, glue, sandpaper. In addition to plywood, you will need a bar.
Procedure
A plywood feeder is suspended by a rope threaded under the roof or a hook screwed into the roof. The service life of such a structure will be extended if it is varnish or oil paint.
Classic dining room made of wood
However, with a little imagination and ingenuity, you can create a real masterpiece!
Of the tools at least you will need: a hammer and nails, self-tapping screws and a screwdriver. Cuttings of boards can be combined with croaker or branches, preserving the bark of the tree, small twigs or straw will decorate the plywood roof of the feeder in an original way. The roof of the wooden feeder can be mounted both on four support posts and on two flat supports located opposite each other. In addition, a two-leg feeder can be duplex or bunker. And, having certain skills and appropriate equipment, the sides of the birdhouse dining room can be made in any shape.
The manufacture of a double-walled feeder does not require an exact drawing of a bird feeder and adherence to exact dimensions. But there is unlimited scope for creative thought.
The assembly of the structure takes place in the same sequence as the plywood feeder. The bottom is fastened with supports, then the sidewalls and the roof. Since a bird feeder made of wood is quite heavy and durable, it can be installed either on a support pole or hung by a wire or rope on tree branches.
For the convenience of small birds, titmouse and sparrows, thin perch branches can be attached parallel to the sidewalls. And having sawn round “windows” in the walls and threading a knitting needle or a metal pin through them, it becomes possible to diversify the feathered table with apples, pieces of pumpkin or lard.
The ideal solution for "remote" food outlets, especially near birdhouses, is dispenser installed inside a double-walled structure. One of the options for the bunker is with glass or plastic sidewalls. On the inner side of the walls, vertical grooves are sawn, not reaching the bottom about a centimeter, into which sidewalls made of glass or plastic are inserted. The food will spill out through the gap as it is eaten by the birds.
An easier-to-make feeder, in which the bunker serves plastic bottle. Cut off at both ends, with the help of a wire, it is suspended in the center of the feeder a couple of centimeters above the bottom. For the convenience of filling the hopper with nutrient mixture, the cover of the feeder is removable.
Not being able to frequently replenish food in the feeder, a full bin will keep the bird treats well and allow the birds to stay full for a long time.
By placing a do-it-yourself birdhouse made from improvised materials next to the dining room, you will provide tits and other small birds and housing and food.
Whatever idea of making a feeder with your own hands you would not choose, the birds will certainly be grateful to you! Having tried your hand at making a feeder, you can also make a birdhouse with your own hands from improvised materials.
Bird feeders
