For birds, you need to have a few simple items and tools.
The feeder can be made with the children, but keep in mind that you need to follow every step, as in the construction process, sharp things are used - scissors, knives, screwdrivers and even, sometimes, a saw.
There are many options for feeders - from plywood, a plastic bottle, a can or cardboard.
Here are the most interesting, popular and original ideas creating a feeder:
Feeder from improvised materials: toilet paper sleeves
You will need:
1 toilet paper roll
Peanut butter
small bowl
plate
A couple of branches
Strong thread or fishing line
Knife (blunt or plastic).
1. Connect two branches or sticks together with hot glue or string. You can skip this step if you make 4 holes in the sleeve (see below).
2. Make holes in the toilet paper roll so that you can put two branches or sticks into them. It is better to make 2 holes: a little higher and 2 a little lower (see image). This item is optional, because the sleeve can be put on in a different way.
3. Place the peanut butter in a small bowl and use a plastic knife to spread the oil onto the surface of the toilet paper roll.
4. Sprinkle food on top of the peanut buttered hub.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for 4 more bushings.
6. Tie a strong thread to the connected branches so that the structure can be hung.
7. Hang all the cardboard sleeves on the branch structure, and then hang everything on the tree.
Plastic bottle feeder. Option 1.
You will need:
Any plastic bottle
Ribbon, thread or fishing line
Awl or drill (for making holes in the bottle and plastic cap)
Bolt and nut
Knife clerical or simple (if necessary)
Deep plastic bowl.
1. Prepare a plastic bottle. Remove the label from it, wash well and dry.
2. Make a hole in the middle of the lid and plastic plate.
3. Attach the lid to the plate with a bolt and nut.
4. Make a hole in the bottom of the bottle (at the bottom).
5. Make a few holes on the side (4-5) near the neck of the bottle so that the food can spill out when you turn the bottle upside down. Holes can be made with a clerical knife if the bottle is not too tight.
6. Take the ribbon, fold it in half, and tie the ends into a knot. Pass the tape through the hole at the bottom of the bottle.
Now you can pour food into the bottle, screw on the cap and turn it over. The ribbon will allow you to hang the feeder on a branch.
Bird feeder from a plastic bottle. Option 2.
You will need:
Plastic bottle
Plastic container
Strong thread or fishing line
Screwdriver or nail
Knife (simple or clerical).
1. Remove the cap from the bottle and the cap from the container.
2. Put the bottle cap on top of the container (in the center) and draw around with a pen, felt-tip pen or pencil.
3. Use a utility knife to cut a hole in the container lid. The hole can be made slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottle cap.
4. Poke one hole at the edges of the container lid.
5. Make a hole in the center of the bottle cap. The hole should be large enough for the bird feed to pour through.
6. Put the cap on the bottle and then insert the bottle into the opening of the container cap.
7. Tie a strong thread to the bottle and put the cap on the container.
Now you can fill the bottle with food or pour water and hang the feeder on the tree.
How to make a feeder out of a box (photo-instruction)
Original feeder made of polymer clay
You will need:
Polymer clay
Rope
Thick wire or piece of aluminum
Baking bowl or any other utensils that can be put in the oven
A small piece of cloth.
1. First roll out the clay on a flat surface so that its thickness is about 6 mm.
2. Gently place the rolled clay inside the baking bowl. Trim off excess pieces so that the clay lays flat. Make 3 large holes in the clay for the rope.
3. Put the bowl of clay in the oven. Carefully read the instructions for the clay to know how long it takes for the clay to harden in the oven.
4. When the clay hardens, carefully remove it from the bowl, tie three pieces of rope to it - tie a knot at one end of each rope, and insert the other end into the hole in the clay plate.
5. Tie all ends of the rope and secure with wire.
6. It is advisable to lay a small piece of cloth inside the plate so that the birds do not accidentally peck at the clay along with the food.
Original do-it-yourself pumpkin feeder
You will need:
small pumpkin
Wooden crossbars (even branches are possible)
Thin wire.
1. Cut off the top of the pumpkin.
2. Using a knife or screwdriver, make 4 holes in the pumpkin to insert branches or wooden beams into them. Make 2 opposite holes at the same height and two opposite holes a little lower - so you have one branch slightly higher than the other.
3. Take thin wire and wind it around each end of the branches so that the feeder can be hung on a tree. Connect all ends of the wire so that the feeder can hang evenly. Hook them up.
The original idea of a bird feeder with your own hands
This feeder is suitable for sub-zero temperatures.
You will need:
Large plastic bottle
Small plastic bottle or small plastic container
Scissors
coniferous branches
Berries (optional)
Seeds
1. Cut off the bottom of a large and small plastic bottle. First you can make a hole with a knife and then cut with scissors. You will get the base of the feeder.
2. In the carved bottom of a large bottle, put spruce branches, berries and seeds in a circle.
3. Place the bottom of a small bottle or a small plastic container in the center of the base.
4. Pour earth, sand or pebbles into a small container.
5. Tie strong threads or fishing line to the feeder so that it can be hung.
6. If you put the feeder in the freezer overnight, and then remove and remove the plastic parts, you get an ice feeder.
How to make a do-it-yourself feeder using a bottle
You will need:
Small glass or plastic bottle (preferably with a lid)
Small saucer or plastic bottle bottom
Wire
Saw (if needed)
Screw half ring (hook).
1. Using screws, connect two small pieces of plywood. In this example, the dimensions of the plywood are 11 x 15 cm and 31 x 15 cm.
2. Using the bottle that you will later attach to the stand, mark the places where you will need to attach two pieces of wire - one at the neck, the other at the bottom of the bottle.
3. The neck of the bottle should be about 3-4 cm above the base.
4. Drill holes for the wire, put your wire through the bottom, wrap it around the bottle and fasten it to the back of the plywood (you can twist the wire or fix it with a stapler).
5. Fill the bottle with seeds, twist the lid so as not to spill the seeds, turn over and insert the bottle between the wires, and place a saucer under it and remove the lid.
6. Screw a half-ring screw to the top of the plywood to hang the feeder.
Original do-it-yourself bird feeder
You will need:
Tin can (preferably with a lid)
Sisal rope (sisal rope) or thick rope
A piece of thin plywood, a branch, or any small piece of metal
Hot glue.
1. If you have a jar with a lid, then the lid must be bent in half.
2. Take a small branch, piece of plywood, or other small piece that birds can land on and glue it to the jar.
3. Insert the bent lid as shown in the image (slightly inside the jar and over the metal part) and secure with adhesive.
4. Take a thick rope or rope about 80 cm long, and start winding the jar so that the long ends of this rope (30 cm) remain at the beginning and end. Use glue to secure the string to the jar.
5. Cut the rope, tie the ends into a knot and secure with glue.
You will need:
3/4 cup bird food
1/4 cup water
1 packet gelatin
Twine or strong thread
Biscuit baking molds
Baking paper.
1. Mix gelatin with water (1/4 cup) and bring to a boil, stirring. Make sure the gelatin is completely dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Add 3/4 cup bird food. More can be added if available.
4. Place the cookie cutters on baking paper and fill them with the prepared food mixture.
5. Cut a piece of thread and tie the ends into a knot. Partially insert the thread into the mixture.
6. Leave the mixture to dry overnight, occasionally trying to turn over when there is time.
7. Remove the molds and hang the food on the tree.
How to make a DIY bird feeder using tin cans
You will need:
3 cans of paint or cans
Piece of branch or wooden stick
Hot glue
Paints (if desired).
You can paint the jars, or you can leave it as is.
1. Glue a piece of branch to the jar so the birds can land and eat.
2. Wrap strong string or ribbon around the jar and tie the ends into a knot. You can secure the tape with glue so that it sticks to the jar better.
3. Fill the jars with food and you're done!
How to make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle
Winter time is a serious test for birds. Every day it becomes more and more difficult to find food. Take care of the birds - hang a feeder made with your own hands from the simplest materials at hand, which we usually throw in a landfill. We have selected photos and original ideas for making feeders that do not require special skills and complex drawings.
How to make a bird feeder with your own hands?
By accustoming the birds to the feeder, you can observe the entertaining turmoil of birds and the secret life of birds.
Some of them defend their rights in a fight with relatives, others enter into competition with other species, but without exception, all carefully look around so as not to miss the attack of a small hawk, which is very interested in the visitors of the feeder.
A simple bird feeder will bring great benefits to birds
Materials for making a feeder can be very diverse, but there are some general rules construction:
- the feeder should be, first of all, convenient for the birds, there should not be any difficulties when extracting food;
- the roof and sides will help protect the food from snow, rain and wind. From exposure to moisture, the food can deteriorate and become moldy, which means it will turn into poison for birds;
- it is desirable that the material from which the feeder will be made is resistant to moisture, otherwise this design will not last long and a new one will need to be made;
The feeder should be safe: not have sharp sides and be located high enough above the ground
- walls and corners should not be sharp and prickly;
- feeders for small birds are made small so that larger and more aggressive species do not encroach on their food;
- it is better to place feeders on the branches of trees or attach them to the walls of outbuildings at a height of about one and a half meters so that cats do not offend the birds, and it is convenient to add food to feathered friends.
Advice. Birds get used to a permanent feeding place and are ready to travel many kilometers to the feeder. Therefore, feeding must be constant, otherwise the birds may die.
Plywood bird feeder
You can buy a feeder in a hypermarket, or you can make it yourself in a few hours. A plywood feeder can be made open, with a flat or gable roof, a bunker compartment can be provided if you cannot constantly monitor the amount of feed in the feeder. Of course, you will need drawings, fortunately, there are plenty of them on the Internet with ready-made sizes of parts for cutting. Choose the design that you like, the drawing will facilitate the work and ensure that the end result is exactly what is shown in the photo.
Lightweight and durable plywood feeder
When choosing a drawing for a future feeder, consider the bird population in your region. Jays, pigeons and magpies can eat all the food, leaving little titmouses hungry. To prevent this from happening, make the size of the openings of the feeder so that large birds cannot reach the feed.
So, you will need a hammer, an electric jigsaw, nails of a suitable length, glue on water based, sandpaper, plywood, timber 20 x 20 mm. Consider the simplest feeder.
Wooden bird feeder ideas and drawings
Wooden feeders are attractive because they will last a long time, keep their shape well - this is due to the properties and reliability of wood. To make such a feeder, you will need at least minimal skills in working with tools and a drawing. The board for manufacturing should be 18 - 20 mm thick. Consider the option of making a feeder, which you can do yourself or take a photo as a basis for a drawing. We will need a 4.5 x 2 cm timber for the racks, a 25 x 25 cm square of plywood for the bottom, two pieces of 35 x 22 cm for the roof, nails, self-tapping screws and glue.
Feeding trough made of wooden beams
Such a feeder can be installed permanently on a dug-in pole or drill two holes in the ridge, screw in a screw with a hook and hang it on a wire. Several birds can fly up to the feeder at the same time, the food is protected from the wind by the sides and the roof, the feathered friends of the garden will like such a cozy dining room.
Finished wood feeder
If there is a gazebo on your site, hang a simple feeder without a roof there. It is enough to make a side and a bottom. If you want to paint the feeder or open it with varnish, then use water-based compounds so as not to harm the birds.
Advice. To prevent the tree from splitting, the tip of the carnation must be made blunt, and a hole must be drilled under the self-tapping screw before screwing in.
Making a cardboard feeder (suitable for children)
One of the simplest feeders. The cardboard option is interesting in that it can be made in a place with children and at the same time have a great time with them. This would be a great craft for kindergarten or elementary school. There is a lot of room for creativity here. Cardboard is a great option, it is only afraid of straight water. But if you want to play it safe and make the feeder more resistant to moisture, then you can glue the outer elements of the feeder with wide adhesive tape, especially its upper and lower parts. In the forest or in the park, such a feeder can easily last all winter and part of spring.
Cardboard feeder collage. Photo livemaster.ru/topic/179659-delaem-kormushku-iz-kartona
The set of tools and materials is minimal, and if you don’t have something from this list, you can always find a replacement for it. So we need these materials and tools:
- A pair of cardboard sheets, (A4 format or more) ;
- Ruler;
- Adhesive tape (for structural reliability);
- Stationery knife;
- A tourniquet or a piece of nylon rope to hang the feeder;
- Pencil or felt-tip pen;
- Glue for cardboard or glue gun;
- Hole puncher.
If such a feeder is going to take the prize as the best craft in your kindergarten, then you have to sweat a little in terms of external design. Here our cardboard will give odds to any Tetra-Pak (this is a milk or juice bag), you can draw beautifully on it and decorate it in every possible way. Undoubtedly, the prize from kindergarten will be yours!
pumpkin feeder
But here, as they say, words are superfluous - everything can be seen in the photo collage. I would like to add that such a feeder looks very attractive and unusual and will be a real decoration of your garden, this is due to the shape of the feeder and its color, which looks great against the background of white snow. 
This option is also suitable for making with children. And such a beautiful, bright craft in kindergarten will definitely not go unnoticed.
Bird feeder out of the box Tetra pak) from juice or milk
You can make a feeder from a milk bag or a tetra pack from under the juice, like this. This is even for a child. For this you will need:
- a clean juice bag;
- a piece of nylon rope or wire to hang the feeder;
- adhesive plaster;
- marker;
- scissors or utility knife.
Bird feeder from a milk bag
First of all, we mark and cut holes on opposite sides of the tetra pack. To make it convenient for the birds to take food and fly out. We glue the window on the underside with adhesive tape for the convenience and safety of the birds. We pierce a hole under the holes with scissors and insert the cardboard folded into a tube, which remains from cutting the holes above. In the bent corners we make small holes for the wire or rope. And tie to a branch.
The feeder can be attached to a tree trunk. Such a feeder will not sway in the wind. For this, feeding slots are made not on opposite sides of the package, but on adjacent ones. On the opposite side, we fix the wire in the slot and fasten it to the tree.
Tetro pack horizontal feeder
You can make a feeder out of two juice bags. We cut the first package along the narrow sidewalls, leaving the top not cut. We cut off the third part from the second tetra pack and cut a hole on the front side of the package - this will be the stern board or the bottom of the feeder. We combine the bottom with the first package so that we get a triangle. Parts can be connected with glue, wrapped with tape or pierced at the bottom of the sidewalls to insert tubes for cocktails.
Bird feeder from plastic bottles 1.5 - 2 liters
Consider some variations of the execution of the feeder with your own hands from plastic containers.
Option number 1. The simplest feeder
Symmetrically, on both sides of the bottle we cut out two holes: round, square, rectangular or in the form of an arch. Jumpers should remain between the holes. If you make a slot in the form of an inverted letter "P" and bend the plate up, you get a visor from the rain. You can stick a band-aid or fabric tape on the bottom edge of the hole - the edges will not be pointed and the birds will sit comfortably. We make symmetrical holes in the lower part and insert the stick - the result is a feeder with a perch.
A simple plastic bottle feeder
You can attach such a dining room for birds on a tree by wrapping a jumper with tape, rope or other suitable material, as seen in the photo. If you make a hole in the cap of the bottle and insert the ends of the twine, and then tie them into a knot, you get a loop that can be thrown over the branches of garden trees.
Be sure to make the edges plastic feeder safe - seal the cuts with electrical tape
Option number 2. Bunker feeder.
This design is rational in use in that the feed can be poured with a margin for several days. The feed, as it is eaten by the birds, will automatically fill up on the feeding ground itself.
Bunker feeder made of plastic bottles
You will need two bottles of the same volume. We mark one bottle with a marker before cutting. We make holes at the bottom, as in feeder No. 1, and remove the upper third of the bottle. We make two symmetrical holes at the top - a ribbon or twine will later be attached to them for hanging the feeder. In the second bottle, we cut several holes at the narrowest part - food will spill out of them. Do not immediately make large holes, it is better to expand them later. We fill the bottle with food, tighten the cork and insert the bottle into the first bottle cut off by a third.
Option number 3. Feeder with spoon
We make a hole in the cork and insert the twine for hanging. Then we symmetrically make two holes the size of a spoon. Above the bowl-shaped deep part of the spoon, we cut a hole in the bottle, slightly expanding it so that the birds can take food. We fill the feeder and hang it up.
Feeder with spoon
Advice. With a red-hot needle or small nail, make several holes in the bottom of the feeder to remove moisture that has got inside.
Bird feeder from a plastic bottle 5 liters
Probably, in every house there is an empty plastic five-liter water bottle. It is very simple to make a feeder in one evening for feeding birds in the winter from this material. Such a container will hold much more food than a smaller plastic bottle, as can be seen in the photo. Several holes will allow you to comfortably feed several birds at once.
Feeder from a five-liter plastic bottle
This is a very simple and quick option, invite your children or other family members to take part in the manufacturing process: find a ribbon or wire to tie the finished feeder to a tree branch, prepare a treat for the birds. Prepare a clean bottle, a sharp knife, secateurs or a clerical knife.
We cut the hole based on how we plan to fix the container on the tree:
- horizontally - cut a wide hole from the side of the bottom of the bottle and the same from the side of the neck;
- vertically - at a height of 5-7 cm from the bottom of the container, we cut several square holes or three rectangular ones.
Materials needed to make a feeder
It is convenient to tie a bottle by the neck to a branch with wire or twine. If the feeder is made in a horizontal version, then make two holes on the wall with a knife, through which pass the twine for tying. To prevent the feeder from swaying in the wind, put a quarter of a weight brick on the bottom, and load a treat on top.
From a five-liter bottle, you can also build a bunker feeder. To do this, you will need a five-liter bottle and two 1.5-liter bottles, a marker, a stationery knife and a rope.
You can place the feeder under the roof to make the birds more comfortable
With a little ingenuity, you can create unusual canteens for birds from the simplest plastic bottles that will decorate your site.
Shoe box bird feeder
Everything is simple here. We take a dense shoe box with a lid. We make a round hole in the lid. The hole needs to be shifted slightly from the center to the bottom edge of the box (a little different in the photo), this is necessary so that the birds can get to the food that will lie at the bottom of the box.
We make a small hole in the upper part of the box and insert a tourniquet or rope into it. Tie an old pencil or stick to the end of this rope. We will then tie the other end of the rope to the branch of the tree on which we plan to hang the feeder. Then you can wrap the box with wrapping paper, but this is for the aesthetic component, you can not do this.
We make a roof from ordinary cardboard and put it on glue. Next, we glue the lid to the box itself with tape, as in Figure 3, 4, and also thread the rope through the lid.
At the moment when we hang the finished feeder on a tree, the roof may peel off from the box, but this is not scary, it cannot go anywhere, because. rope will hold it.
And in the picture below is an even simpler version of the shoe box feeder. But there is no need to explain anything, everything can be seen in the photo. The whole box is simply rewound with tape, which, by the way, is very practical. And in our opinion it turned out - original and unusual.
Cardboard box bird feeder
To make a bird dining room with your own hands, the simplest material will do, which is stored in abundance on the balconies of most families: boxes of electrical goods, cardboard packaging from food products. Choose thicker cardboard with a laminated coating, the laminate will slightly increase the life of the feeder. Although, as written above, wide tape can be used for these purposes. The advantage of this design is that there is already a bottom, walls and roof of the future feeder, which needs to be slightly modified by cutting square or rectangular holes on the sides.
Even a schoolboy can make a cozy feeder from a mailbox
You will need a nylon cord, scissors or a clerical knife and adhesive tape. Since cardboard is a very short-lived material and is afraid of moisture, the finished feeder wrapped with tape will last until the next season. Having cut through the side holes and fastening the cord, you can hang the feeder and fill it with treats for birds that will not take long to wait. Put sand or some pebbles on the bottom so that the structure does not shake much with the wind.
If you cover the cardboard feeder with paints, then it will last longer.
You can do it a little differently. We glue the lid of the box perpendicularly so that the lid serves as a stern stand, and the second part of the box is a side and a roof. We glue the structure with adhesive tape. We make two hooks from the wire: we bend a piece of wire in half and pierce the “ceiling” of the feeder with the ends, twist and bend from the inside. By connecting the hooks, you can hang the feeder on a branch. As you can see in the photo. Now pour the food and wait for the guests.
Bird feeder on the window (with suction cups)
Such feeders are a very interesting option for the overall development of children, and adults too :). The feeder is attached to the window, or rather to the glass, with the help of suction cups. Usually such feeders are also made transparent in order to fully enjoy watching the birds. If you have suction cups, you can make such a feeder yourself, for example, from the same plastic bottle, but you must admit that it will still not be as aesthetically pleasing as the finished version from the store. Children will probably start taking pictures of it all, and photos with yellowed, cloudy bottles will, to put it mildly, not so hot. Purchased options look very nice.
Wild animals and birds that live in nature cannot count on the fact that in winter someone will help them in the same way as their domesticated "brothers". However, many people understand this and try to provide all possible assistance during the winter cold.
Benefits for you and the birds
Caring people are well aware of how difficult this time is for our smaller brothers, since starting from late autumn, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many of them to find food. Of course, with all the desire, it is not so easy to help those of them who live in the forest or in a remote area. However, if you live in a city, town or village, then everything is in your power. Today we will talk about bird feeders. It is quite possible to make them, and we are talking about using improvised means, old packaging and containers, as well as other materials that, in any case, would most likely be thrown into a landfill.
By the way, having “trained” the birds in your feeder located on the site, in addition to the feeling that you are helping them, saving them from hunger in the difficult season, you get some kind of additional “bonuses”:
- Birds will get used to your site and will begin to live on it and next to it more often. Thus, they will constantly delight you with their games, fuss and chirping, filling the surrounding space with vital energy.
- Quite often it happens that in the summer the birds return a kind of debt to you, destroying the numerous insects and pests that live in almost every garden or vegetable garden.
Wood is a reliable material!
In today's article, we have provided photos of many options that will help with ideas on how to make a bird feeder with your own hands. As a rule, in order to implement the project of such a feeder, you do not need complex projects and drawings.
Attention! You can feed birds not only in winter, but also in summer, especially if you live in a country house or in a private house.
Before considering the basic ideas for making feeders, let's talk about some of the features of the choice of material, as well as about the places where you can hang or attach such a homemade structure.
Choice of material and installation location
Before choosing a place for a feeder, it will be very useful to learn the most common types of birds that live in our latitudes.
1. Nuthatch; 2. pika; 3. small spotted woodpecker; 4. crossbill; 5. jay; 6. nutcracker or walnut; 7. bullfinch; 8. waxwing; 9. common grosbeak; 10. goldfinch; 11. siskin; 12. common oatmeal; 13. greenfinch; 14. great tit; 15. titmouse; 16. crested tit; 17. Muscovite tit; 18. long-tailed tit; 19. titmouse.
Traditionally, it is considered that the bird feeder should be in the form of a kind of house, which would be somewhat similar to a birdhouse. And in fact, such a configuration is optimal in order to organize a place for feeding birds there. Consider the advantages of this form:
- The roof allows you to create protection from rain and snow.
- Such a construction, made of plywood or wood, is strong, durable and reliable.
- She will not look alien, since we are talking about landscape design and external attractiveness of the entire site.
However, you should not be limited only to this form, as well as the fact that only wood can be used as a material. In fact, both the configuration and the material can be completely different.
The main thing is that the feeder meets the basic requirements:
- The material from which the feeder is made must be stable and not deform over time. In other words, a birdhouse made of cardboard or similar improvised means is not good. It simply will not withstand difficult weather conditions: rain, sleet, etc.
- At the same time, you can, in extreme cases, make a small feeder from a container of juice or dairy products (kefir, milk, etc.). Tetra pak and similar carton packages are much more resistant to moisture than ordinary carton. However, such structures cannot be classified as durable. On the other hand, they are quite suitable as a temporary solution, which, under favorable circumstances, can serve you for a whole season. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the feeder from the milk bag will fit only for small birds, since large ones simply will not fit in it.
- By the way, the following conclusion follows from the previous paragraph: the material must be durable and stable, since it must withstand not only the autumn-winter bad weather, but also the weight of the birds themselves, some of which are quite massive. In addition, keep in mind that wear and tear will also occur due to the constant impact of their claws, since they will usually sit down in a carved opening (“window”).
- By the way, since we are talking about a window, an entrance (this technological hole can be called, in fact, whatever you like), then you need to understand that its edges should not be sharp, because, otherwise, birds can injure their paws about them.
Location
In addition to the material, as well as manufacturing technology, you need to understand that the place where you install or hang the bird feeder is also important point. So, if possible, it is necessary to avoid installation in places where birds will have difficulty accessing. We are talking about thick branches and other similar places.
In addition, pay attention to the fact that the feeder is located in a place that is hard to reach for cats, which, as you know, are excellent hunters, living in large numbers in villages, cottages, as well as in cottages and private housing estates.
Advice! Place the feeder in an open space, in places that are easily visible to birds.
Popular Ideas
Let's look at the main ideas of how best to make a bird feeder with your own hands, looking at "live" examples of how many people have implemented their projects. There can be many feeders, and the options for their manufacture are countless. However, they are all made for the same purpose. So, here are the main types of structures of this kind.
The dispenser is a very useful device for feeding birds. In addition, the bottle can be hung vertically "upside down"
Wooden house
To make such a design is quite realistic and independently. There is no need to have any specific skills or knowledge. As a rule, improvised or unnecessary boards, pieces of logs and many other wooden elements are used in such work. Taking boards or veneer as a basis, the main task is their strong connection.
By the way, wooden bird feeders can be used not only for feeding yard birds. Similar designs are also used in chicken coops, when feeding chickens and other poultry. However, this is, as they say, a completely different story.
Plywood feeder
Such a design can be made with your own hands right at home. To do this, you do not need any special tools or conditions. In this case, of course, you will have to find drawings of feeders. On the other hand, you can make a drawing with dimensions yourself, since there is nothing particularly difficult in its development. For more ideas, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the photos and examples of finished work.
Bunker feeder
This type of construction, so to speak, "migrated" from Agriculture. One of its main advantages is that it allows you to exclude the "discrimination" of some bird species by others. You yourself probably noticed that often a flock of birds alone, for example, sparrows or tits, takes an advantageous position in the immediate vicinity of the food (seeds, bread crumbs, grains, cereals, loaves, etc.) or even in the feeder itself and tends to prevent other birds from reaching such a valuable resource.
Therefore, it becomes an important task to limit the area on which feathered friends can feed. Therefore, in such cases, homemade bunker feeders, also known as anti-sparrow feeders, can come in handy.
Plastic bottle feeders
A canister feeder is also a great option.
This type of design is extremely simple, so everyone, including children, can make it on their own. In order to make it, you only need to cut one or two holes in the bottle in order to pour bird food inside, and in fact, so that the birds have the opportunity to get inside. Of course, you need to be careful, because the holes should be, if possible, as even and symmetrical as possible.
Interesting! If you have time and desire, the feeder can be further decorated natural materials or put inscriptions.
Let's take a closer look at the features of the work in the presence of bottles of different sizes. The fact is that the most common source materials in such cases are:
So, if you use the first option, then you can choose between two types of designs. In the first case, it is about making holes in both sides of the bottle. They can have different shapes: round, rectangular or square.
In the second case, you can make a special visor that would cover the hole, protecting it from snow. In order to make it, you just need to cut a U-shaped hole, leaving one side (upper). After that, this section of the bottle is bent up, thus forming a kind of visor. By the way, this can also be done on both sides.
For more convenience for the birds, you can make two small holes under the main openings and insert a long stick into them, on which they can perch before getting inside. As for the lower edge of the main holes, for greater security, it is advisable to glue it with tape or tape in several layers. Also suitable and fabric adhesive tape. Thus, a do-it-yourself feeder is made from plastic containers of a relatively small volume.
Even easier, you can make a feeder from a 5-liter bottle. The fact is that the walls are often straight, which allows you to cut a more even hole. Plus, more seeds and crumbled loaf are placed in such a container, and it is more convenient for birds to fly inside. For crafting, you will need a knife or strong scissors.
If the plastic bottle is mounted horizontally, then holes can be cut in place of the bottom and neck. If you plan to fix it vertically, then you can cut 2, 3 or even 4 holes from different sides if you are working with a bottle that has a square or rectangular section. This, by the way, will allow several birds to fly in and feed at once. For round bottles, 2-3 holes can be cut. By the way, on the basis of a large bottle of 5 liters and above, you can also make a bunker feeder.
On a note! It is advisable to cut the holes at a height of at least 5 centimeters from the bottom, maybe a little more.
Such a feeder is attached quite simply: you can tie it either by the neck or by the handle, which is integral part covers using twine or thin wire. This is if we talk about vertical options. With horizontal fixation, it is best to make 2 parallel small holes (they can be made with a knife or other sharp object), passing through them a wire or rope, which is necessary for fastening.
In any case, this option is very affordable, since almost everyone has at their disposal unnecessary 5-liter water bottles. Sample photos show various options for how this can be done.
Bird feeder from a milk or juice bag
5 minutes - and a new feeder from a juice bag - ready
Everyone has boxes of juice or milk. We usually throw them away. The manufacturing technology is extremely simple, and in some way resembles the previous one (with plastic bottles). So, if you want to make a bird feeder from a juice or milk bag, the sequence of your actions may be as follows:
- We outline future holes using a pen, marker or felt-tip pen.
- Carefully cut them out using scissors or a sharp knife.
- We glue the underside of the opening with tape or adhesive tape.
- We make small holes for the rope or wire at the top of the package.
- We hang the resulting feeder from a tree branch, lilac or other places.
The easiest and fastest option from a milk bag
By the way, in some cases you can put a weight on the bottom or attach to it in the form of a brick fragment or something similar. This will minimize swaying in case of strong winds. This applies not only to paper boxes, but also to plastic bottles.
Remember! In some cases, you can attach the feeder to the wall.
Using a shoebox
By the way, a bird feeder from a shoe box is made in the same way. Of course, the fact that it is made of cardboard does not allow making such a feeder durable. On the other hand, some of the boxes are made of fairly durable and moisture-resistant cardboard. Moreover, you can additionally cover the cardboard with tape, which will further increase its protection from the effects of bad weather conditions. This will increase the life of the feeder to some extent, although, in any case, it will not be as durable as its counterparts made of wood, cardboard and even plastic.
The manufacturing technology itself is extremely simple and does not require any special instructions. You just need to make the necessary cuts on the sides of the box and also fix the lid. This can also be done with tape.
Other options
Of course, all these types of feeders are the most common and popular. However, it makes sense to talk about alternative options. The first of these is a feeder made from tableware.
By the way! You can also make a drinker out of dishes, which is also very important for birds.
Such original products are made from a cup and saucer. If you add a deep plate, you can make both a feeder and a drinker at the same time. Some craftsmen make feeders from old buckets, usually plastic ones. They turn out to be large, which somewhat limits the possibilities for their installation, which, of course, is a certain disadvantage. The advantage is the same: the size of such a product is quite large. This allows you to pour more feed. In addition, several birds can feed at the same time. We must not forget about the strength of such a design.
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, roasted sunflower 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
How to decorate a bird feeder is a pleasant chore for many people, especially children. If you need to make a simple craft, then it will be enough to use a cardboard box or a plastic bottle. A more reliable option is houses made of plywood and boards. But such designs look simple. They can be decorated with various details so that they look aesthetically pleasing and interesting, and not boring, as is usually the case.
What should be the feeders
Building a feeder is not difficult. But usually it has an unremarkable appearance. But there are many ways to make it unusual, interesting and beautiful. The main thing is the imagination of the designer. For example, you can make a design of the usual form, but then paint it with paints or stick colored paper, various images, make inscriptions, attach various figures. Feeders with an unusual shape are also very popular.
But it is not recommended to use various rattling materials or those that shine or rustle. They will act as bird repellers. In addition, the decorations themselves, which are used on the feeder, should not interfere with humans and birds. The decoration should be thought out in such a way that it is not difficult for a person to pour food into the container, and it is easy for the birds to fly up and get their portion of food.
In addition, there are some requirements for such structures that are recommended to be observed in the process of their design:
- The product should be comfortable for birds.
- The sides and the cover must be protected from precipitation and wind. Due to the impact of water, grain and other feed will simply deteriorate.
- You can use any materials to create an item, but it is recommended to choose those that are resistant to moisture. Otherwise, the design will then have to be changed.
- You can not make sharp corners, so as not to harm the living creatures.
- If the feeder is intended for small birds, then its size should also be small. Otherwise, large and aggressive birds will simply steal food.
It does not matter what material is used to create such structures, the main thing is that they meet the following requirements:
- reliability;
- strength;
- durability;
- practicality;
- safety;
- comfort.
Proper preparation will make the feeder very attractive to birds, which will be interesting to watch for both adults and children.
How to arrange simple feeders
Coloring the feeder is not difficult. Ordinary paints transform the design. In addition, crafts thanks to them will last much longer. Thanks to an additional layer of varnish or drying oil, the “dining room” for birds will look new and fresh. The master will choose the plot, shades and patterns to your taste. Winter motifs, images of plants, birds are usually used.
If you completely paint the feeder, it will look like a house from a fairy tale. But the drawings can be pasted ready-made, if you can’t cope with them yourself.
An interesting option is to decorate only the cover of the structure. First, it must be painted in one tone, and then painted. You can use ready-made stencils during the design of the product. Another option is to draw certain elements. For example, you can circle the inlet with paint, and then draw an ornament on the walls.
It is necessary to prepare paints, a primer, a brush in advance and choose the appropriate pattern. The image does not have to be complex - the usual outline will do. For example, you can draw butterflies, birds, houses, bees, flowers, beetles.
White acrylic type paint can act as a primer. It is supposed to cover all surfaces on which there will be painting later. Then wait until the layer dries. After that, translate the motif and start decorating it. Acrylic or gouache is suitable for paints. When the image is completely dry, it remains only to cover everything with a protective varnish - it is better to make several layers. It is recommended to use colorless acrylic, as it has almost no fragrance.
There is another way to decorate the walls and roof of the product. It is necessary to smear them with mealy glue or gelatin, and then sprinkle with grains, seeds, cereals, nuts, dried berries and other things that are suitable as food for birds. Such designs quickly attract birds.
Feeders can be constructed from a variety of materials. The easiest way is to use a shoebox and make the appropriate holes in it. Also suitable package-box of milk or juice. Still often used plastic bottles different sizes - usually from 1.5 liters to 5 liters. They also need to make special holes and then tie the container tightly to the branch.
Wooden feeders for birds look more serious than cardboard and plastic ones. This craft will definitely decorate the yard. It can be made from plywood, boards, ordinary branches and trunks, logs. You can arrange a "dining room" for birds in the form of a house, mill, beehive. But this job requires skill.
Fancy feeders
There are different types of bird feeders. Depending on your own imagination and capabilities, you can design very unusual specimens. To make the feeder original, rare and expensive materials are not needed. Even the most ordinary items will help make the craft fun.
For example, you can use an old cup with a saucer and a teapot for brewing. Place a plate with a cup on a stand. Cover them with food. Place the teapot vertically, as if something is being poured from it into a cup. Fix this design on a tree. You can also get by with a regular cup and saucer. It is necessary to make 4 holes along the edge of the latter at an equal distance between each other. Glue the cup to the saucer and thread the ropes through the holes, for which the structure will be suspended from the branches.
Another interesting option from which you can make a feeder is ordinary tin cans. In addition, you will need ice cream sticks, glue and a brush, pieces of material, twine, paint and a stencil. First you need to coat the jar with glue and put multi-colored pieces of fabric on its walls. Wait until it dries and stick the stick to either side. Then tie the jar with twine. Using black paint and stencils, make various inscriptions. Pour food into the jar and tie it to a branch. If there is no glue and fabric at hand, then you can simply paint the jars in different colors and hang them nearby. Then we decorate the yard with such a garland.
An unusual feeder can be made from an old sieve. In addition, you will need a vine, wire, twine and flowers. First you need to weave a wreath from the vine. Then tie it with twine in three places. After that, fix the underside of the sieve to the wreath with a wire. Top everything with dried flowers. Now it remains only to hang the feeder to the tree and pour the grain onto the sieve. To decorate this design, you can use fresh flowers and berries.
Also comes out of the power supply for the computer original feeder. In addition, it is multi-tiered, which is very convenient. If you want to add something to the resulting design, then color it.
You can also make a kind of "dining room" for birds from ordinary wire. It is necessary to wrap it many times, forming various shapes. Then they simply put food in them, but only a large fraction.
Children's cubes can also be used. It is enough to make holes in them through which the birds will fly inside for grain. The result is a kind of house. You can make a whole garland of them.
Food troughs
In order to make a "dining room" for birds, you can do with only one food. For example, you can cut a food container out of a watermelon or pumpkin. The first option is perfect if Halloween is coming soon. You can even make a real house out of a pumpkin: cut out doors, windows. Cut off the top too so that you can pour the grain, and then close the resulting container. The result is unusual and beautiful feeders.
There are many other options as well. You will need cones, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, lard. When choosing such food products, it is imperative to take into account what future guests directly prefer.
The easiest option to make a bird feeder is to string dried fruits and berries on a rope. Then simply hang the resulting garland between the branches. In addition, birds in winter require lard (but only unsalted). It is necessary to cut it into small pieces, string it on a wire and hang it up. Another interesting option is cones. You should cut the middle part of them, and then hang them on the branches. As a result, a ready-made feeder comes out. It is preliminary recommended to coat the cone with condensed milk, honey, and then roll in the grain.
You can make the feeder differently and give the shape of a heart, rings, stars and more. To get such an original version, you need to cut out 3 molds from cardboard - they must be completely identical. Then grease from different sides with floury paste and sprinkle with seeds, grains, dried fruits. Then wait until everything is dry. After that, both halves are tied with a rope or glued together.
You can even do without cardboard. It is necessary to soak white bread in water, squeeze it out and mix with nuts and seeds. Then form a ball and attach a rope with a loop to it. It remains only to wait for the ball to dry, and you can hang it on a branch. Another option is perfect - using lard. You need to melt it, then pour out more grains, cereals, seeds, nuts, dried fruits. Then pour into moulds. Immediately attach the wire or rope. Now it remains only to wait until the mass hardens, and the finished feeders can only be hung up.
Conclusion
Beautiful bird feeders will decorate the yard and please everyone, pleasing to the eye. In addition, it is always interesting to watch the birds. There are many options for its design. You can use ordinary plastic containers, cardboard boxes, boards, logs and other materials.
