Recycled material bird feeder, an easy weekend project

Given that Earth Day is quickly approaching I thought I would come up with a quick and easy bird feeder project made of reused and recycled materials that would have otherwise been garbage.  I don’t recall how I came up with the idea for the feeder, but it really works well and doesn’t require very much to build.  To get started, you first need to gather the materials.

The main structure of the feeder comes from Kirkland Organic Animal Crackers (which are yummy). The seed hopper is an empty 2 liter soda bottle, I purchased a bottle of Shasta club soda special for the project.  It had the 2 things I was looking for; clear plastic and a 5 footed base which is an important part of the functional design as the feet push the seed out so the feeder can be completely cleaned of seed by the birds.  You can enjoy a snack of crackers and soda while working on the project.

The rest of the materials – clothesline cord, 1/4 inch bolt and wing nut, and a carabiner are likely materials you have around the garage or house or can be easily acquired.  Tools include a permanent marker, electric drill, box cutter or sharp knife, and may need some Goo Gone to get rid of label residue.  Once you have the materials and tools, you are ready to get started.

Click here to view the step-by-step tutorial:

It is fun to involve the kids, but use caution as a drill or box cutter can seriously injure a curious helper.  Also be sure to check out my other … Continue Reading

Suet log bird feeder

Last weekend I decided to undertake what turned out to be a fun and simple project. I made my own suet log feeder. Here is what I used for my feeder:

• One log about 18″-24″ long
• One 1/4″ screw eye
• One carabiner
• Rope or chain to hang from tree or other suitable location
• One suet cake
• A drill with a 1″ spade bit

So the process is pretty easy, take your drill with a spade bit and start drilling holes randomly around the log. I also drilled some smaller holes with my largest auger bit. Take the screw eye and twist it into the top of the log. Clip the carabiner into the screw eye. Then get your suet cake and with a putty knife, scoop out suet and mash it into the holes you just drilled. Once you have them all filled, you just hang the log and hope that some birds find it. This is intended to draw in birds like chickadees, woodpeckers, flickers, and other birds that cling to tree trunks to feed. Hopefully I can draw some birds in soon. For some reason my yard has been pretty empty lately, just in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count. Last weekend there was a Cooper’s Hawk in my neighbor’s tree, so he may be the cause. Anyway, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before the birds find it. Hopefully it is before the raccoons do.