DIY Bird Feeders For Your Backyard

Birds are fascinating creatures that can be observed and enjoyed by anyone. Bird feeders are a great way to attract beautiful feathered friends into the backyard, a fun activity for the whole family. With a bit of planning, you and the kids could set up these fun easy to make bird feeder projects in no time! In this write-up, we’re exploring how to create DIY homemade bird feeders for your backyards.

You can construct an easy DIY bird feeder from recycled materials and suspend it safely and easily accessible to birds. A saucer- or hanging-style DIY bird feeder is possible. Attracting birds to your backyard is possible in a variety of ways. Try using milk cartons, empty containers, or gelatine to adhere birdseed to fruit. Perhaps use a coconut shell or even tie some old towels together and hang them up with birdseed in the knots. Another use for an old tuna fish tin, or experiment with birdseed and peanut butter on pinecones to attract birds. Leftover popcorn from movie night? String it up on a tree branch for the birds.

Many factors influence whether or not the bird feeder will attract birds to your garden for nourishment.

You have numerous options when choosing which type of bird feeder or which might fit best within your space limitations because there are many different birds. Because of other possible environmental impacts and obstacles, I’ve made a list of queries in this article.

How can I attract birds without a feeder? What to feed wild birds?? What should you not feed birds? Is bread bad for birds? How do you get the bird to notice your birdfeeder?.

DIY- How do you make a simple bird feeder?

Creativity and a little craft know-how are all you need to make an easy bird feeder that will please any backyard visitor.

Why not make it a fun project with the kids getting creative with the following homemade Bird Feeders made with items from around your home in about 30 minutes more or less:

Hot Chocolate Tin Bird Feeder

Hot Chocolate Tin or Coffee Tin Bird Feeder Cut the top of a coffee tin and paint and decorate it. Hang the bird feeder on its side with something to anchor it and fill it with some birdseed.

Plastic Lunch Bowl Bird Feeder

Fill a lite plastic bowl with birdseed and place it on the ground outside near trees or bushes, but be wary of rats and other friendly animals that may enjoy this treat.

Alternatively, make some holes in the corners of the bowl with a craft knife or something sharp. Then tie some string. You could also fill it with water instead watch the birds have a bath.

Fruity Bird Feeder

Apple Wedges: Use a large apple cut in half with birdseed stuck on with gluten and hang from a tree branch.

You could use the pineapples leafy head, but if you eat fruit, you can use an apple or grapefruit with bread and seeds to make this one of our favourite DIY Bird Feeders!

Coconut Bird Feeders

Try a leftover coconut shell or pineapple cut in half for a mini bird feeder. The coconut will last longer, but the pineapple may not.

Pumpkin Bird Feeder

A fun and easy idea for a pumpkin from the garden, poke a few holes in the pumpkin with an ice pick, filling it with grain, and hanging it up by tying it to a tree branch.

Water Bottle Bird Feeders

A plastic soda bottle or water bottle hanging around, why not prick some holes for water runoff, create some even holes on each side and tuck a relatively long stick through and attach the string. Fill it with birdseed. A few openings to allow birds access to the seed

Popcorn Bird Feeder

Thread and needle with a long string of popcorn, dip the needle in water between every few stitches to keep the popcorn from getting too dry.

Hang up one end by attaching a loop through the top or using some hook. Tie from a branch. The entire popcorn neckless can hang up, adjusting the height with different twine lengths to have cute feathered friends feeding at different heights.

Milk Carton Bird Feeder

Drink a lot of milk? Using empty milk cartons or juice boxes for feeders-cut a window that opens up like the wings of a bird on the side of the container like shown. Then poke a stick through as a perch, put your birdseed inside. Attach your bird feeder to the top of branches with twine threaded through the top of the carton.

It’s a lot of fun to decorate your carton bird feeder with the kids, and there are a few links at the end of this post to help you with this.

Old Towels Bird Feeder

Using some old towels, fold the towels in half width-wise, tie them in knots, add birdseed with something sticky, then hang them up in a tree. You could use old socks as well.

Tube Feeder Bird Feeder

To make a tube bird feeder, cut the long strip of an old cardboard box, spread the peanut butter or any other sticky food over the toilet paper or plastic roll tube, pass and roll on birdseed and bind it all with string in your backyard hang it from a branch of the tree.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

To make an easy bird feeder from a pinecone. Check that your pinecone is open. Tie one end of the string to the cone’s end. Cut the yarn, leaving a little more than a metre of line attached to the cone. Fill the scales of the pinecone with lard or peanut butter using the butter knife. Holding the pinecone over the plate, sprinkle some seed on top; otherwise, roll it in seed and hang up where you can see it from inside your house!

Birdseed Mould Feeder

Line a small flowerpot, cup, or container with interesting-shaped edges line it with baking paper. Then, cut 24″ of yarn or string in half, and push the two end halves through the bottom of the pot with a button, leaving about a 4″ loop sticking out.

you should add 1/2 cup birdseed. 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, a little flour, 1/4 cup warm water, gelatine dissolved and then stirred into birdseed mix. Spoon the mixture into the mould but keep the string taut. Saturate the mixture in the mould and pat it down. It would help if you left one inch of yarn hanging out. Freeze the mould for an hour before removing it.

You can adjust the consistency of the gelatine, add more or less and fill biscuit cutters and other moulds following the same concept.

Tuna Fish Tin Bird Feeder

Take an old tuna fish can and punch a hole in the top centre. Fill with birdseed or wholegrain organic bread crumbs, attach to tree branch; for more stability, use small hooks or wires on the side of the container.

Wine Bottle Bird Feeder

This can look spectacular on the patio. You’ll need a wine bottle some strong wire or wire hangers for this one. Begin at the bottle’s neck and work your way up (Something to retain while bending the wire and making a small coil). Curl the wire around the bottle once more, creating a hitch or S curvature at the upper end for hanging. – attach few “glitter” items like a pendant to give it some bling.

Here is a link to an easy to follow tutorial for the wine bottle bird feeder.

What should you not feed wild birds?

Firstly knowing what should not be fed to wild birds is essential. Some foods are toxic for birds and can cause serious health problems or even death in a short amount of time.

• Never feed milk products, including yogurt, cheese, pudding, ice cream or other dairy items.
• Please do not leave any meat uneaten on your plate as it will spoil quickly, attracting flies and ants, which may also carry diseases such as salmonella.
• Stay away from the artificial sweetener Xylitol found in some gum because its effects on dogs are well documented, so you don’t want little Tweetie birdie to experience the same thing.
• Never feed any of these things: grapes, avocado, chocolate, raw egg whites or anything with yeast or alcohol.

What to feed wild birds?

• Wild bird food is high in protein and fat but typically lacks the necessary carbohydrates found in bread and grains.
• Use birdseed blends that contain sunflower seeds, peanuts, dried fruit (such as raisins), black oil sunflower seeds, millet and cracked corn because birds love the variety! These blends also have added benefits, such as being healthier than ordinary mixes since they’re all-natural.
• Consider using a suet feeder in the winter months. Suet is exceptionally high in fat and protein, which birds need to survive during winter.

Is bread bad for birds? 

Yes, bread is bad for birds, but note bread will not kill a bird instantly. It’s kind of like bad diets for humans. Bread certainly isn’t good for the birds’ health.

On another note, if feeding bread to birds not leave this out in the rain, it will go mouldy and then be unhealthy for them, and too much bread product can cause issues with their digestion and blotting.

Also worth noting, an expert Ian McLean from Bird New Zealand, where native bird thrives, says is that bread is bad because it’s high in calories and junk food for birds. But the critical thing he says is not to feed them too much as they will get aggressive.

In other more exclusive studies, the consensus is the same in The Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, research in Amsterdam on Nutritional implications of feeding free-living birds in public urban areas over 65% percent of the total amount.

People in Amsterdam fed birds to avoid wasted bread. The studies calculated food energy in six of the seven areas. Supplementary feeding practices are nutrient unbalanced and are affecting the local species diversity. Unsavoury for both animal and human health, as it attracts rats and pollutes water.

Do birds eat bananas?

Yes, birds love to eat bananas. If you have a garden with fruit or vegetables that are about to spoil, cut up a few banana slices from your bunch of bananas and place them on top. This is also an excellent way to get rid of old produce while feeding birds simultaneously!

How can I attract birds without a feeder?

• Leaf litter, mulch and bark provide good foraging.
• Leave a few of your vegetables to go to seed – the flowers will attract pollinators.
• Birds need a year-round supply of freshwater for a drink and bath.

A birdbath doesn’t have to be anything enormous or elaborate – just a shallow, sloped water source with a rough surface a few inches in depth.

Backyard Feeding Stations Tips

When making DIY bird feeders, there are some craft supplies you should keep in a collection like wire, string, and wire cutters, as well as a hot glue gun or strong glue and a good pair of scissors.

You can create bird feeders out of many different materials like wood, bamboo and even old CDs.

• You might consider hanging up some bird feeders filled with fruit as these are more prevalent during the winter months.
• Suspend near trees or shrubs: Place the bird feeders above head height, preferably in areas where plenty of branches exist for perching, such as under roof eaves, porch ceilings, tree branches etc.
• Use wire mesh bird feeders if you have access to them – they’re easier than stringing up string or cord and more durable.
• Those who want an easy way to make bird feeders but don’t have much time consider using pre-made seedpods.

How do you get the bird to notice your birdfeeder?

Think about where you’re putting your bird feeder in your yard and what kind of bird it is for.

If it’s a small, perching species like the chickadee or cute fantail or finches or even a family of sparrows in other parts of the world, try hanging birdfeeder from high branches for the best results. Small Wax Eye will fly in quickly to take advantage of their quick trip across your yard to get subsidence.

If it’s a larger species like the blackbird, the thrush, grackle or cowbird, pigeons, you may need to put your feeder on a wooden post or wooden pole to keep it from being flooded over by other birds.

Conclusion

The best way to make a homemade birdfeeder is with materials you already have. When it comes time for winter, think about what kind of birds live in your area and how they feed themselves.

Birds need food year-round! You can become quite creative by making a DIY Bird Feeders project out of a log, or a mason jar are other classic ideas. You can even teach your kids to create their own easy to make bird feeders using an orange!

Thanks for reading. Check out the links and additional resources below and more creative ideas.