Healthy Eating: 5 Eco-Friendly Birdfeeders

Reduce, reuse and recycle your way to bird-feeding bliss.

5 Eco-Friendly, Upcycled Birdfeeders
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Show: HGTV Happy

Do yourself (and Mother Nature!) a favor by not only feeding the birds, but by also using upcycled goods to do so. There are countless items that you’ve been throwing away that can be repurposed as unique, eco-friendly birdfeeders. So, instead of buying a birdfeeder, take a look in the recycling bin. The possibilities are endless!

Soup-er Feeder

Begin by upping this drab can’s style with a quick spray paint job. Once dry, use a hammer and nail to punch an approximately 3/4-inch slit on the bottom of the can along the edge. Next, place the can on top of a jumbo wood craft stick, positioning the stick at the edge of the can. Use a pencil to mark the curvature of the can on the stick and use scissors to cut along those marks. Hot glue one stick to the inside of the can so the excess hangs out the front like a bird perch. Next, hot glue the curved cut piece to the front of the can. This will keep the birdseed from spilling out. To finish, run a long piece of ribbon through your slit in the bottom and tie off for easy hanging. Fill your beautiful creation with bird seed and hang outside for tons of springtime pleasure!

Here's a Juicy Idea

Place your OJ container on a flat surface and cut two large windows out on opposite sides using a craft knife. Next, wrap all sides of the carton with adhesive sheet moss. Cut the sheet moss out along the windows and tuck the excess inside. To cover the top, hot glue small pieces of preserved moss. Cut a slit under each of the windows and slide a thin, long dowel through the holes. To complete, simply tie off with a piece of string for hanging and fill with birdseed.

We’re So-da Excited About This

First, wrap the bottle with a layer of duct tape for reinforcement. Next, cut slots for wooden spoons to slide through the bottle. Cut a small hole for the handle on one side and a larger, curved hole on the other side for the head of the spoon. Fill with birdseed and tie a piece of string around the top for hanging. Just like that, you’ve handcrafted your very own tiered bird feeder!

Wine Is for the Birds

Instead of throwing away that beautiful wine bottle, turn it into something for the birds! Just shape a copper wire into a funneled coil, slide it over the bottle and place a hummingbird feeder tube in place of the cork. Fill with sugar water and hang nearby to watch the hummingbirds all summer long!

Orange You Going to Feed the Birds?

To turn an orange peel into a bird feeder, just cut it in half, poke four equidistant holes in it using a nail and run string through each hole, tying it off at the top. Fill the orange peel with a nautral peanut butter and birdseed and hang from a tree limb for the ultimate bird treat.

Photo by: Jalynn Baker

Jalynn Baker

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