Squirrel proof bird feeders

Keep the squirrels off the picture

Home made bird feeders


Making homemade bird feeders is fun and good entertainment for kids. If you are new to bird feeding and watching it is also good testing point before you start spending on expensive commercially manufactured alternatives. Most of the homemade bird feeders are easy to make without special tools using recycled objects and the cost is very low or zero. The two basic types of birdfeeders are the seed dispensers (including the tray feeders) where the food is inside a container and the one where the food is bond into a block or onto a base.

Plastic bottle bird feeder

Plastic bottles such as the ones from soda are easy to drill and cut using scissors and sharp pointy knife. They are also recycled material and easily available, which is making them a favourite starting material for different designs of homemade bird feeders.  There is really a great deal of designs one can come up with and for me this is the particularly enjoyable part. The model of the picture uses wooden stirring spoons for perches but many other similar objects can serve this purpose. Be careful when cutting plastic bottles with sharp knife. Not recommended for kids and clumsy craftsmen.

Glass bottle bird feeder.

The best feature of this bird feeder is that it is refilling the feeding tray at the bottom as the birds eat, allowing relatively big amount of seeds to be stored in one refill. The container also keeps the stored seeds from damp and contamination. The picture is rather self-explanatory.  The base must be big enough to accommodate the seed recipient and allow some perching space for the birds to feed comfortable, while the side board must

be able to accommodate the glass bottle. Using the basic principle you can use your imagination to come up with a design utilizing items you already have around the house. Even simpler model is possible if you find a way to suspend the bottle from a branch and attach the seed recipient (made from a cut off plastic bottle) with wire below the bottle opening

Another plastic bottle bird feeder

Here is another viable idea. The feeding tray at the bottom is attached via the screw top of the bottle. Every perch has a corresponding feeding hole on the right level. Do not cut the bottom of the bottle in order to refill it easy with seeds. Even the holes accommodating the hanging wire should be placed on the side in order to keep the bottom intact and the seeds dry.  Choosing a bottle with wider screw opening will make the refill much easier.

Gem squash bird feeder

An original organic bird feeder where the birds can feast on the feeder as well as on the seeds.

Pine cone bird feeder

This is really a fast one. Tide a dry opened pine cone with piece of string, spread peanut butter all over it and roll in mixed bird seeds

Gelatine beagle

Use gelatine mixture to bind together the bird seeds into a ring or bar and hag it in area where it will be save from the rain. For the mixture stir ¼ ounce of unflavoured gelatine in two teaspoons of water and leave for 1 hour. Then add 50ml of boiling water and stir until dissolved. Add 2 cups of mixed birdseeds to the gelatine, stir well letting the seeds soak up  in the liquid and transfer the mixture in suitable form. Placing a wire ring inside the beagle will improve its strength and will prevent it from breaking. Refrigerating for few hours will result in solidifying the mixture in the chosen form and it can be removed and hanged.