Bring nature to you by feeding the feathered friends in your neighborhood out of a homemade bird feeder. Birds are amazing creatures to watch and Maryland has a great diverse population. If you want to start connecting your kids with these beautiful creatures, start your bird watching at home.
Making a bird feeder is a fun, crafty activity for the kids to enjoy. Your kids will love seeing the birds outside, eating out of the feeder they made, while enjoying identifying the different types of visitors.
You can easily make it out of recycled materials and other things around the house. Below we have a couple easy feeders for the kids to create, but feel free to let them make changes and add their own touch. Perhaps they will come up with a new and better design.
How you can make your own bird feeder
Homemade Bird Feeder Container:
- Milk carton (like the kind from school) or plastic bottle
- Non-toxic poster paint
- Stapler and staples
- Hole punch
- small twig or dowel rod (for birds to perch on)
- Yarn, string or twine
- Birdseed
Instructions:
- Wash and dry the container.
- Cut a small section from side of the container and then, if necessary, close the top with the staples.
- Poke a hole under the opening you created large enough for the twig or dowel rod to slide through the whole way. There should be enough of the twig or rod sticking out so birds can perch.
- Paint the container, if desired. Let it dry.
- Poke a hole in the middle of the top of the carton, and thread a piece of yarn or string through it to use as a hanger.
- Add birdseed and hang the feeder. Make sure the feeder hangs where branches will not rub against it, but also where it is still somewhat hidden in the tree’s leaves. Since the small milk carton feeders are just the right size for the tiny birds such as finches, you might want to use thistle seed, which is the finch’s favorite.
Homemade Pine Cone Bird Feeder:
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- Pine cone
- Peanut Butter
- Yarn or string
- Birdseed
- Paper plates
Instructions:
- Cut a piece of string about 10″ to 20″, depending on the length desired to hang from a tree branch or hook.
- Take a piece of the string and tie it around the top of the pine cone.
- Coat the pine cone with peanut butter, careful to not add too much.
- Pour a layer of bird seed in the paper plate.
- Roll the peanut butter covered pine cone in the bird seed until its well coated.
- Hang your new bird feeder from a branch or hook outside and watch the visiting beautiful birds.
Other simple bird feeders
- Put a pie tin outside on a flat surface such as a stool or in a hanging planter and fill with birdseed.
- Stick a piece of bread, a doughnut, or half of an orange, on a branch of the tree
- Hang a baby food jar filed with orange juice from a tree