Bring the Birds to Your Backyard With These DIY Bird Feeders

Spring is finally in the air which means the birds are out, chirping, and hungry! What better activity to do with your kids this summer than to make some homemade bird feeders! The feeder will quickly liven up any simple backyard and also give the kids a chance to do a little bird watching. Bonus! The bird feeders are all made with simple, household items.

Check out the different feeders below.

Milk Jug Bird Feeders 

When you’re done with that jug of milk, turn it into a bird feeder! After cleaning the milk jug with soap and water, cut two “windows” into the larger sides of the jug using scissors. Next, punch two holes into the top of the jug for a hanger. Cut the wire to the desired length and insert it into the holes, making sure to twist the wire on the inside of the jug. Rope or twine could also be used for this step as well. If you want to take the feeder to the next level, insert a perch using a stick by cutting a slit in the side of the jug. Finally, decorate the jug however you would like and fill it with seed. Find the full instructions here.

Egg Carton Bird Feeder 

To make this super cute feeder you’ll need an egg carton, twine, paint makers, and some birdseed. After cutting the top of the egg carton, punch one hole in each corner of the crate. Next, use the paint markers to decorate the carton. While the kids are drawing, cut 4 pieces of twine into 18-inches and tie to each corner of the egg carton. Tie all of the pieces of twine together in one big knot and hang. Fill the crate with birdseed and enjoy! Find full details here.

Popsicle Stick Bird Feeder

For this feeder, you’ll need about 50 small popsicle sticks, 1 large popsicle stick, outdoor paint, long piece of hemp, a hot glue gun, glue sticks, and glitter glue. To make the feeder, line up 12 popsicle sticks and glue two across them in the opposite way. Turn the frame over and continue to stack the sticks, but have them go in the opposite direction to create a strong base. Next, alternate the sticks around the frame and glue down the large popsicle stick. Continue building the frame on the outside once 6 rows are created. Once the glue is dry, let the kids decorate the feeder. Using a hot glue gun, attach the hemp to the underside of the feeder and thread it through twice to create the hanging element. Find out more details on how to make these feeders here.

Cheerio Bird Feeder 

If you are looking for a quick and easy craft, check out this feeder. You’ll need some pipe cleaners, Cheerios, and some ribbon. Thread the cereal through the pipe cleaners leaving a small amount of space to tie the ends together. Repeat the steps for as many hearts as you want to attach. Connect the hearts by looping the pipe cleaners inside of one another. Attach the ribbon to the top to hang outside. More instructions can be found here.

Pine Cone Bird Feeder 

This feeder may get a little messy, but the birds will be thrilled you made it! For this feeder you’ll need some pine cones, yarn, peanut butter, margarine, honey, and some bird seed. Tie a 3-4 foot piece of yarn around the pine cone so it can hang. Next, combine two tablespoons of peanut butter with two tablespoons of margarine and roll the pine cone in the mixture. Once the pine cone has the peanut butter mixture on it, dip it into the bird seed. After, drizzle some honey on top of the pine cone and place it in the freezer to dry. Hang it outside once it is set and watch the birds go crazy! Find the full instructions here.

Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder

If you can’t find any pine cones for the above feeder, try this out and create a mobile. Use the same steps as above the roll the toilet paper rolls into the peanut butter mixture. Make as many as you want to hang on the mobile. For the support, use hot glue to connect two branches together. To connect the branches and the rolls, put some hot glue on the inside of the roll and stick to the branches. Find full details here.

Soda Bottle Bird Feeder 

For this feeder, take a sharpie and draw a small circle on the side of the bottle, about 4 inches away from the bottom. Using a craft knife, cut a hole and insert the wooden spoon through the bottle making sure it will balance. Repeat those steps a little further down on the bottle to create another perch. Finally, fill the bottle with bird seed allowing some to rest on the spoon. Find out more here.

Juice Carton Bird Feeder

For this feeder you’ll need a juice/milk carton, a craft knife, a plastic bottle lid, googly eyes, a craft stick, some paints, and a hot glue gun. First, paint the juice carton and let dry. After the carton is set, cut a “tummy and wings” into the bottom half of the carton. Allow the wings to flap, only cutting them half way. Glue the googly eyes on the top of the carton and fill with bird seed. Once the glue is dry, punch a small hole in the carton to hang outside. Find out how to make it here.