28 Homemade Bird Feeder Ideas For Your Garden

Don’t you hate it when birds fly away as soon as you step into the garden?

Craft Invaders figured out a brilliant way to avoid that. These guys have a knack of twisting traditional things into something unique.

That’s exactly what this homemade bird feeder is all about. You basically use a few old kitchen utensils, a florist’s wire, and suction cups.

Then voila! You’ve got a bird feeder that you can literally stick to the window sill. I’m sure that once the birds get used to this interesting contraption you’ll start getting feathered company flying over for breakfast.

The Happiest Camper uses her happy-go-lucky spirit and creative ideas to find a purpose for all unwanted things. To be honest, her eco-friendly take on bird feeding took me by surprise but I warmed up to it soon enough. I never thought that I’d use a shoe to feed birds, but here we
are.

You can try this out with any shoes/boots that you have outgrown. Drill them to a tree trunk or hang them on the branches. As long as they don't fall off and are full of seeds, no bird will decline this unusual platter. It also makes for a unique fall decor for your lawn.

Pro tip: It might sound obvious, but don't forget to wash your shoes before using them.

Not all of us are blessed with DIY skills. However, that doesn’t mean that we can’t enjoy making bird feeders. It’s why I selected Jamie Sanders charming birdhouse idea for my DIY bird feeder list.

She bought a few miniature birdhouses from the dollar store, painted them in vibrant shades, and then glued them to a flat tray.

After that, you need a strong string that manages to handle the weight of the tray and the birdhouses. 

The greatest advantage of this project is that it’s got a professional touch to it. That’s why I recommend using them as gifts for your fellow backyard gardener.

Kim knocks it out of the park with these apple ornamental feeders. I usually end up with a surplus of apples during autumn. I don’t always know what to do with the fruit once I have cooked up some delicious apple recipes. That’s why I don’t mind using the leftovers for this nature enthusiast’s cause.

Creating these is similar to the orange cups. Only this time around you’ve got to take out the core and some of the flesh instead of the whole thing. You then fill a gelatin and seeds mixture into
inside the apple. Then place them on your picket fence or wall to welcome the hungry arrivals.

It’s a true homage to the crispy, crunchy season of fall and the abundant harvest it brings with it. I’m planning to team up these gorgeous snack bars with my pumpkin planters.

Super simple idea that will last longer than your plastic varieties.

What do you need?

- mason jar        
- baby chick bird feeder       
- medium-sized vintage lid

That's it! You have to assemble these core components with super strong glue. Then let the glue set and you are ready to go.

Craft Bits is always coming up with classic takes on modern ideas. This cute teacup arrangement reminded me of tea parties held at Grandmas. It’s charming and elegant to look at, and it fulfills the function of feeding the birds effortlessly.

I bet that it’ll make for a great Christmas gift for grandma. Imagine her surprise if she sees one of her china patterned tea set assembled for her birdies. 

You can also set this up for a friend that is fond of ‘Alice and the Wonderland’. For this certainly takes inspiration from the Mad Hatter’s infamous tea party.

The idea here is to take a teacup and saucer from your kitchen cabinet and convert it into a birdfeeder by gluing them together. It’s easy to make and you’ll find most of the supplies at home.

It's an excellent way to reuse spare cups and saucers. Just make sure that they aren't chipped or
cracked, as we don't want our feathered friends to get hurt.

Now, the original version uses a basic black teacup and saucer. However, you can choose any colorful cup that's in your house. Or paint the white and black ones if you’re feeling artsy that day.

I’m sure that this makeshift bird feeder will look super cute in your garden. You can even hang it outside your window sill to lure the birds in.

This blog helps you to turn your garbage into treasure by presenting wonderful ways to
reutilize the products.

So what are we reusing for the bird feeder? Plates and bowls.

The interesting part about this homemade bird feeder is that it feels like an extension of the two ideas that have already been shared. That's because it’s got a big plate covering the feeder like the first one. The plate shields the food from rain and snow just like the lid.

Once again, you can use spare utensils from the kitchen to create this beauty. The other option is to go to a thrift store or neighborhood yard sale to find the plate and bowl. No matter what you do, it is an inexpensive way to feed the birdies.

The only difference is that this one requires some solid DIY skills. So remember to wear your protective gear if you opt for this project.

Check this out: turning an average bottle into a bird feeder. I like this one because everyone has a bottle or two that’s lying around the house. So making something useful out of it seems like a brilliant idea.

How do you make this bird feeder? Here are a few useful pointers:

Make sure that the opening is big enough for the bird to easily access their food.

The bamboo skewers must be thick so that the birds can perch on top of them.

Try painting the bottles or using colored ones to add vibrancy to the garden.

Lastly, hang the colorful bottles on the same tree/branch. Watching them swing during the windy weather will add a lovely theatrical effect to the garden.

Kids wil LOVE makig these citrus cups Erin did for her STEAM nature project series. This time she
shows us how to utilize orange peels to make a bright bird feeder. The trick is to scoop out the fruit’s flesh instead of peeling the skin in layers.

After that, you need to attach strings to the cup and fill it with the seeds. Then hang it anywhere in the backyard for the birdies. The biggest bonus is that this is 100% environmentally friendly. So the children can learn about conservation and nature at the smae time.

Here you'll find Mommy and son, substituting glue with the stickiest breakfast item: peanut butter!

You only need a few things:

- 2 different sized tissue paper rolls
- string
- jar of peanut butter
- shoe box

Then simply sprinkle your seeds inside a shoe box. Spread the peanut butter on the tissue paper, roll and then roll it in the seeds. String the paper rolls together and you’ve got a yummy snack all ready to be devoured.

The only advice I can give you is to control the urge to snack on the peanut butter when you’re at work.

Do you remember using ice cream sticks for art projects as a kid?

Animal Lama revives that trend with this practical craft stick bird feeder. The idea is to take 30-45 craft sticks and pile them up to look like a tray.

Use a glue gun to secure the sticks together and then a twine to hang it in the backyard. Besides this, you can spray it with any color of your choice to make it more appealing.

Thrifty Jinxy has a way of finding budget-friendly ways to make meaningful presents.

Her splendid spin on bird feeders is the perfect gift for any bird lover. You just need a few basic things: gelatin, straw, cookie cutter and something to hang the bird snacks.

The best part is that you don’t necessarily need a heart-shaped cookie cutter for this venture. Any kind of cookie cutter will do. The edible garlands look quite cute hanging from a tree. You can even make them for Christmas to decorate your landscape.

Your favorite spread and bird watching go hand and hand in this DIY project.

Sixth Bloom has a way of involving kids in most of her DIYs. So if you’ve got a bunch of young nature lovers of your own, then they’d love making this homemade bird feeder.

Use a butter knife to smear a generous amount of peanut butter on bread. Then use a ribbon to thread the bread and tie it on a tree branch. Finally, watch this scrumptious snack being devoured by the feathery folks in a matter of days.

Deanna teaches us how to convert tissue paper rolls into vertically inclined bird feeders with her son. This arts and craft project is the advanced version of the peanut butter rolls that are on this list. You can use the same strategy to make this one.

However, there’s a slight twist in the assembling phase since you’ll be handing them in a vertical position. For this reason, the millennial mom turns two stray branches into a perch for the birds. This way, you get to feed four birds with one feeder.

How cool is that?

Animal Lama is a pet parent haven for tips and tricks on raising furry and feathery friends. I fell head over heels with their birdfeeder. It’s designed to look like a pretty pink house that caters to
hungry birdies.

What’s this bird feeder made of? One empty milk carton and oodles of creativity!

I think the adults should only cut the box in the required shape and then let the kids run wild. I’m pretty sure that they’ll come up with various versions of this project.

It can also be made into a group activity in primary school or summer camp.

Ann teaches us to live life to the fullest without breaking the bank. Which is why I wasn’t surprised to find a clever bird feeder on her blog.

Didn’t we do a teacup version of this? Yes, we did but mugs are more weather-resistant and durable. They don’t break that easily either.

I also thought that it makes a great gift for the coffee lover in your life. It’ll be a nice change from the customized coffee mug or coffee blend basket they usually get.

Why? For starters, this quirky gift is personal and it gives a nod to their favorite beverage. It also adds a fun vibe to the garden too. The person you gift it to will always think of you whenever they see a bird snacking on this thoughtful gift.

Don’t you think that spending quality time with the family is getting challenging every day?

It’s mostly because all of us are in front of the screen half the time. Intelligent Domestication leads the way on bringing fun to family time with two wonderful projects. The first one shows us how to reuse empty milk jugs for a nature project. It’s a brilliant endeavor to introduce bird watching to kids who tend to stay indoors.

All you need is empty milk jugs, scissors, string and lots of imagination. These guys have used
everything from stickers to fallen leaves to embellish their feeders. It paves the path for lots of possibilities if you think outside the box.

These funky fruit loops bracelets brought back so much nostalgia! I remember how every kid
wanted edible jewelry back in the ‘90s. However, these trinkets aren’t for the children. They are to be strung together and hung for the backyard inhabitants.

The good thing about this one is that your children can thread the cereal without supervision. They’ll get a chance to independently create something worthwhile. You can also save a few for the kids to munch on while they are watching the birds eat.

Red, white, and blue take on the role to feed your feathery companions. This artsy feeding nook is colorful, meaningful, and pretty cheap. That’s because you’re re-purposing cans and tags already at home.

Imagine making this little fixture for your home in July. Not only will the kids enjoy making this piece but it’ll be something new for your 4th of July decorations.

Maggy manages to create a whimsical woodsy feeder for her birds. I’m very appreciative of her little adventures to turn scraps into something sensational. That’s probably why she’s mentioned twice on the list.

In the first project, she utilizes fallen pine cones to feed the birds. It’s an ingenious idea that requires minimum effort. You take a bunch of pinecones and lather them up with lard/peanut butter.

Then stuff the sticky nooks and crannies of the pinecone with seeds and other food. These
delectable pieces can then be hung all around the garden.

A great advantage is that this homemade bird feeder looks like a part of nature. So the birds won’t have a hard time adapting to it.

Pro tip: Like the Valentine idea, this one can double up as a Christmas decoration piece too. So you better start foraging for pine cones before the snow season begins.

Is it a flower or a snack bar? That’s probably what the birds will think when they dive into this delightful seed bowl.

Brett is always brightening up my feed with some fantabulous ideas. In this one, she takes orange
peel bird feeders to the next level by transforming it into a flower.

It’s an endearing endeavor to lure in the hungry birds to your garden. Plus, unlike most feeders, this one stays hidden amidst the flower beds and potted plants. It allows your house guests to dine in secrecy without any disruptions from other critters and creatures.

Before starting my search, I had no idea that breakfast meals were so popular among the other species. However, Maggy is a firm follower of this trend. She presents us with a delicate-looking creation with the help of floral wire and cheerios. Yum!

The best way to use this technique is by shaping the wire before adding the cheerios. Otherwise, your snacks might break.

Non Toys Gifts is an innovative initiative to gift children educational and artsy things instead of toys. Their homemade birdfeeder ideas incorporate interesting playful elements in the construction. It makes the whole learning process a lot more fun.

First up is their bird bowl that’s made from a paper bowl, strings, and cereal. The bowl functions as the main serving dish that’s filled with seeds.

On the other hand, the four strings of attached to it help you secure it to the tree. The strings are threaded with cereals (fruit loops/cheerios) so that the birds have something extra to munch on.

Overall, it’s a colorful creation that’s sure to entice birds that are fluttering in the neighborhood.

You’ve already got an idea on how to use Popsicle sticks to build a bird’s food station. Yet, Tonya takes it a step further by including glitter and group work into the mix.

Fortunately, this extreme construction session doesn’t end in tears. Also, everyone leaves with a practical party favor to call their own.

It’s a great way to include an interactive activity for your kid’s birthday party. The secret is to allow glitter glue, sprinkles, and colorful buttons as bait for the young creators.

A citrusy scent, biodegradable body, and lots of space: that’s what this feeding corner is about.

Kimberly elevates the simplistic orange bird bowls with skewers and strings. It’s a great activity for kids who are slightly older and won’t be happy with basic orange cups. You need a couple of fresh juicy orange peels, twine, and long skewers.

Like the previous, citrus cup, you need to scoop the flesh out. Then insert the skewers and attach four pieces of twine with it. Hang a few cups on your tree and watch a family of birds gathering up to dine there. It’s going to look glorious and it won’t cost you an extra dime!

Pro tip: The bigger the oranges are the better!

This "dream birdhouse" is probably one of my favorites on this list. It’s such a wonderful arts and crafts project that doubles up as a feeding area. You’ll notice that the steps to build it are a combination of all the tricks we’ve learned so far.

They’ve created a cut out of a house and then glued it together. Then they lathered the exteriors of this house with sticky peanut butter spread. Stuck seeds and dried fruit on it and then placed a cupful of food inside too. With two thick sticks working as perches here, your birdhouse will be the talk of the bird town.

To end my list on a sweet note, I’ve chosen Erin’s yummy heart-shaped snacks. They are slightly chunkier than most ornamental seed garlands usually found. Apparently, this ensures that they last longer.

You bake the scrumptious snack with a mixture of flour, corn syrup, and seeds/nuts. They get the shape from miniature cake pans. You can use this idea to create diversely shaped bird cookies. Tie them up with a ribbon and hang it outside. Then all you’ve got to do is waiting for the bird to eat from it.

What I like about this idea? It’s pretty, eco-friendly, and useful. All these things make it a good party favor for outdoorsy weddings, bridal shower or other special events.