How to make a feeder out of polystyrene foam. Bird feeder

19.09.2023

Birds are our smaller friends who delight us with their chirping and singing. And any garden in the presence of birds seems to come to life, filled with new life. Besides Birds help protect summer cottages from attacks by various insects in summer.. And in winter, when they have almost no food, man’s task is to help the birds survive the frosts by feeding them. A good attitude towards birds will pay off handsomely. for birds you can do it yourself quickly, without unnecessary manipulations, it will not only become a source of food for birds, but will also be able to decorate any area.

Many people made feeders for winged birds while studying at school, and some, together with their parents, managed to make more than one feeder while still attending kindergarten. At that time, tasks for making feeders were given at school with the goal of instilling in the child a desire to work and take care of our little brothers.

Now, in most cases, feeders are located in house areas with the aim of luring birds to live permanently in the garden or to take care of them in the winter. There are a great many variations of feeders, but we should not forget that if a person is pursuing a good goal, he must ensure that the feeder is not just beautiful, but comfortable and attractive to birds.

So what should it be like so that birds from all over the area will flock to peck at delicious delicacies?

The feeder should not be bright. Do not forget that birds are inhabitants of the wild, in which bright colors often indicate the danger of any insect or animal. So it is unlikely that birds will fly to nuclear flower feeders. The best option is the color of the wood.
The feeding area should be equipped with small sides so that the food does not fall out of it during the wind and at the moment when the bird lands on the feeder and swings it.
It is important to make sure that the sides and other elements of the feeder are not sharp and do not pose a danger to birds.
The best thing, so that the feeder has a small roof- then the food lying in it will not get wet in the rain, and it will not be covered with snow.
It is recommended to place the feeder where cats and other predators cannot reach it.. Then the birds will happily fly to it. If the place is dangerous, then it is unlikely that you will be able to attract birds.
All openings in the walls of the feeder should be spacious so as not to create the effect of a closed space. Otherwise the birds will be uncomfortable.
It is best to make a feeding place that will withstand various weather conditions and will not collapse after the first season.
The food in the feeder should be clearly visible- Birds use their vision more than other senses when looking for food.

Advice! In order to make the structure heavier and protect it from swaying in the wind, you can place pebbles in it, but so that they do not end up in the food.

Which is better: homemade or from the store?

You can make a bird eating area yourself, but stores now sell ready-made designs and products that you can simply purchase and hang in your garden or outside your window. Of course, this saves a lot of time, but it’s better to make the feeder yourself or order it from craftsmen. Only in this case can you be sure that the feeder is made of materials that are safe for flying inhabitants of nature and will perform its function correctly.

On a note! Undoubtedly, you need to pay attention to the design of the feeder, but if it is not just a decorative decoration for the garden, then, first of all, you should pay attention to its functionality.

It is also important to understand that a good feeder, but made in production or by craftsmen, will cost a lot of money. So it’s worth thinking about what to do - save money and do everything yourself, or spend money and buy a ready-made option.

Provided that in fact the feeding station can be made quite quickly and simply, the DIY option remains the best. The main thing is to decide and decide what and how to make the feeder from, how and where it will hang, and also take into account the availability of skills in making various products. You shouldn’t take on a complex project without proper experience; it’s easier to choose the simplest option. Fortunately, there are many types of feeders.

Table. Types of feeders.

View	Description
	This category includes all types of feeders that are fixed in the right place by hanging. Such a design will most likely require weighting with something to prevent it from swaying in the wind and when birds land. This category also includes simple feeders with lard or grains molded into one lump. They are hung from trees with string.
	The most familiar, familiar from childhood and widespread option. The roof of this product is made in the shape of a house; it protects the food from getting wet. It is best if the roof is installed on thin blocks so that there is as much free space for birds as possible.
	Such a feeder is a board with sides, attached to something or suspended. It does not have a roof, and therefore the food will constantly get wet or be covered with snow. But this is the simplest option.
	This feeder is a small container-hopper containing food inside. Birds, pecking the food that has spilled onto the tray, make room for new food, which gradually pours out of the bunker. Also, in some cases, birds can peck grain directly from the bin. The main advantage is good protection of feed from water and wind.
	Feeder designed for shellers. Often sold in stores. It needs to be periodically cleaned of debris, as birds will leave behind large quantities of it and food.

On a note! The structure can be made simply from food, combining grains into a single lump using various nutrients and hanging such a “gingerbread” in a visible place. Suitable for small birds that will peck grain from the feeder by clinging to it with their claws.

What can you make a feeder from?

You can make your own feeder from a variety of objects and materials, from an ordinary board to a plastic bottle or even a Tetra Pak box. Each material has its own advantages and disadvantages, and you need to choose what the food supply will be made from based on the presence of certain skills in working with various tools, the availability of free time, funds, as well as the goals of creating a place for eating.

Wooden feeders

The best option for creating a platform for feeding birds was and remains natural, untreated wood. This design will be closest to nature, and its neutral color and smell will not scare away birds from feeding. It is ideal if the natural bark is preserved on the boards. So when choosing a material, you can choose cuts from birch, pine, etc. You can even make a feeder from branches!

Wooden feeder is the best option

But in order to make a wooden feeder, even the simplest one, you will need certain skills and tools for working with wood.

Advice! You should not decorate a wooden feeder with various bright objects, but it can be decorated with natural materials, for example, by camouflaging the roof with twigs, pine cones, and leaves.

How to make a wooden feeder?

Let's look at how you can make the simplest feeder from wooden materials. To do this, you need to buy wooden blocks, a small piece of fiberboard, a furniture stapler, a saw, drawing supplies and a tape measure.

Step 1. You need to cut a square or rectangle from a sheet of fiberboard. You should apply a pattern of a square or rectangle of the appropriate size onto a sheet of fiberboard, and then use a saw to cut off the excess.

Step 2. Now you need to make the sides for the pallet. You need to cut two pieces of the same length from the block, equal to the side of the square or the long side of the rectangle, as well as two shorter pieces, which will be equal to the width of the square or the narrow side of the rectangle minus the thickness of the block.

Step 3. The sides need to be attached to the bottom of the feeder, which was previously made of fiberboard. The easiest way to do this is with a stapler.

Step 4. Now you need to make 4 supports for the roof of the feeder, all from the same block. They must be the same height.

Step 6. The upper parts of the supports standing on one side must be connected by crossbars cut from the same block. You should also make cuts on them at an angle of 45 degrees.

Step 7 Next it is manufactured. It is required to connect two sheets of fiberboard at an angle of 90 degrees. The connection is made using a small “ridge” bar with a length equal to the length of the slope. It is worth remembering that the roof should hang slightly over the tray of the feeder, which means that the slopes should be made taking this factor into account.

Step 8 Next, the roof needs to be fixed to its racks using the same stapler or nails. The junction of two slopes can be glued using some material that does not allow water to pass through. The feeder is ready. If desired, you can steal it with pine cones and branches.

Advice! When fixing the sides at the bottom of the feeder, they can be additionally coated with PVA glue to ensure connection not only due to the stapler staples, but also due to the glue.

Feeders with sides are the favorite of shelling birds, but for the rest, you can make a feeder without sides. The main thing is that the side is not too high.

Similar structures can be made from plywood, refusing to use fiberboard. In this case, the feeder will be more reliable and durable.

Video - Wooden feeder

Simple hanging feeders

These are very simple feeders, they can be easily and simply made in just a few minutes. They are a delicacy placed on a ribbon or in a case and hung on a tree. Often, using this principle, pieces of lard for tits are fixed on trees. You can also make balls from seeds. You can use peanut butter or suet to bind the grains together. And such feeders just need to be fixed on the tape somewhere in a place visible to the birds. To attract attention, you can try tying a sprig of rowan to such a feeder. You need to form the balls outside so that they immediately harden in the cold.

Advice! It is best to make pendants in the shape of a ball, and not in some beautiful and exotic shape. The ball is the most convenient option for birds.

Making a feeder for lard

Let's see how you can make a simple structure for placing lard, the manufacture of which will require twine, wire and an ordinary hoop - an accessory for embroiderers.

Step 1. You need to buy regular plastic hoops in the store. They need to be separated into two halves, but in the lock area the hoops should remain connected.

Step 2. In the lock area, you need to wrap the hoop with wire on both sides.

Step 3. On the other hand, where the hoop is separated, you need to make a wire jumper and wrap it with a “tail” from the wire to approximately the middle.

Step 4. The remaining wire needs to be twisted and formed into a hook at an angle of 90 degrees, which is directed inside the hoop. Lard will be placed on it.

Step 6. After this, the hoop and wire need to be wrapped with regular twine. The feeder is ready. All you have to do is place it in the right place in the garden and put a treat for the birds on the pin.

Making a feeder from a plastic bottle

Of course, you can simply cut a hole in the side of a plastic bottle and hang it on a tree, filling it with grain. But you can get creative and make the feeder a little more complicated. To do this, you will need flower trays of different diameters and a plastic bottle of approximately 1.5 liters. A strong rope will also come in handy.

Step 1. In one of the pallets (which is smaller) you need to make a hole of the same diameter as the neck of the bottle. You can cut it either with a knife or with a special crown placed on a drill.

Step 2. Next, you need to remove the cap from the plastic bottle and screw the bottle itself into the tray with its neck, and screw the cap onto the neck from below. But for now, the structure can be temporarily dismantled. A small hole should be cut in the side of the bottle so that the food can pour out of it and be accessible to the birds.

Step 3. You need to cut off the bottom of the bottle using a sharp knife.

Step 4. Now on the pallet - both on the first and on the second - you need to mark and drill holes for the rope. First you need to make holes on the smaller one, and then, placing it on the larger one, mark it and also drill holes.

Step 5. The final assembly of the structure is underway. The bottle must be screwed to the bottom tray.

Step 6. You need to cut six pieces of rope of the same length. It is better to take a rope that is tight and thick enough. You can also use a synthetic version.

Step 7 Now you need to tie a knot on each rope at the same distance from the edge.

Step 8 You need to thread the ropes through the holes on the small pallet so that the short tails of the ropes are at the bottom.

Step 9 The second pallet will become an improvised roof for the feeder. Now you need to thread the ropes through the holes of the second pallet.

Step 10 The ropes need to be well tensioned. The result should be the same design as in the figure.

Step 11 Now you need to form “tails” from the bottom and top of the remnants of the rope. Don't forget to make a hanging loop on the top side.

Step 12 All that remains is to fill the feeder with seeds and fix it on tree branches using a hanging loop.

Video - Feeder made from a large plastic bottle

Video - Hopper feeder made from a glass bottle

You can make bird feeders from any materials. You can whip up a feeding place even from cardboard, but such a feeder will not last long. If you want to decorate your garden with beautiful and durable feeding places for birds, then it is better to spend your time and make a wooden feeder.

Birds living in the wild need protection and care. It is especially difficult for them during winter: when it is frosty outside, it is so difficult to find shelter and food.

That is why caring people try to feed our younger “brothers” as much as possible. One of the ways that will not only help birds, but also decorate your garden is a feeder made from scrap materials.

In this article we have collected several of the most affordable options - based on descriptions and photographs, using already unnecessary items (plastic bottles or old dishes), you can easily arrange a place where flocks of birds will gather.

Material selection

After assessing the resources you have to create a feeder, you can choose an idea you like. However, it is worth remembering that not only its appearance, but also practical characteristics such as stability depend on the configuration.

That is why a good feeder must meet the following requirements:

Wear resistance and durability. Preference should be given to wood or plastic, which can withstand weather conditions without getting wet from rain and snow, or collapsing under gusts of wind.

In addition, the birds themselves often cause damage to the feeder - in search of crumbs, their beaks and claws scratch and tear fragile materials.

Proper size. Remember that if you cut out a small feeder, for example, from tetrapack, then large birds will not be able to eat from it, and small ones will start fights for space and shake out the food on the ground.

No sharp edges, protruding nails, etc. Birds are very delicate creatures, their feather protection and the skin on their legs cannot prevent cuts from sharp objects, so make sure that your feeder is not dangerous for them, especially if it is made of glass, plastic or planks!

Location and installation

Choosing the right location is extremely important!

Having chosen the most suitable position from the point of view of landscape design, evaluate:

Accessibility for birds. Perhaps the feeder will be closed from them by thick branches, or, conversely, it will be too open, and then, in a strong wind, the birds simply will not be able to get close to it.

Difficulty for cats. These animals are excellent hunters, especially those who live in villages and holiday villages. They are stronger, faster and more dexterous than their domestic counterparts, and therefore, sneaking up to the feeder, they can cause great damage to the bird community.

Ideas for making your own feeder

There are a huge number of different types of feeders - it all depends on your imagination and available materials.

We will try to consider both the simplest and the most original ideas.

House made of wood or plywood

Despite the apparent complexity, such a structure can be assembled with unnecessary boards, pieces of wood, glazing beads, plywood and, of course, special glue or nails.

Note!

The base should be a heavy, flat board. To make the walls and roof, you may need a drawing, however, you can get by with an eye.

A wooden bird feeder, depending on how much attention you pay to it, can become not only a place for birds to feed, but also an elegant decoration for your garden.

Feeder made from plastic bottles

This type of feeder is very easy to make and is perfect if you decide to involve children in the creation process. You need to cut one or two holes in the bottle so that you can not only pour in the food, but also access it without difficulty.

Of course, you should try to ensure that the cut edges come out neat and not too sharp (in addition, it is advisable to cover them with tape).

If you are using a small bottle (1.5-2 liters), then you can do it in two ways: cut a square or rectangular hole in the bottle, or prefer a U-shape so that you can bend a piece of plastic and make a visor.

If you decide to use a large bottle (5-6 liters, in which drinking water is usually sold), you can make a large side cutout. This will not only provide more food, but also give the birds room to maneuver.

Note!

To prevent the wind from ruffling a light bottle, it is worth placing a stone or a piece of brick at the bottom. This also applies to the next type of feeder.

Bird feeder made of tetra pack

You can also use juice or wine boxes to make a bird feeder.

To do this, you should follow the same technology as in the previous case: mark the location of the cut, cut it in shape, glue tape (or adhesive tape) along the bottom side of the opening, then make holes for a strong rope in the upper part of the tetra pack. All that remains is to hang the feeder in the place you choose.

Shoe box feeder

The cardboard from which the shoebox is made cannot be considered a durable material, but it is quite resistant to moisture, and if it is frosty outside, such a feeder can hang until spring.

The technology for making the feeder, as in previous cases, is also very simple: make four to six holes for the rope, slits on the sides and put a weight on the bottom for stability.

Note!

Other options

The above options are extremely popular - such feeders can be found at any dacha. If you want to make a unique feeder with your own hands, you should take unusual materials, for example, old tableware: a cup and saucer.

In the autumn, you can cut out a product from a pumpkin or zucchini; in the winter, halves of an orange, peeled from the pulp, are suitable for this. These feeders will surprise your neighbors and will undoubtedly decorate your garden!

Photo of a DIY bird feeder

For birds, you need to have a few simple items and tools.

You can make a feeding trough with your children, but keep in mind that you need to watch every step, since during the construction process sharp things are used - scissors, knives, screwdrivers and even, sometimes, a saw.

There are many options for feeders - made from plywood, plastic bottles, tin cans or cardboard.

Here are the most interesting, popular and original ideas for creating a feeder:

Feeder made from scrap materials: toilet paper rolls

You will need:

1 toilet paper roll

Peanut butter

Small bowl

Plate

A couple of branches

Strong thread or fishing line

Knife (dull or plastic).

1. Connect two branches or sticks together using hot glue or string. You can skip this point if you make 4 holes in the sleeve (see below).

2. Make holes in the toilet paper roll so that you can thread two branches or sticks through them. It is better to make 2 holes: a little higher and 2 slightly lower (see image). This item is not required, because The sleeve can be put on differently.

3. Place the peanut butter in a small bowl and use a plastic knife to spread the butter onto the surface of the cardboard toilet paper roll.

4. Sprinkle the food over the peanut butter sleeve.

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for 4 more bushings.

6. Tie a strong thread to the connected branches so that the structure can be hung.

7. Hang all the cardboard tubes on the branch structure, and then hang everything on the tree.

Feeder made from a plastic bottle. Option 1.

You will need:

Any plastic bottle

Ribbon, thread or fishing line

Awl or drill (for making holes in the bottle and plastic cap)

Bolt and nut

Stationery or simple knife (if necessary)

Deep plastic plate.

1. Prepare a plastic bottle. Remove the label from it, wash it well and dry it.

2. Make a hole in the middle of the lid and plastic plate.

3. Attach the lid to the plate using a bolt and nut.

4. Make a hole in the bottom of the bottle (bottom).

5. Make several holes on the side (4-5), near the neck of the bottle, so that the food can spill out when you turn the bottle over. Holes can be made with a stationery knife if the bottle is not too dense.

6. Take the ribbon, fold it in half, and tie the ends in a knot. Thread the ribbon through the hole at the bottom of the bottle.

Now you can pour food into the bottle, screw on the cap and turn it over. The ribbon will allow you to hang the feeder on a branch.

Bird feeder made from a plastic bottle. Option 2.

You will need:

Plastic bottle

Plastic container

Strong thread or fishing line

Screwdriver or nail

Knife (simple or stationery).

1. Remove the cap from the bottle and the cap from the container.

2. Place the bottle cap on the container cap (in the center) and trace with a pen, felt-tip pen or pencil.

3. Using a utility knife, cut a hole in the lid of the container. The hole can be made slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottle cap.

4. Make one hole along the edges of the container lid.

5. Make a hole in the center of the bottle cap. The hole should be large enough to allow bird food to spill out.

6. Place the cap on the bottle and then insert the bottle into the hole in the container cap.

7. Tie a strong thread to the bottle and put the cap on the container.

Now you can pour food into the bottle or pour water and hang the feeder on a tree.

How to make a feeder from a box (photo instructions)

Original polymer clay feeder

You will need:

Polymer clay

Rope

Thick wire or piece of aluminum

Baking bowl or any other utensil that can be placed in the oven

A small piece of fabric.

1. First roll out the clay on a flat surface until it is about 6mm thick.

2. Carefully place the rolled out clay inside the baking bowl. Trim off any excess pieces so that the clay lies flat. Make 3 large holes in the clay for the rope.

3. Place the bowl of clay in the oven. Read the clay instructions carefully to know how long it takes for the clay to harden in the oven.

4. When the clay has hardened, carefully remove it from the bowl, tie three pieces of rope to it - tie a knot at one end of each rope, and insert the other end into the hole of the clay plate.

5. Tie all ends of the rope and secure them with wire.

6. It is advisable to place a small piece of fabric inside the plate so that the birds do not accidentally peck the clay along with the food.

Original do-it-yourself pumpkin feeder

You will need:

Small pumpkin

Wooden crossbars (even branches can be used)

Thin wire.

1. You need to cut off the top part of the pumpkin.

2. Using a knife or screwdriver, make 4 holes in the pumpkin to insert branches or wooden slats into. Make 2 opposite holes at the same height and two other opposite ones slightly lower - this way you will have one branch slightly higher than the other.

3. Take a thin wire and wrap it around each end of the branches so that the feeder can be hung on the tree. Connect all the ends of the wire so that the feeder can hang evenly. Twist them into a hook.

Original DIY bird feeder idea

This feeder is suitable for sub-zero temperatures.

You will need:

Large plastic bottle

Small plastic bottle or small plastic container

Scissors

Coniferous branches

Berries (optional)

Seeds

1. Cut off the bottom of a large and small plastic bottle. First you can make a hole with a knife and then cut with scissors. You will have the base of the feeder.

2. Place spruce branches, berries and seeds in a circle in the cut-out bottom of a large bottle.

3. Place the bottom of a small bottle or small plastic container in the center of the base.

4. Pour earth, sand or pebbles into a small container.

5. Tie strong threads or fishing line to the feeder so it can be hung.

6. If you put the feeder in the freezer overnight, and then take out and remove the plastic parts, you will get an ice feeder.

How to make a feeder with your own hands using a bottle

You will need:

Small glass or plastic bottle (preferably with a cap)

Small saucer or bottom of a plastic bottle

Wire

Saw (if necessary)

Screw half ring (hook).

1. Using screws, connect two small pieces of plywood. In this example, the dimensions of the plywood are 11 x 15 cm and 31 x 15 cm.

2. Using the bottle that you will later attach to the stand, mark the places where you will need to attach two pieces of wire - one at the neck, the other at the bottom of the bottle.

3. The neck of the bottle should be approximately 3-4 cm above the base.

4. Drill holes for the wire, insert your wire through the bottom, wrap it around the bottle and secure it to the back of the plywood (you can twist the wire or secure it with a stapler).

5. Fill the bottle with seeds, screw the lid on so as not to spill the seeds, turn it over and insert the bottle between the wires, place a saucer under it and remove the lid.

6. Screw a half-ring screw into the top of the plywood to hang the feeder.

Original DIY bird feeder

You will need:

Tin can (preferably with a lid)

Sisal rope (sisal rope) or thick rope

A piece of thin plywood, a branch, or any small metal piece

Hot glue.

1. If you have a jar with a lid, then the lid needs to be bent in half.

2. Take a small branch, piece of plywood, or other small piece that birds can perch on and glue it to the can.

3. Insert the bent lid as shown in the image (slightly inside the jar and over the metal part) and secure it with glue.

4. Take a thick rope or rope about 80 cm long and start wrapping the can so that the long ends of this rope (30 cm) remain at the beginning and at the end. Use glue to secure the rope to the can.

5. Cut the rope, tie the ends in a knot and secure with glue.

You will need:

3/4 cup birdseed

1/4 cup water

1 packet of gelatin

Twine or strong thread

Cookie pans

Baking paper.

1. Mix gelatin with water (1/4 cup) and bring to a boil, stirring. Make sure the gelatin is completely dissolved.

2. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. Add 3/4 cup birdseed. You can add more if it fits.

4. Place the cookie cutters on baking paper and fill them with the resulting food mixture.

5. Cut a piece of thread and tie its ends into a knot. Partially insert the thread into the mixture.

6. Leave the mixture to dry overnight, making sure to turn it occasionally when you have time.

7. Remove the molds and hang the food on the tree.

How to make your own bird feeder using tin cans

You will need:

3 cans of paint or cans

A piece of branch or wooden stick

Hot glue

Paints (if desired).

You can paint the jars, or you can leave them as is.

1. Glue a piece of branch to a jar for the birds to land and eat.

2. Wrap strong thread or ribbon around the jar and tie the ends in a knot. You can secure the tape with glue so that it sticks better to the jar.

3. Fill the jars with food and you're done!

How to make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle

Winter time is a serious test for birds. Every day it becomes more and more difficult to find food. Take care of the birds - hang a feeder made with your own hands from the simplest materials at hand, which we usually throw in a landfill. We have selected photos and original ideas for making feeders that do not require special skills or complex drawings.

Having accustomed the birds to the feeder, you will be able to observe the entertaining avian bustle and the secret life of birds.

Some of them defend their rights in fights with relatives, others enter into competition with other species, but without exception, all of them carefully look around so as not to miss the attack of a small hawk, which is very interested in visitors to the feeder.

A simple bird feeder will bring great benefits to birds

Materials for making a feeder can be very diverse, but there are some general design rules:

the feeder should, first of all, be convenient for the birds; there should be no difficulty in removing food;
The roof and sides will help protect the food from snow, rain and wind. Exposure to moisture can cause food to deteriorate and become moldy, which means it will turn into poison for birds;
It is desirable that the material from which the feeder will be made be resistant to moisture, otherwise such a design will not last long and a new one will need to be made;

The feeder must be safe: have no sharp sides and be located high enough above the ground

walls and corners should not be sharp or prickly;
feeders for small birds are made small in size so that larger and more aggressive species do not encroach on their food;
It is better to place feeders on tree branches or attach them to the walls of outbuildings at a height of about one and a half meters, so that cats do not offend the birds, and it is convenient to sprinkle food on your feathered friends.

Advice. Birds get used to a permanent feeding place and are ready to travel many kilometers to the feeder. Therefore, feeding must be constant, otherwise the birds may die.

Plywood bird feeder

You can buy a feeder in a hypermarket, or you can make it yourself in a few hours. A plywood feeder can be made open, with a flat or gable roof, and a bunker compartment can be provided if you cannot constantly monitor the amount of feed in the feeder. Of course, you will need drawings, fortunately, there are plenty of them on the Internet with ready-made dimensions of parts for cutting. Choose a design that you like, the drawing will make the work easier and guarantee that in the end you will get exactly what is shown in the photo.

Lightweight and durable feeder made from plywood sheets

When choosing a design for a future feeder, consider the bird population in your region. Jays, pigeons and magpies can eat all the food, leaving little titmice hungry. To prevent this from happening, make the size of the feeder openings such that large birds cannot reach the feed.

So, you will need a hammer, an electric jigsaw, nails of a suitable length, water-based glue, sandpaper, plywood, 20 x 20 mm timber. Let's look at a simple feeder.

Ideas and drawings of a bird feeder made of wood

Wooden feeders are attractive because they last a long time and keep their shape well - this is due to the properties and reliability of wood. To make such a feeder you will need at least minimal skills in working with tools and a drawing. The board for production should be 18 - 20 mm thick. Let's consider the option of making a feeder, which you can do yourself or take a photo as a basis for a drawing. We will need a beam measuring 4.5 x 2 cm for the racks, a square of plywood 25 x 25 cm for the bottom, two pieces measuring 35 x 22 cm for the roof, nails, screws and glue.

Feeder made of wooden beams

Such a feeder can be installed permanently on a dug-in post or drill two holes in the ridge, screw in a screw with a hook and hang it on a wire. Several birds can fly up to the feeder at the same time, the food is protected from the wind by the sides and roof, the feathered friends of the garden will love such a cozy dining room.

Finished wooden feeder

If you have a gazebo on your site, hang a simple feeder there without a roof. It is enough to make a side and a bottom. If you want to paint the feeder or open it with varnish, then use water-based compounds so as not to harm the birds.

Advice. To prevent the wood from splitting, you need to make the tip of the nail blunt, and drill a hole for the screw before screwing it in.

Making a feeder out of cardboard (suitable for children)

One of the simplest feeders. The cardboard version is interesting because it can be made in a place with children and at the same time have a great time with them. This would be a great craft for kindergarten or elementary school. There is a lot of room for creativity here. Cardboard is an excellent option; it is only afraid of direct water. But if you want to play it safe and make the feeder more resistant to moisture, then you can glue the external elements of the feeder with wide tape, especially its upper and lower parts. In a forest or park, such a feeder can easily last all winter and part of spring.

Collage of a cardboard feeder. Photo livemaster.ru/topic/179659-delaem-kormushku-iz-kartona

The set of tools and materials is minimal, and if you don’t have something from this list, you can always find a replacement. So we will need these materials and tools:

A couple of sheets of cardboard (A4 format or more);
Ruler;
Scotch tape (for structural reliability);
Stationery knife;
A rope or piece of nylon rope to hang the feeder;
Pencil or felt-tip pen;
Cardboard glue or glue gun;
Hole puncher.

If such a feeder is going to take the prize as the best craft in your kindergarten, then you will have to work a little in terms of external design. Here our cardboard will give a head start to any Tetra-Pak (this is a milk or juice carton), you can beautifully draw on it and decorate it in every possible way. Undoubtedly, the prize from kindergarten will be yours!

Pumpkin feeder

But here, as they say, words are unnecessary - everything is visible in the photo collage. I would like to add that such a feeder looks very attractive and unusual and will be a real decoration of your garden, this is due to the shape of the feeder and its color, which looks great against the background of white snow.

This option is also suitable for making with children. And such a beautiful, bright craft will definitely not go unnoticed in kindergarten.

Bird feeder from a box (package) Tetra Pak) from juice or milk

You can make a feeder from a milk carton or a tetra pack of juice, like this. Even a child can do this. For this you will need:

clean juice box;
a piece of nylon rope or wire to hang the feeder;
adhesive plaster;
marker;
scissors or stationery knife.

Milk carton bird feeder

First of all, mark and cut holes on opposite sides of the tetra pack. To make it convenient for the birds to take food and fly out. We cover the bottom side of the window with adhesive tape for the convenience and safety of the birds. We poke a hole under the holes with scissors and insert the cardboard rolled up into a tube, which is left over from cutting the holes above. In the bent corners we make small holes for wire or rope. And we tie it to a branch.

The feeder can be attached to a tree trunk. Such a feeder will not sway in the wind. To do this, feeding slots are made not on opposite sides of the bag, but on adjacent ones. On the opposite side we fix the wire in the slot and screw it to the tree.

Horizontal feeder made of tetro pack

You can make a feeder out of two juice bags. We cut the first package along the narrow sides, leaving the top uncut. From the second tetra pack we cut off the third part and cut a hole on the front side of the bag - this will be the feeding board or the bottom of the feeder. We combine the bottom with the first package so that we get a triangle. The parts can be connected with glue, wrapped with tape, or by piercing the bottom of the sides and inserting straws for cocktails.

Bird feeder made from plastic bottles 1.5 - 2 liters

Let's look at some variations of making a do-it-yourself feeder from plastic containers.

Option #1. The simplest feeder

Symmetrically, on both sides of the bottle we cut out two holes: round, square, rectangular or in the form of an arch. There should be bridges between the holes. If you make a slot in the form of an inverted letter “P” and bend the plate upward, you will get a rain canopy. You can stick an adhesive plaster or fabric tape to the bottom edge of the hole - the edges will not be sharp and the birds will sit comfortably. We make symmetrical holes in the lower part and insert a stick - the result is a feeder with a perch.

A simple feeder made from a plastic bottle

You can attach such a dining room for birds to a tree by wrapping the jumper with tape, rope or other suitable material, as seen in the photo. If you make a hole in the bottle cap and insert the ends of the twine, and then tie them in a knot, you will get a loop that can be thrown over the branches of garden trees.

Be sure to make the edges of the plastic feeder safe - cover the cut areas with electrical tape

Option #2. Bunker feeder.

This design is rational to use because the feed can be poured in for several days. As the birds eat it, the food will automatically be added to the feeding area itself.

Hopper feeder made from plastic bottles

You will need two bottles of the same volume. We mark one bottle with a marker before cutting. We make holes at the bottom, as in feeder No. 1, and remove the top third of the bottle. We make two symmetrical holes at the top - a ribbon or twine will later be tied to them for hanging the feeder. In the second bottle we cut several holes at the narrowest part - food will pour out of them. Do not make large holes right away; it is better to expand them later. We pour food into the bottle, tighten the cap and insert the bottle into the first bottle, cut by a third.

Option #3. Feeder with spoon

We make a hole in the cork and insert twine for hanging. Then we make two holes symmetrically the size of the spoon. We cut a hole in the bottle above the bowl-shaped deep part of the spoon, slightly widening it so that the birds can take the food. Fill the feeder and hang it up.

Feeder with spoon

Advice. Using a hot needle or small nail, make several holes in the bottom of the feeder to drain moisture that gets inside.

Bird feeder made from a plastic bottle 5 liters

Probably in every home there is an empty five-liter plastic water bottle. Making a feeder in one evening to feed birds in winter from this material is very simple. Such a container will hold much more food than a smaller plastic bottle, as can be seen in the photo. Several holes will allow several birds to feed comfortably at once.

Feeder made from a five-liter plastic bottle

This is a very simple and quick option, invite your children or other family members to take part in the manufacturing process: find a ribbon or wire to tie the finished feeder to a tree branch, prepare a treat for the birds. Prepare a clean bottle, a sharp knife, pruning shears or a utility knife.

We cut the hole based on how we plan to secure the container to the tree:

horizontally - cut a wide hole from the bottom of the bottle and the same from the neck;
vertically - at a height of 5-7 cm from the bottom of the container, cut several square holes or three rectangular ones.

Materials needed to make a feeder

It is convenient to tie the bottle by the neck to a branch with wire or twine. If the feeder is made in a horizontal version, then use a knife to make two holes on the wall through which you pass the twine for tying. To prevent the feeder from swaying in the wind, place a quarter of a brick on the bottom to weigh it down, and load a treat on top.

You can also build a bunker feeder from a five-liter bottle. To do this you will need a five-liter bottle and two 1.5-liter bottles, a marker, a stationery knife and a rope.

You can place the feeder under the roof to make the birds more comfortable

With a little ingenuity, you can use the simplest plastic bottles to create unusual dining rooms for birds that will decorate your area.

Shoebox bird feeder

Everything is simple here. Take a thick shoe box with a lid. We make a round hole in the lid. The hole needs to be moved slightly from the center to the bottom edge of the box (a little different in the photo), this is necessary so that the birds can reach the food, which will lie at the bottom of the box.

We make a small hole in the top of the box and insert a tourniquet or rope through it. We tie an old pencil or stick to the end of this rope. We will then tie the other end of the rope to the branch of the tree on which we plan to hang the feeder. Then you can wrap the box with wrapping paper, but this is for aesthetic purposes, you don’t have to do this.

We make a roof out of ordinary cardboard and put it on glue. Next, we glue the lid to the box itself with tape, as in Figure 3, 4, and also thread a rope through the lid.

At the moment when we hang the finished feeder on a tree, the roof may come unstuck from the box, but this is not scary, it won’t be able to get away anywhere, because it will be held in place by a rope.

And in the picture below is an even simpler version of a shoebox feeder. But there is no need to explain anything here, everything is already visible in the photo. The entire box is simply wrapped with tape, which, by the way, is very practical. And in our opinion, it turned out to be original and unusual.

Cardboard bird feeder

To make a bird canteen with your own hands, the simplest material will do, which is stored in abundance on the balconies of most families: boxes of electrical goods, cardboard packaging of food products. Choose thicker cardboard with a laminated coating; laminate will slightly increase the service life of the feeder. Although, as written above, you can use wide tape for these purposes. The advantage of this design is that there is already a bottom, walls and roof of the future feeder, which needs to be slightly modified by cutting square or rectangular holes on the sides.

Even a schoolchild can make a cozy feeder from a mailbox with his own hands

You will need a nylon cord, scissors or a stationery knife and tape. Since cardboard is a very short-lived material and is afraid of moisture, a finished feeder wrapped with tape will last until the next season. Having cut the side holes and secured the cord, you can hang the feeder and fill it with treats for the birds, which will not keep you waiting long. Place sand or some pebbles at the bottom so that the structure does not sway too much in the wind.

If you cover a cardboard feeder with paints, it will last longer.

You can do it a little differently. We glue the lid of the box perpendicularly so that the lid serves as a stern stand, and the second part of the box serves as a side and a roof. We glue the structure with tape. We make two hooks from wire: we bend a piece of wire in half and pierce the “ceiling” of the feeder with the ends, twist it and bend it from the inside. By connecting the hooks, you can hang the feeder on a branch. As you can see in the photo. Now pour in the food and wait for the guests.

Window bird feeder (with suction cups)

Such feeders are a very interesting option for the general development of children, and adults too :). The feeder is attached to the window, or rather to the glass, using suction cups. Usually such feeders are also made transparent in order to fully enjoy watching the birds. If you have suction cups, you can make such a feeder yourself, for example, from the same plastic bottle, but you must agree that it will still not be as aesthetically pleasing as the ready-made version from the store. Children will probably start taking pictures of all this, and photos with yellowed, cloudy bottles will, to put it mildly, not be so hot. The purchased options look very nice.