DIY bird feeders

Eating out has new meaning when you?re thinking of the birds. You can easily put together a cute bird feeder for your outdoor feathered friends, and make your house (or apartment) one of the most popular on the block -- at least with the birds! Check out these easy DIY bird feeder ideas.

Orange cup bird feeder

One of the easiest bird feeders you can make requires only a large orange, some heavy string or twine, a thin wooden dowel and your bird food!

Steps:

1. Slice a large orange in half horizontally. Scoop out all the fruit and pulp (save it for a snack for yourself).
2. Allow the orange halves to dry upside down on a paper towel.
3. Look down into the orange "bowl" and imagine an X on the inside. Poke four holes into the orange about half an inch from the edge of the bowl, where the points of the X would be.
4. Cut two pieces of thread or twine about a 18 inches long. Thread each string between two holes diagonally to form an X, and tie the ends together.
5. To create a perch for the birds, make two larger holes across from each other in the orange cup.
6. Insert the dowel through the two holes.
7. Fill with birdseed and hang from a tree branch.

Milk- or juice-carton bird feeder

Recycling your half-gallon milk or juice cartons to make a bird feeder is a cute idea from Disney Family Fun. You can add non-toxic paint to spruce things up for your specialty feeder, along with popsicle-stick shingles and a wooden dowel for seating!

Peanut butter container bird feeder

Another simple bird feeder idea involves reusing a common item from your home. Many peanut butter ?jars? are now made of plastic -- a good thing for a few reasons. One way to reuse your large empty peanut butter containers (or even plastic containers from other items -- think bulk-store purchases) is to turn them into a dining establishment for the birds.

You?ll need the empty and clean container (with the lid), heavy scissors, a long piece of heavy string or twine, a wooden dowel (about a foot long) and the bird food.

Steps:

1. Wash and dry your plastic container. Peel off any labels and remove the adhesive.
2. Use one of the scissor blades to poke a hole in the top of the lid, just large enough to thread your heavy string through. Loop the string and tie the ends in a tight knot. You?ll hang the feeder at your desired spot with the string.
3. Use the scissors to cut out two holes across from the other in the middle of the jar. The hole should be about 3 inches in diameter.
4. Use one of the scissor blades to poke a hole just below each of the larger openings. This should be big enough to insert the dowel through.
5. Insert the dowel across the container, fill the container with food to just below the larger holes and hang.

Food to chirp about

It can be a visual adventure to watch the different birds that visit your bird feeder. To keep the birds coming back to your spot, keep the following tips from the National Audubon Society in mind:

• Provide birds with a variety of quality seed.
• Provide fresh water for drinking and bathing.
• Give the feeder ample cover, preferably provided by native plants. Native plants also provide potential nesting sites and a source of natural food.

More bird projects to try

Make homemade bird food
How to build a birdhouse
Create the perfect garden for birds

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