Wild animals and birds that live in nature cannot count on the fact that in winter someone will help them in the same way as their domesticated "brothers". However, many people understand this and try to provide all possible assistance during the winter cold.

Benefits for you and the birds

Caring people are well aware of how difficult this time is for our smaller brothers, since starting from late autumn, it is becoming increasingly difficult for many of them to find food. Of course, with all the desire, it is not so easy to help those of them who live in the forest or in a remote area. However, if you live in a city, town or village, then everything is in your power. Today we will talk about bird feeders. It is quite possible to make them, and we are talking about using improvised means, old packaging and containers, as well as other materials that, in any case, would most likely be thrown into a landfill.

By the way, having “trained” the birds in your feeder located on the site, in addition to the feeling that you are helping them, saving them from hunger in the difficult season, you get some kind of additional “bonuses”:

• Birds will get used to your site and will begin to live on it and next to it more often. Thus, they will constantly delight you with their games, fuss and chirping, filling the surrounding space with vital energy.
• Quite often it happens that in the summer the birds return a kind of debt to you, destroying the numerous insects and pests that live in almost every garden or vegetable garden.

Wood is a reliable material!

In today's article, we have provided photos of many options that will help with ideas on how to make a bird feeder with your own hands. As a rule, in order to implement the project of such a feeder, you do not need complex projects and drawings.

Attention! You can feed birds not only in winter, but also in summer, especially if you live in a country house or in a private house.

Before considering the basic ideas for making feeders, let's talk about some of the features of the choice of material, as well as about the places where you can hang or attach such a homemade structure.

Choice of material and installation location

Before choosing a place for a feeder, it will be very useful to learn the most common types of birds that live in our latitudes.

1. Nuthatch; 2. pika; 3. small spotted woodpecker; 4. crossbill; 5. jay; 6. nutcracker or walnut; 7. bullfinch; 8. waxwing; 9. common grosbeak; 10. goldfinch; 11. siskin; 12. common oatmeal; 13. greenfinch; 14. great tit; 15. titmouse; 16. crested tit; 17. Muscovite tit; 18. long-tailed tit; 19. titmouse.

Traditionally, it is considered that the bird feeder should be in the form of a kind of house, which would be somewhat similar to a birdhouse. And in fact, such a configuration is optimal in order to organize a place for feeding birds there. Consider the advantages of this form:

• The roof allows you to create protection from rain and snow.
• Such a construction, made of plywood or wood, is strong, durable and reliable.
• She will not look alien, since we are talking about landscape design and external attractiveness of the entire site.

However, you should not be limited only to this form, as well as the fact that only wood can be used as a material. In fact, both the configuration and the material can be completely different.

The main thing is that the feeder meets the basic requirements:

1. The material from which the feeder is made must be stable and not deform over time. In other words, a birdhouse made of cardboard or similar improvised means is not good. It simply will not withstand difficult weather conditions: rain, sleet, etc.
2. At the same time, you can, in extreme cases, make a small feeder from a container of juice or dairy products (kefir, milk, etc.). Tetra pak and similar carton packages are much more resistant to moisture than ordinary carton. However, such structures cannot be classified as durable. On the other hand, they are quite suitable as a temporary solution, which, under favorable circumstances, can serve you for a whole season. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that the feeder from the milk bag will fit only for small birds, since large ones simply will not fit in it.
3. By the way, the following conclusion follows from the previous paragraph: the material must be durable and stable, since it must withstand not only the autumn-winter bad weather, but also the weight of the birds themselves, some of which are quite massive. In addition, keep in mind that wear and tear will also occur due to the constant impact of their claws, since they will usually sit down in a carved opening (“window”).
4. By the way, since we are talking about a window, an entrance (this technological hole can be called, in fact, whatever you like), then you need to understand that its edges should not be sharp, because, otherwise, birds can injure their paws about them.

Location

In addition to the material, as well as manufacturing technology, you need to understand that the place where you install or hang the bird feeder is also important point. So, if possible, it is necessary to avoid installation in places where birds will have difficulty accessing. We are talking about thick branches and other similar places.

In addition, pay attention to the fact that the feeder is located in a place that is hard to reach for cats, which, as you know, are excellent hunters, living in large numbers in villages, cottages, as well as in cottages and private housing estates.

Advice! Place the feeder in an open space, in places that are easily visible to birds.

Popular Ideas

Let's look at the main ideas of how best to make a bird feeder with your own hands, looking at "live" examples of how many people have implemented their projects. There can be many feeders, and the options for their manufacture are countless. However, they are all made for the same purpose. So, here are the main types of structures of this kind.

The dispenser is a very useful device for feeding birds. In addition, the bottle can be hung vertically "upside down"

Wooden house

To make such a design is quite realistic and independently. There is no need to have any specific skills or knowledge. As a rule, improvised or unnecessary boards, pieces of logs and many other wooden elements are used in such work. Taking planks or veneer as a basis, main task is their strong connection.

By the way, wooden bird feeders can be used not only for feeding yard birds. Similar designs are also used in chicken coops, when feeding chickens and other poultry. However, this is, as they say, a completely different story.

Plywood feeder

Such a design can be made with your own hands right at home. For this you do not need any special tools or conditions. In this case, of course, you will have to find drawings of feeders. On the other hand, you can make a drawing with dimensions yourself, since there is nothing particularly difficult in its development. For more ideas, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the photos and examples of finished work.

Bunker feeder

This type of construction, so to speak, "migrated" from Agriculture. One of its main advantages is that it allows you to exclude the "discrimination" of some bird species by others. You yourself have probably noticed that often a flock of birds alone, for example, sparrows or tits, takes an advantageous position in the immediate vicinity of the food (seeds, bread crumbs, grains, cereals, loaves, etc.) or even in the feeder itself and tends to prevent other birds from reaching such a valuable resource.

Therefore, it becomes an important task to limit the area on which feathered friends can feed. Therefore, in such cases, homemade bunker feeders, also known as anti-sparrow feeders, can come in handy.

Plastic bottle feeders

A canister feeder is also a great option.

This type of design is extremely simple, so everyone, including children, can make it on their own. In order to make it, you only need to cut one or two holes in the bottle in order to pour bird food inside, and in fact, so that the birds have the opportunity to get inside. Of course, you need to be careful, because the holes should be, if possible, as even and symmetrical as possible.

Interesting! If you have time and desire, you can additionally decorate the feeder with natural materials, or apply inscriptions.

Let's take a closer look at the features of the work in the presence of bottles of different sizes. The fact is that the most common source materials in such cases are:

So, if you use the first option, then you can choose between two types of designs. In the first case, it is about making holes in both sides of the bottle. They may have different shape: round, rectangular or square.

In the second case, you can make a special visor that would cover the hole, protecting it from snow. In order to make it, you just need to cut a U-shaped hole, leaving one side (upper). After that, this section of the bottle is bent up, thus forming a kind of visor. By the way, this can also be done on both sides.

For more convenience for the birds, you can make two small holes under the main openings and insert a long stick into them, on which they can perch before getting inside. As for the lower edge of the main holes, for greater security, it is advisable to glue it with tape or tape in several layers. Also suitable and fabric adhesive tape. Thus, a do-it-yourself feeder is made from plastic containers of a relatively small volume.

Even easier, you can make a feeder from a 5-liter bottle. The fact is that the walls are often straight, which allows you to cut a more even hole. Plus, more seeds and crumbled loaf are placed in such a container, and it is more convenient for birds to fly inside. For crafting, you will need a knife or strong scissors.

If the plastic bottle is mounted horizontally, then holes can be cut in place of the bottom and neck. If you plan to fix it vertically, then you can cut 2, 3 or even 4 holes from different sides if you are working with a bottle that has a square or rectangular section. This, by the way, will allow several birds to fly in and feed at once. For round bottles, 2-3 holes can be cut. By the way, on the basis of a large bottle of 5 liters and above, you can also make a bunker feeder.

On a note! It is advisable to cut the holes at a height of at least 5 centimeters from the bottom, maybe a little more.

Such a feeder is attached quite simply: you can tie it either by the neck or by the handle, which is integral part covers using twine or thin wire. This is if we talk about vertical options. With horizontal fixation, it is best to make 2 parallel small holes (they can be made with a knife or other sharp object), passing through them the wire or rope that is needed for fastening.

In any case, this option is very affordable, since almost everyone has at their disposal unnecessary 5-liter water bottles. Sample photos show various options for how this can be done.

Bird feeder from a milk or juice bag

5 minutes - and a new feeder from a juice bag - ready

Everyone has boxes of juice or milk. We usually throw them away. The manufacturing technology is extremely simple, and in some way resembles the previous one (with plastic bottles). So, if you want to make a bird feeder from a juice or milk bag, the sequence of your actions may be as follows:

• We outline future holes using a pen, marker or felt-tip pen.
• Carefully cut them out using scissors or a sharp knife.
• We glue the underside of the opening with tape or adhesive tape.
• We make small holes for the rope or wire at the top of the package.
• We hang the resulting feeder from a tree branch, lilac or other places.

The easiest and fastest option from a milk bag

By the way, in some cases you can put a weight on the bottom or attach to it in the form of a brick fragment or something similar. This will minimize swaying in case of strong winds. This applies not only to paper boxes, but also plastic bottles.

Remember! In some cases, you can attach the feeder to the wall.

Using a shoe box

By the way, a bird feeder from a shoe box is made in the same way. Of course, the fact that it is made of cardboard does not allow making such a feeder durable. On the other hand, some of the boxes are made of fairly durable and moisture-resistant cardboard. Moreover, you can additionally cover the cardboard with tape, which will further increase its protection from the effects of bad weather conditions. This will somewhat increase the life of the feeder, although, in any case, it will not be as durable as its counterparts made of wood, cardboard and even plastic.

The manufacturing technology itself is extremely simple and does not require any special instructions. You just need to make the necessary cuts on the sides of the box and also fix the lid. This can also be done with tape.

Other options

Of course, all these types of feeders are the most common and popular. However, it makes sense to talk about alternative options. The first of these is a feeder made from tableware.

By the way! You can also make a drinker out of dishes, which is also very important for birds.

Such original products are made from a cup and saucer. If you add a deep plate, you can make both a feeder and a drinker at the same time. Some craftsmen make feeders from old buckets, usually plastic ones. They turn out to be large, which somewhat limits the possibilities for their installation, which, of course, is a certain disadvantage. The advantage is the same: the size of such a product is quite large. This allows you to pour more feed. In addition, several birds can feed at the same time. We must not forget about the strength of such a design.

Making bird feeders from plastic bottles.

A bird feeder is a very necessary thing both at the beginning and at the end of winter. After all, during this period, birds especially need food. In this article, we will learn how to make feeders from plastic bottles on our own, because this is the easiest way to get an excellent result.

How to make a bird feeder from a 1.5 liter plastic bottle in stages?

Feeding birds is not only an interesting activity that allows you to watch birds, but also brings great benefits to wildlife. Feeders are made from a wide variety of materials.

One of the most popular and easy to make is a plastic bottle feeder. It has a number of advantages:

• availability
• cheapness (you don’t pay for it, it is given “as a load” for a drink)
• ease of manufacture (thin plastic is easy to cut and bend)
• protection of feed from wind and precipitation
• resistance to temperature changes

We are offering to you the following types feeders from plastic one and a half liter bottles.

"Original"

Prepare:

• the actual bottle
• 2 wooden spoons with long handles
• wire

Performance:

• step back from the bottle bottom 7-10 cm
• make two holes opposite each other from two opposite sides
• insert one spoon through them
• back up another 10 cm
• make the following holes in such a way that the second spoon, threaded through them, is perpendicular to the first
• expand the holes a little near the wide sides of the spoons - so the food will be easy to get enough sleep
• tie the neck of the bottle with wire
• hang on a tree

"Bunker"

• take 2 1.5 l bottles
• at the bottom of one, make 2 round holes (departing from the bottom about 8 cm)
• turn the second bottle and insert into the hole of the first
• the neck should not reach the bottom a little
• add grain or any bird food
• the birds will eat the food, and the next portion of it will gradually get enough sleep further

How to make a bird feeder from a 5 liter plastic bottle?

A 5 liter plastic bottle is one of the most suitable materials for making feeders, as it:

• has a wide bottom, which can accommodate more birds
• has a good capacity, allowing you to pour a lot of feed

We offer two types of feeders from such a container:

Horizontal:

• put the bottle on its side
• draw horizontal rectangles on two opposite sides with a marker
• With a sharp knife, cut along the marked lines the bottom and sides of the rectangles
• bend a piece of plastic up
• walk along the fold line with pliers - you get a visor that protects birds from rain
• at the bottom of the bottle, make two holes opposite each other
• pass a stick through them - you get a perch
• pierce small holes with a needle at the bottom of the feeder through which water will drain during rain
• make a hole in the bottom of the bottle
• thread a string through it
• tie the other end of the rope around the neck
• hang the feeder by the resulting loop on the tree

Vertical:

• cut large enough windows on all sides of the bottle
• cut 4 pieces from the old cable, the length of which is equal to the width of the window
• cut the cable lengthwise
• put the resulting blanks on the bottom of the windows - it turned out reliable protection our birds from injury
• make holes below the windows
• pass sticks through them
• make a hole in the bottle cap
• pull a wire or rope through it
• tie with a loop

How to make a bird feeder out of 2 plastic bottles?

It is easy to make practical self-filling feeders out of two plastic bottles. We offer the following methods.

• take 2 identical bottles of 1.5-2 liters
• make a few small holes in the bottom of one bottle to remove moisture
• cut off the top - you won't need it
• make holes at the top of the remaining lower part
• pull the tape through them and secure it by tying knots inside the container
• cut windows on two opposite sides
• fill the second bottle halfway with food
• turn it over and insert it into the cut bottle so that the distance between the neck and the bottom is no more than 0.5 cm
• wrap the structure with wide tape along the seam of the bottle connection
• hang on a ribbon

• Prepare bottles of 5L (feeder base) and 1-1.5L (feed dispenser)
• make measurements of containers in advance - a small bottle should fit into a large one, resting against its neck with its lower part
• in a large eggplant on two opposite sides, cut out bird entrances
• make a hole in the lid through which to thread the rope mount
• cut off the bottom of a small bottle
• make 2-3 holes on its neck with a hot nail, from where the grain will fall
• insert the small bottle upside down into the large one
• add feed
• twist the eggplant with a lid with a threaded rope loop
• hang on a branch
• such a feeder made from bottles of a contrasting color will look original

• you will need thin plywood and two bottles, one of which is slightly larger than the other
• cut a large bottle into three equal parts, of which only the bottom and top will be needed
• cut the edges of the top with smooth waves, and cut off the neck - you get a “plate” with a hole in the center
• cut a hole in the bottom of a small bottle into which food will be poured
• approximately in the middle of this bottle, pierce holes
• thread a rope through them and tie so that you can then hang the structure
• pierce a few holes near the very neck of a small container
• turn this bottle over and thread its neck into a “plate”
• cut a circle in the center of the plywood
• put plywood on the neck
• screw the lid - it turned out a place to land
• pour food into a small bottle through the hole made
• cover with the cut off bottom part of a large container
• hang on a rope

How to make a simple bird feeder from plastic bottles?

In the event that there is no time to make a complex feeder, and there is a desire to help poor birds, you can use our options for making the simplest feeders from a plastic bottle.

Option 1:

• take a bottle with a volume of 1.5 to 5 liters
• step back from the bottom about 4-5 cm
• make a wide hole with a sharp knife
• cover the edges of the hole with duct tape so that they are not too sharp
• put a piece of thin plywood or other dense material (tile, linoleum) on the bottom inside the bottle in order to make the feeder heavier
• tie a wire or rope to the neck of the bottle
• attach to a branch
• don't forget to feed

Option 2:

• cut off the bottom and neck of a 5-liter bottle
• position the resulting cylinder horizontally
• make two holes in the top of the workpiece on the sides
• pull a rope or wire through them
• for the resulting loop, hang on a branch
• pour grain or pieces of old fat for titmouse inside

Option 3:

• prepare a 2 liter bottle
• cut off the top
• stepping back from the bottom about 7-8 cm with scissors, cut off the front of the bottle
• attach the finished feeder with screws to the back wall to the fence, wooden wall or tree trunk

How to make a beautiful bird feeder from plastic bottles?

The bird "dining room" can be not only practical, but also beautiful. It is not at all difficult to do this. It just takes a little time and patience. We offer a choice of such options for cute feeders.

"Color House"

Prepare:

• two liter bottle
• tow line
• paints

It's easy to do:

• cut off the top of the bottle to the label
• edges can be cut in waves
• adjust the bottom of the bottle in height and cut off the excess
• make a big hole
• use a hot knife to melt the cuts so that they are not too sharp
• paint the blanks with bright colors
• on the sides of each workpiece, make symmetrical punctures with a hot nail
• put the top of the bottle on the base so that the holes match
• thread the string and tie knots inside the bottom of the feeder
• make a hole in the bottle cap
• thread knots of string through it and pull
• on both sides of the window, rivet the roof and base of the feeder for additional fastening
• decorate the feeder with bows or buttons using hot glue

With bowl

You will need:

• 1-2 liter bottle
• deep plastic bowl
• bolt with nut
• beautiful ribbon or harness

Manufacturing process:

• make a hole in the center of the plate and bottle cap
• fasten them together with a bolt and nut
• at the neck of the bottle, pierce several holes with a hot nail for feeding
• at the bottom of the bottle, make holes through which you stretch the tape
• pour the grain into the bottle
• screw on the lid with attached plate
• turn over and hang by ribbon

from several bottles

Prepare:

• 1 bottle of 2 l
• 4 bottles of 1 - 1.5 l
• wire

How to do:

• take a large bottle and make a markup, stepping back from the bottom about 7 - 8 cm
• make holes on four sides, the diameter of which should be slightly less than the width of the neck of smaller bottles
• cut off the tops of small bottles so that one side of the resulting funnels is slightly elongated
• insert the necks of the funnels into the holes of the large bottle
• turn them with the long side down - you get comfortable perches for birds
• thread the wire into the top of the large bottle
• form a loop
• fill the feeder
• screw on the lid and hang it on a branch

From vinyl records:

Materials:

• 2 l bottle
• two old records
• twine
• hot glue

Manufacturing:

• put the plate on the iron pan
• place in hot oven for 3 minutes
• shape the softened plate into a bowl (you need to work with protective gloves!)
• in the center, make a hole according to the diameter of the bottle cap - this blank will serve as the roof of the feeder
• make a bowl from the second plate in the same way, but without a hole - this will be the basis of the feeder
• while the vinyl is hot, make 4 holes along the edges of the records into which the twine will pass
• at the very bottom of the bottle, pierce the holes for the feed supply - you get a food bin
• glue the vinyl "cymbals" to the bottle with hot glue (the holes in both records should be located one above the other)
• thread the twine through them and hang them in a suitable place

How to make an original winter bird feeder from plastic bottles?

Do you know that more than half of the birds in our latitudes do not survive until spring? They are dying of hunger. We can help the birds survive the cold by feeding them.

The “correct” winter bird feeder must meet the following requirements:

• have a roof, thanks to which the snow will not fall asleep food for birds
• the walls should be high enough so that strong winds do not blow the food out
• fastening must be good, as gusts of wind can tear the product from the tree
• be made of dense material, not afraid of low temperatures and moisture

We will show you how to make a practical winter feeder.

• prepare 1 bottle of 5 l and 2 bottles of 1.5 l
• on three sides of a large eggplant, mark places for windows: one large and two smaller
• use a knife to make cuts in the form of an inverted letter P
• bend the incised parts up like visors - you get the base of the feeder
• in one small bottle, pierce holes in the bottom and a little above it
• insert this container inside the eggplant - the base
• make a hole in the lid of the large bottle through which the neck of the inner bottle can pass
• screw the lid on the bottle. In this case, the neck of the inserted container should rise above the lid.
• cut off the top of the second small bottle
• cut her throat
• put the resulting funnel on the neck of the inner bottle
• add food and screw on the lid

• you will need a 1-1.5 liter bottle and an old plastic container with a lid
• make a hole in the center of the container cap, slightly smaller than the size of the bottle neck
• cut out large windows on the sides of the container lid - bird entrances
• punch a hole in the cap of the bottle through which the food will be fed
• put food in a bottle
• screw on the lid
• insert the bottle into the opening of the container cap
• close the container with the resulting construction
• make a tie out of twine or wire

• take 3 five-liter eggplants
• make large holes in them - entrances on one side
• cover the edges with duct tape
• using bolts and screws, connect the bottles to each other so that the bird windows come out
• make holes at the bottom of the bottles and insert sticks - perches
• wrapping the necks of eggplants with wire or rope, make a fastening in the form of a loop
• turned out to be a very spacious feeder for a large number birds

How to decorate a bird feeder craft made from plastic bottles?

A bird feeder can become a real decoration of a garden or a window if you show imagination and make some efforts. Involve children in this process. This lesson will not only contribute to the development of their skills, but also teach them to be merciful to our smaller brothers.

• stick natural materials on top: cones, rowan berries, dry leaves, spruce twigs
• fastening made of curly bent wire
• glue round parts of plastic spoons

However, do not forget that the main thing in the feeder is still not design, but timely filling with food.

Beautiful homemade bird feeders from plastic bottles, ideas for feeders: photo

We are offering to you interesting ideas to create do-it-yourself feeders. After all, crafts should be not only practical, but also beautiful.

Video: Making a Great Bird Feeder

Making bird feeders with your own hands is easy, and the process of making them does not take much time. But such a useful thing will help the birds to winter and not have problems with food. In order to make feeders, no special skills and abilities are required, moreover, such improvised material as a plastic bottle can be found in every home. Attention to the photo selection:

Video tutorials on making bird feeders

The selection of videos below will explain several ways to make feeders. It will be shown how to make feeders from plastic bottles, which have different shapes and different capacities.

How to make bird feeders from plastic bottles

The master class proposed in this article will help you figure out how to make a feeder from a two-liter bottle. For work you will need: the bottle itself, you must first wash and dry it, you will also need scissors or a construction knife, a rope and wooden spoons or sticks. First, you need to outline the contours of two holes on opposite sides of the bottle, then use a knife or scissors to cut out holes and insert a spoon. Next, you need to similarly make two more holes for the second spoon. After that, you need to fill the bottle with food using a watering can or a paper envelope. In order to be able to hang the feeder, you must first make a hole in the bottle cap, then thread the rope folded in half, tie the ends into a knot, then twist the lid, and the feeder is ready.

Another option is also possible: you can cut off the top of the bottle and attach a plastic cap so that the food that is poured into spoons does not deteriorate. And in order to hang the feeder, you should make holes in the plastic cover and thread the ropes, then connect them.

There is a simpler option for making a bird feeder, for this it is enough to prepare a clean two-liter bottle, outline the contours of two windows on both sides, then cut out the windows with scissors or a knife, then you need to make a hole in the lid, fasten the rope, pour food on the bottom and the feeder is ready .

5 liter bottle

If you have decided to make a feeder with a larger capacity and for more birds, it is better to use a 5 liter plastic bottle. For work you will need: a bottle, scissors or a knife, branches, as well as acrylic paints or self-adhesive film. There are two ways to make a feeder from such a bottle.

The first way: outline the contours of one large window on one side of the bottle, then cut out the window with a knife or scissors, then thread the double folded rope through the hole made in the bottle cap, make a knot and hang the feeder by the loop. In order to attract the attention of birds to the bottle, you need to think in advance how to decorate the bottle. This can be done, for example, with a self-adhesive film.

Do you remember how, in childhood, educators, and then teachers, diligently instilled in us love for our smaller brothers? We willingly made bird feeders at labor lessons and were not too lazy to fill them regularly, taking care of the birds in the cold season. Years passed and came into our lives high tech, but progress has not touched the colorful flocks of birds. In winter, they still need support, which now costs almost nothing. The simplest bird feeder from a plastic bottle, hanging outside a window or in the yard, is made in just a couple of minutes, and it costs almost nothing to maintain. Can we make bird feeders out of plastic bottles right now? Yeah why not!

But before we start the tutorial on how to make a plastic bottle feeder, we'll just touch on the value of this craft. The primary benefit is obvious - it is a practical help to birds suffering from nutritional deficiencies in the cold. It is for this reason that birds fly to cities in winter, closer to people. But in the pedagogical aspect, the manufacture of this craft has value. Involving a child or teenager in the process, we form a full-fledged personality - we lay in the consciousness of a future member of society the concepts of virtue, responsibility, love for wildlife. And making do-it-yourself bird canteens from plastic bottles is much more interesting than playing empty virtual games.

Materials and components

Remember, earlier bird houses were made from plywood, wooden blocks, milk bags and other food at hand? This is all because then we simply did not have PET soda bottles and other liquids. The appearance of soft plastic containers will only simplify our task. Let's make a bird canteen out of bottles on our own, using step-by-step methodical schemes. Along with the kids, of course. The kids will definitely enjoy this activity.

In addition to PET containers from 1.5 liters or more, we will also need: disposable plastic spoons and wooden skewers (twigs), strong ropes and scraps of nylon cord. Acrylic paints(for plastic) or self-adhesive film to decorate the feeder, take as desired. From the tool enough awl, scissors and a clerical knife. Use foil, rustling candy wrappers and “crisp” cellophane to a minimum - an excess of such decor can scare away small birds.

Feeder-teremok from a regular PET bottle

The first step-by-step diagram shows a beautiful bird dining-teremok. Everyone can make one of plastic bottles with their simple tools. In winter, it will be a feeding place for forest titmouse, and in the summer heat, a drinking bowl for birds from stuffy city blocks.

Let's get to work? So:

• Trim the top of the bottle with your cutting tools: scissors, utility knife, whatever you are more comfortable with. This is the future roof of our tower;
• The height of the remaining bottom must be reduced by about a third, and then cut through the hole in the body of the "house" required size. The small size of the hole gives access inside only to small birds - bullfinches, tits, etc .;
• When cutting out the window, do not rush to cut off the extra “tongue” of plastic. It can be bent outward, forming a convenient bridge for landing;
• Treat the details of the future feeder with decorative materials (paints, beautiful stickers, film, etc.). 1 will help you with design ideas.

The tit feeder from a plastic bottle is almost ready. It remains only to hang the lower part of the house on the braid, making 2 holes in the workpiece with an awl. Then stretch the ribbon from the inside through the top of the bottle, having previously made a hole in its cork. Rice. 1 will help guide you. Hang your designer birdhouse from a plastic bottle on a tree branch in the park and fill it with food. Guests will not keep themselves waiting too long!

Original bunker feeder for bullfinches

The second drawing will introduce you to an even simpler idea. The peculiarity of this feeder made of plastic parts is that it does not require too frequent filling due to the bunker feed tank. And it’s nowhere easier to make such a bird feeder from plastic containers - you don’t even have to cut the bottle. But what should be paid special attention to in Fig. 2, so this is the width of the neck of the future bird dining room. The looser it is, the more convenient it will be for you to add food. So:

• Take any plastic bottle with a wide neck (for example, a liter milk bottle) and pierce it through with wooden skewers along the holes marked with an awl. The skewers should stick out on both sides - these are landing perches for arriving birds;
• Make several such punctures at different heights so that the birds do not interfere with each other if, upon arrival, they sit on all the perches at once;
• It remains to make holes through which the bullfinches will pull loose feed from the feeder. A diameter of 0.5-1 cm will be enough (if grain and cereals are poured into the bunker). Holes can be burned over the perches with a hot nail or carefully cut out with nail scissors.

It is interesting! See how the bunker feeder skewers are successfully replaced with wooden spoons in fig. 3. The principle of manufacturing the structure remains the same, however, the size of the aft window can be increased, and the landing of birds will become much more convenient. Wooden spoons can be replaced with disposable plastic ones. And do not be afraid that a lot of food will wake up on the ground. It is enough to lightly trample the snow under the feeder so that the birds peck at all the falling food.

The original bird feeder is ready for uninterrupted service for the benefit of our feathered friends. It remains to be noted that a transparent PET bottle, taken as a basis, allows you to see the percentage of filling of the hopper with feed from afar. But the opaque feeder will have to be checked manually each time.

Large bird feeder and birdhouses

In general, a plastic bottle feeder can feed a whole flock of hungry titmouse at once, if you make it from a five-liter canister for bottled water. This is no longer just a bird canteen, this is a real restaurant for birds. The more interesting it will be to watch the birds that come here to feed in winter. On fig. 4 shows the options for such a product:

• You can hang the canister vertically by cutting through the stern windows with visors on all sides;
• Or you can fix a five-liter bottle horizontally by cutting out a bird pavilion with a roof from it;
• Or just cut off the top of the bottle and make a windproof tunnel feeder in a horizontal position.

However, you may have your own original ideas execution. But from an ordinary PET bottle you can make not only a bird's canteen. You can make an excellent birdhouse out of a plastic bottle if you use an opaque container (see Fig. 5). In winter, it can also be used as a feeder.

And in the spring it is likely to get serious guests. The main thing is to have time to hang a birdhouse from a plastic bottle higher for the arrival of starlings.

What to serve to visitors?

In winter, birds are picky. They are happy to eat any cereals and seeds, oat and wheat grains, bread crumbs, dry millet and millet. Wet food should not be used - in the cold they quickly freeze and become inaccessible. But loose food is optimal for winter feeding of bullfinches and tits, if you decide to make a feeder for small birds like a bunker. You can use pieces of lard, but they are usually hung on a string or put on tree branches.

Make some birdhouses for birds and be sure to tell the children about how important it is!. It will also be interesting for novice naturalists to watch tits and other forest birds flying to the feeder. Do the kids know all of them, or do they need to be told about someone else? It is possible that not every visitor will be familiar to you. The more interesting and informative your trips to the bird feeder with your child will become. Most importantly, do not forget to regularly replenish food supplies, since you have taken up this matter. The birds will get used to and will wait for you every day. And in the summer they will certainly thank you for your care with loud trills in a different way. In the park and square, by the river and on forest paths. Good luck!

On our site you can find others, for example, there are wonderful articles on how to make almost

Bird feeders can be seen in courtyards and parks. If you want to design something special, extraordinary, then we will tell you how to make a bird feeder yourself.

An easy way to feed birds

The feeder can be made from improvised means, for example, take a piece of board, plywood or any flat and durable material at hand and place it higher from the ground. This will keep food available to the birds.

This is a temporary measure, as precipitation may fall or the food will simply be blown away by the wind. But such a feeder can save birds from starvation.

We use plastic bottles

From a plastic bottle, you can build both a very simple and a multifunctional dining room for birds. Consider in more detail some of the ideas of feeders, and their implementation.

Hastily

If you cut a hole on the side of the bottle, then we can say that we have done half the job. Near the neck, you need to make 2 holes with an awl, insert the wire and fix the feeder on a branch of a tree or shrub. If you pour food on the bottom, after a while you can see how birds flock there.

So that moisture does not spoil the food when precipitation gets inside the bottle, drainage holes must be made in the lower part of the container.

We complicate the design

From a plastic bottle, you can make a feeder with a "dispense window". Having picked up a container that is suitable in size, cut a small hole on one side, and pierce the bottle with scissors on the opposite side. Insert a wooden spoon with the handle forward so that it fits snugly into the pierced hole. The spoon should be positioned so that the grains roll into it as the birds peck at the food. The number of spoons involved can be different, but most often there are two.

To hang the bottle, you can pierce the cork with an awl (or nail), thread a nylon thread into it, and tie a knot inside the cork.

How to decorate a gray, unsightly bottle? If desired, you can make the feeder a decoration of any garden.

Feeder on glass

You can make a simple design from a plastic bottle, which will be attached directly to the glass using suction cups. The device of such a feeder is very simple, and for its manufacture you will need only 1 container and 2 suction cups.

A small square or rectangular hole is made with a construction knife. With a soldering iron or a hot gas nail on one side of the bottle, you need to make 2 holes, into which the sucker heads will fit tightly. In our case, the suction cups were with hooks, so we first removed them, and then fixed them with them, inserting them into their places, but already inside the bottle.

The positive aspects include the fact that the birds can be observed, almost close to them approaching. A significant disadvantage is that the birds defecate near the feeder, so the glass and tide will have an unsightly appearance.

Video: making a plastic bottle feeder

Use of glass

Glassware can be used to distribute food to birds. The container must be securely fastened down with the neck at a short distance from any platform. Pour food into this container and set it in place (holding the hole with your finger so that the grains do not spill out). As feed is used up, what is in the bottle will flow to the site.

Video: glass feeder

Other improvised materials

It will not be difficult to come up with a lot of ways in which you can feed the birds.

Tits love not only grains. You can feed such gourmets by hanging a piece of unsalted bacon wrapped in rope or wire on a branch.

If you buy products packaged in nets in supermarkets, then this container can also be used by pouring nuts into it.

From small loose feed, you can mold a ball (adding flour and water) and also hang it in a net. In frosty weather, the food can be mixed with vegetable oil. Milk or sour cream is not suitable for these purposes, since the bird's body does not accept such food.

In order to protect the food from precipitation, you can build a plywood roof.

Pumpkin

A pumpkin feeder can be called waste-free production, as the birds first eat the food, and then the edible "dining room" itself. It is enough to cut holes in the pumpkin and pull out the core.

You can cut the pumpkin in half, thread a rope with a knot tied at the bottom through both halves. To fix it in a disconnected state, you need to install spacers from twigs between the halves. In extreme cases, you can use pencils as coasters. The upper edge of the rope threaded through the pumpkin is tied to a branch, and the feeder is ready to receive feathered guests.

Video: pumpkin feeder

Couch spring

Such things and objects can be used that usually have nowhere else to apply.

If you still have a spring from an old sofa, then you can also use it by holding pieces of bread between the turns. This feeder can be hung both vertically and horizontally.

car air filter

feeder from metal mesh can be seen on the counter of the store, but a similar design can be built from a used car paper air filter.

For manufacturing, you need to cut off the upper part of the filter, and remove the paper filling (it can be done together with the inner or outer mesh, if you do not plan to put food between them). Outside the filter, a wire is tied to the top of the net, which will serve as a loop for hanging the feeder on a tree. Suitable food is poured inside, and the cut off top of the filter can be used as a cover.

To reduce feed loss, a plastic bucket lid can be glued to the bottom of the feeder with hot glue. From the same cover you can make a canopy.

teapot for brewing

If you have an old kettle and it’s a pity to throw it away, but it’s no longer possible to use it for its intended purpose, then you can make a feeder out of it. How to hang it? Drilling a hole in a faience product is a very thankless task, so you can use hot melt adhesive. If there is a hole in the lid, then you need to insert the ends of the rope into it and make a knot inside. For safety, it is better to tie a small washer. Now the lid can be glued to the teapot, the neck of which will now serve as an entrance for the birds.

Looking into the barn or pantry, you can find things that are "hard to carry, but it's a pity to leave." An old metal bread box belongs to the category of those. Great imagination is not required for its placement - he tied a rope and hung it on a branch.

Similarly, you can use an unnecessary plastic container.

Use of various boxes

It will also be easy to make a feeder from a juice or wine box.

One or two windows are cut out in the box so that there is a small bowl for food at the bottom.

When cutting out the window, care can be taken to protect the food from precipitation. For this, a small visor is left, but so that it does not fall and close the entrance, it can be fixed with a nylon thread in the open position.

To make a large cardboard feeder, you need a large box. With a construction knife or scissors, a window of the desired size is cut out in it. If the box is very large, then you can cut out a smaller product from it and wrap it with tape. It is important to realize that such a feeder will last only until the first rain.

Tin box

Often, manufacturers sell products in tin boxes, which can also be used to make a feeder.

In addition to the bank itself, we need:

• metal or plastic chain - 2 m (4 pieces of 0.5 m each);
• detachable ring (used for keys);
• small cotter pin - 8 pcs. (you can do with knitting wire);
• awl;
• alcohol marker;
• wire cutters or scissors for metal;
• ruler;
• pliers.

Now let's start manufacturing.

• As accurately as possible, you need to mark 4 points on the jar and transfer the same marks to the lid.
• According to the marks with an awl, you need to make holes so that a cotter pin passes through them.

• With wire cutters, cut the chain into four pieces of 50 cm.
• Having passed the cotter pin through the last link of the chain, we insert it into the hole and from the inside of the can with pliers we push its ends apart.

• Having measured 15 cm of the chain (starting from the can), we will pass the remaining 4 cotter pins into it and fix the lid with them.
• Now we will pass a detachable ring into the ears of the free ends of the chain.

After hanging the feeder on a branch, look in which direction the box slopes, and pierce it with an awl in the bottom (from the inside) - this will be a drainage hole.

branches

From large branches you can collect original feeder. To complete the work, you will need an ax, a hammer, nails and a little imagination.

Plywood

Plywood products are strong enough, but are afraid of moisture.

A simple version of the feeder consists of just a pallet with sides, two pieces of plywood serving as a roof, and a rope connecting all the parts. To fix the bottom and roof in the desired position, knots are tied on the rope.

If there is a desire and a jigsaw, then you can design a more complex feeder using one of the presented drawings.

Log

When harvesting firewood, logs with a rotten core are found. This piece of the trunk will serve as a base for us. You need to extract the core. Windows are drilled in the hollow trunk or its longitudinal part is cut out. The ends are closed with selected "plaques" sawn off from other trunks. A tree trunk feeder can be found in both horizontal and vertical versions.

For manufacturing you will need:

• self-tapping screws;
• small nails;
• slats.

For the manufacture of the roof and bottom, you can use plastic or HDF (which you can find, since this material is sold only in large sheets).

In the manufacture of any design, it is convenient and practical to use drawings that indicate the dimensions of the parts. We will also use the drawing in order to cut all the blanks to size.

They can be lightly sanded with sandpaper.

First, we will assemble the narrower part of the future feeder, hammering 3 nails on each side.

Then the whole frame is assembled in a similar way. If the nails are short, then you can use 5 pcs.

We will install the frame on the prepared bottom and outline it with a pencil from the outside - so we get the markup along which this part will need to be cut out and then nailed.

In order to fix the upper rails, we use 4 self-tapping screws - 1 pc each. for each attachment point.

From the remaining rails we will make the upper part of the feeder, fastening the parts with self-tapping screws. The final step will be marking, sawing and fixing the roof. The joint of two sheets of roof sheathing can be hidden by nailing a corner rail on top.

There are some points to consider when making and determining the installation location of the feeder:

1. Do not underestimate cats, because they can get to the feeder, and then the birds will fly away or become the prey of a domestic predator.
2. The feeder needs to be made with a large roof, then a lot of precipitation will not get into it.
3. The entrance to the feeder should not be small, as fear may be stronger than hunger, and the birds may not take advantage of your hospitality.
4. The design is best made from moisture-resistant material, then it will last a long time. Other materials must be treated with water-repellent compounds.
5. If the feeder is too light or has a large windage, then it can be turned upside down by a gust of wind. Even a short turn will cause all the feed to be on the ground. Lightweight construction needs to be weighted down.

Photos of original feeders

Video: original ideas brought to life

Drawings and sketches