Winters in Minnesota are harsh. This year we’ve already hit several days twenty below zero. As much as we craved to go outside, it’s just not going to happen. That’s why we try to find crafts that help us enjoy the outdoors. This year the kids wanted to make homemade winter bird feeders.
There are a lot of little sparrows that are tough enough to stick out Minnesota winters, so we figured we might as well help the little guys out, and make them a bird feeder. To put together our bird feeder, we just used things we already had around the house. (You guys know I am cheap when I can be). Pretty much everything to make this we had on hand. Here’s what you need.
- Empty Gallon Milk Jug (Rinsed and Dry)
- Knife or Sharp Scissors
- Small Dowel Rod
- Penny
- Hot Glue and Hot Glue Gun
- Bird Seed
- Twine or String
With then handle of the milk jug facing you, draw a line one inch below the handle, 3 inches to the left and right of the handle, and one at the very top of the handle. Before you cut, draw lines connecting the lines you have drawn all the way around. Now you are ready to cut. Using a sharp knife or scissors, cut out the section you just lined.
With the opening facing you, look at the milk jug from the top. Place a dot one inch to the left of the cap, and one inch to the right of the cap. Then make a third and fourth dot one and half inches towards the back of the jug from the first and second dots respectively. This is where you are going to insert your twine to hang your bird feeder. Your dots should look like the picture below.
After you are done marking your holes, go ahead and cut them out. I just gently pushed a knife and and twist to make sure there was enough room for the twine to go through.
Before you go onto the next step, have fun with your bird feeders. Get creative and decorate it. Make sure to decorate with non-toxic ingredients because you don’t want your bird friends to get sick, but have fun with it. Once you have decorated it, let it dry. After it is dry, go ahead and put two pieces of twin through the holes you previously cut, one on each side. Tie at the top.
The last step is to add a little perch for the birds to sit on. From the bottom line of your cut area, find approximately the middle. In this area, make a dot 2 inches from the bottom of the milk jug (not the line). Turn the milk jug around and place another dot in the exact same spot on the back. These are the holes where you are going to put the dowel rod. You are going to need a dowel rod that is a least 8 1/2- 10 inches long so the rod sticks about two inches out the front of the jug.
Once you’ve measured, cut the holes and insert your dowel rod. Secure it with a dab of hot glue. Now all you have to do is fill it with a little bit of bird seed and find a great place in your yard to hang it. The winter birds are sure to thank you for the yummy meal.
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