18 DIY Bird Feeders You Can Make This Weekend
There’s something about birds showing up in your backyard that just makes the whole space feel more alive. 🐦
You finally get the flower beds looking decent, maybe add a cute little bird bath, and then you realize your feeder situation is either nonexistent or it’s that flimsy plastic one cracking apart on the fence post. Most people just grab whatever’s cheapest at the store and call it done, then wonder why it looks so out of place next to everything else they worked hard on.
Turns out some of the cutest DIY bird feeders are probably already sitting in your recycling bin or kitchen cabinet right now, no cap.
What you need for your DIY bird feeders
Here’s what you’ll want on hand before building any of these backyard bird feeders. You won’t need all of it for every project, just pull from this list depending on which one you pick.
Basic supplies: twine, wire, scissors, hot glue gun, drill, small hooks, wooden dowels, popsicle sticks, paint, mason jars, plastic bottles, tin cans, terracotta pots, pinecones.
Natural materials: sticks and branches, driftwood, acorns, large seed pods, coconut shells.
Bird food: birdseed mix, black oil sunflower seeds, nyjer seed, cracked corn, dried fruit, suet.
1. Pinecone bird feeders take five minutes to make
This is probably the easiest project on the whole list, and it’s basically mess proof. You smear peanut butter on a pinecone, roll it in seed, and hang it from a branch. Kids love doing this one start to finish.
Materials: large pinecone, peanut butter or sunflower seed butter, birdseed, twine
Steps: Tie twine around the top of the pinecone. Spread peanut butter over the whole thing with a butter knife. Roll it through birdseed on a plate. Hang from a tree branch.
2. Mason jars turn into a farmhouse hanging feeder
If you’re into that farmhouse look, this one fits right in next to your other mason jar decor. The chicken feeder base slowly releases seed so you’re not refilling constantly. Just give the gluing step plenty of time to cure before you fill it.
Materials: quart mason jar, screw-on chicken feeder base, waterproof adhesive, birdseed
Steps: Clean and dry the jar. Glue it to a pot lid and let it cure fully. Fill with seed and screw on the base. Hang from a hook.
3. Vintage teacups make the cutest garden feeder
Find an old teacup and saucer at a thrift store and you’ve basically got a tiny whimsical feeder, kind of like something out of Alice in Wonderland. Gluing the cup on its side takes patience since it needs to cure completely before you fill it. Once it’s set, it holds up surprisingly well outside.
Materials: vintage teacup and saucer, waterproof adhesive, twine or chain, birdseed
Steps: Glue the teacup on its side to the saucer. Let it cure completely. Attach twine or chain around the saucer. Fill with seed and hang.
4. Orange peels make a biodegradable bird feeder
This is the one to try if you want something completely natural that just breaks down on its own. You’re using kitchen scraps you’d toss anyway, so it costs nothing. Just plan to replace it every week or so once the peel starts to soften.
Materials: orange, twine, birdseed
Steps: Cut the orange in half and scoop out the fruit. Punch four holes around the rim. Thread twine through for a hanger. Fill with seed and hang outdoors.
5. Milk cartons are a fun feeder for kids to build
This is the project to pull out if you want the kids fully involved in a homemade bird feeder from start to finish. They get to paint and decorate the carton however they want. It’s also a good way to reuse something headed for the recycling bin anyway.
Materials: empty milk carton, craft knife, paint, twine, birdseed
Steps: Wash and dry the carton. Cut feeding openings on opposite sides. Paint and decorate. Punch holes near the top, thread twine, fill with seed.
6. A wooden platform feeder draws bigger birds
If you want cardinals, blue jays, and doves showing up instead of just the small birds, a platform feeder is what gets their attention. Mount it on a tall pole if squirrels keep raiding it. Drill a few drainage holes in the bottom so the seed doesn’t turn to mush when it rains.
Materials: wooden board, four wood pieces for legs, screws, drill
Steps: Build a shallow tray with low sides. Attach legs or mount on a post. Sand the rough edges. Add seed directly to the platform.
7. Wine bottles turn into an elegant feeder
This one looks way fancier than anything you’d find at the garden center, and it’s lowkey one of the more satisfying builds. The bottle slowly feeds seed into the tray below as birds eat, so you’re not constantly topping it off. It’s a great way to use a bottle you’d otherwise just recycle.
Materials: empty wine bottle, wooden base, small feeding tray, bottle holder
Steps: Secure the bottle upside down to the frame. Position the tray beneath the opening. Fill the bottle with seed. Mount or hang outdoors.
8. Coconut shells make a tropical feeder
If your patio already leans coastal or tropical, this feeder blends right into that look instead of sticking out. The shell halves hold up well outside and give birds a bit of shade while they eat. It’s a fun one to make if you’ve got shells leftover from a recipe.
Materials: coconut shell halves, rope, drill, birdseed
Steps: Drill three holes around the shell. Thread rope through and tie above it. Fill with seed. Secure the top half for shade.
9. Popsicle sticks build a tiny birdhouse feeder
This is the craft project kids genuinely get excited about because it looks like a real little house when it’s done. Gluing the walls together takes patience but nothing complicated. Let everything dry fully before you hang it so the walls don’t shift.
Materials: popsicle sticks, hot glue gun, paint, twine
Steps: Glue sticks into a small tray base. Build up walls and a simple roof. Paint if you want. Attach twine and fill with seed.
10. A bundt pan becomes an easy hanging feeder
Got an old bundt pan you never use anymore? The center hole is basically already built for hanging, so this might be the fastest feeder on the whole list to put together. Just fill the pan with seed and you’re done.
Materials: old bundt pan, chain or rope, birdseed
Steps: Thread chain through the center hole. Secure it tightly. Fill the pan with seed. Hang level from a branch.
11. Tin cans make a colorful budget feeder
This is a great one for the kids since they can paint the can any color they want. Gluing a small dowel across the opening gives birds a spot to perch while they eat. It costs almost nothing if you’re using a can you already had.
Materials: empty tin can, paint, rope, wooden dowel
Steps: Clean the can and remove labels. Paint with outdoor paint. Glue a dowel across the opening. Thread rope and hang horizontally.
12. Terracotta pots stack into a lighthouse feeder
Terracotta pots are already a garden staple, so stacking a few into a tiny lighthouse adds a fun focal point to a flower bed. Painting a little window on each pot is what sells the lighthouse look. It’s sturdier than it looks once everything is secured to the rod.
Materials: terracotta pots, paint, saucer, metal rod, birdseed
Steps: Stack the pots upside down on the rod. Paint each one to look like a lighthouse. Attach a saucer underneath. Fill with seed.
13. A wire wreath holds seed for a festive feeder
Who says a wreath has to come down after the holidays? This one is built specifically to hold seed, so it works as actual bird food year round instead of just decoration. It’s a nice way to dress up a bare spot on a fence or door.
Materials: wire wreath form, birdseed, suet mixture
Steps: Shape wire into a wreath form. Press the seed mixture onto the frame. Let it harden completely. Hang outside.
14. Plastic bottles and spoons make a starter feeder
If this is your very first DIY bird feeder, start here. There’s barely any materials involved and the assembly takes maybe ten minutes total. The spoons double as both a perch and a little scoop for the seed underneath.
Materials: plastic bottle, wooden or plastic spoons, craft knife, birdseed
Steps: Cut holes through the bottle. Slide spoons through opposite sides. Cut small openings above the spoon bowls. Fill with seed and hang.
15. An old colander doubles as garden decor
This is the move if you’ve got a vintage metal colander sitting in the back of a cabinet doing nothing. Hanging it from chains gives it a hanging basket look that works as decor even before the birds show up. It hits different than a typical store bought feeder, honestly.
Materials: vintage metal colander, chain, birdseed
Steps: Attach chains evenly around the colander. Hang securely. Fill with seed.
16. Stacked teacups make a tiered feeder
Take the teacup idea from earlier and stack a few different sizes for a tiered version instead. It takes more patience to glue and balance, but the end result looks like something you’d pay good money for at a boutique. Thrift stores are honestly the best place to find mismatched cups for this.
Materials: 2-3 teacups in varying sizes, saucers, waterproof adhesive, chain
Steps: Glue the largest teacup to its saucer as the base. Stack smaller cups on top with adhesive. Let everything cure fully. Attach chain and hang.
17. A cookie tin gets new life as a feeder
Those decorative tins from holiday cookies are usually too cute to toss, so turn one into a feeder instead. Cutting a feeding opening on the side keeps the seed protected from rain better than most open feeders. It’s an easy upcycle if you’ve got one sitting in a drawer.
Materials: decorative cookie tin, craft knife or drill, rope, birdseed
Steps: Cut a feeding opening on the side of the tin. Drill holes near the top for hanging. Thread rope through. Fill with seed.
18. A muffin tray feeds several birds at once
If you’ve got more birds showing up than one feeder can handle, a muffin tray solves that with separate little wells. You can even fill the cups with different seed types so pickier birds have options. It works best mounted flat on a railing or post instead of hanging.
Materials: old muffin tray, mounting brackets or screws, birdseed
Steps: Clean the tray. Mount it flat to a post or railing. Fill each cup with seed. Refill as needed.
Give your DIY bird feeders a try
There ya go, 18 easy bird feeder ideas you can actually make instead of buying something forgettable from the store. Pick whichever one matches the supplies you’ve already got lying around and just start there.
Keep your DIY bird feeders filled through fall and winter since that’s when birds need the extra help finding food. 🪺
