Thursday, May 10, 2012

Glass Bottle Bird Feeders

Right now we have four baby birds nesting in the purple petunias on the front porch. I hung the coconut baskets and within two days I had a bird building a nest. We kept an eye on the eggs for days and they finally hatched a few weeks ago.  Pretty neat. The kids thought it was amazing. I think the birds are teenagers in bird years now, so they should leave the nest soon.



I think the mama bird was eager to build a nest in the petunias because of the super awesome bird feeder hanging nearby on the front porch. I’m sure of it….a little bird told me…



There is something so peaceful about watching birds up close. We’ve seen cardinals, wrens, sparrows, and other varieties I can’t identify eat from the feeder daily. Better than t.v.
Our family has enjoyed the feeder so much, that I decided to make one for my mom-in-law for mother’s day. She’s a gardening enthusiast and enjoys spending time in nature, so I thought it a great gift. I wrote a bit of scripture on hers that she can reflect on while watching the birds.


This thing is so easy to make. You’ll need:
-a couple of glass bottles
- nails and hammer
-2 metal lids…I used mason jar lids b/c I like the look
- rebar wire
- ¼” drill bit to bore holes for the wire
- pliers to shape the rebar wire
- scrap wood (2x4 or 1x4 – if not pressure treated, you’ll need to paint it with outdoor paint)

Take the wood and nail together a “T” shape. Then, nail lids to the piece of wood that sits parallel to the ground. Drill two holes near the top of the vertical piece. Run the rebar through the holes and make a harness to hold the bottles in place. Twist the wire around itself using pliers. This will hold it in place. You want the harness tight enough to keep the bottle in place, but it will need to be loose enough to remove the bottle for refilling.  Drill a hole at the top center and run a string or more wire through to hang your feeder.  Decorate with paint, scripture, handprints, shells, anything.  Fill the bottles with seeds and place them in the wire harness. Keep your fingers over the opening while getting them in place so the seed doesn't spill. Enjoy! 

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