DIY Bird Feeder from a Plastic Bottle. Master class with step-by-step photos, for kindergarten or for a plot

Making bird feeders is not only an interesting pastime with children, but also an opportunity to help our smaller brothers with your own hands and explain to the child the importance of caring for fauna. Plastic bottles are an ideal material for making a bird feeder, as they come in different sizes and are also resistant to various types of weather conditions.

What tools and materials will be needed?

To create a house, you will need the following materials, which can be found in almost any home:

• an empty plastic bottle of suitable volume;
• electrical tape or scotch tape;
• cutter;
• rope.

These materials are suitable for creating a classic bird feeder.

For more original and interesting products, you may need some other tools, such as:

• hot glue;
• drill;
• decorative ornaments;
• screws;
• bowl;
• "perches" etc.

Also, when making a feeder, you need to follow a few simple rules:

• Only clean bottles should be used. If the container contained sweet products or household cleaning products, they should be thoroughly washed. The best way is to soak the bottle in a solution of lemon juice and water (for no more than 24 hours). After that, the bottle should be thoroughly washed first with soap (without fragrances and dyes), and then with clean running water.
• Do not use toxic items or items with chemical additives.
• The edges of the feeder must be carefully processed so as not to harm the birds.
• It is necessary to ensure that seeds that are harmful to feathered comrades, such as fried sunflower seeds, do not get into the bird's "dining room".
• Before placing the "dining room" you should make sure that the birds will not get trapped and will not damage their wings or feathers.
• It is not recommended to place feeders near roads and other places with high sound noise. It is best to do this near forests or large clusters of trees, in yards, in the country.

Bird feeder from a 1.5-liter bottle: step-by-step instructions

The simplest option for making a "dining room" for birds is made from a 1.5 liter bottle:

1. Lay the bottle flat and cut symmetrical holes on 2 opposite sides so that there are “walls” of at least 1-2 cm. The shape of the holes is not particularly important, but an oval or rectangle is usually used.
2. Sharp edges near the slits must be covered with electrical tape so that they do not harm your feathered companions.
3. It is recommended to make tiny holes in the bottom of the bottle to prevent the food from spoiling due to excessive moisture.
4. A small hole must be drilled in the lid: two ends of the rope must be threaded through it so that a loop is formed at the top. Then the ends of the rope must be tied into a tight knot. Make sure that the rope is strong enough to support the weight of the millet and the birds.
5. After screwing the lid on the bottle, all that remains is to find the best tree and hang it, not forgetting to leave some food.

Feeders made from such improvised means have a number of advantages:

• Accessibility and economy;
• ease of use (plastic is a fairly flexible and thin material);
• cold and moisture resistance;
• impermeability to wind and dirt.

Bird feeder from a 5-liter bottle

5 liter plastic bottles have enough volume to make your own bird feeder for larger birds, such as pigeons, cuckoos or crows:

1. It is necessary to make cuts in the shape of a gate from the edges of the bottle (the upper, uncut, stick should be on the upper side). By bending the resulting piece of plastic, you can get an improvised visor that will protect the products inside from dirt and dampness.
2. Each of their sharp edges should be covered with electrical tape.
3. At the bottom of the bottle, closer to the edge, you need to drill a hole into which you can thread a fairly strong rod. It is recommended to secure it with hot glue so that the feeder does not slip and fall.
4. You can secure the feeder to a tree by attaching a rod to a tree branch using rubber bands or rope.

5-liter bottles have a special handle next to the lid - it is advisable to get rid of it, as birds can get stuck in it.

Bird feeder made from 2 plastic bottles

Using 2 plastic bottles, you can make a so-called bunker feeder.

Despite the name, it is quite easy to make:

1. The top of the first bottle needs to be cut off by 2-3 cm.
2. The second bottle must be placed horizontally and two round holes must be cut out. Both holes must be on one side of the bottle: the first, it must be slightly larger than the diameter of the cut side of the first bottle, must be placed closer to the bottom of the bottle; the second, larger one, must be cut out not far from the neck.
3. The first bottle, having filled it to the brim with food, must be carefully inserted into the small hole of the second bottle upside down. The bottles must be perpendicular to each other: the first bottle must be placed vertically, the second - horizontally. It is worth noting that only part of the food should pour out of the first bottle into the second, but if it all pours out, then something is done incorrectly.
4. The larger hole in bottle #2 is intended for birds to land on, so its edges should be sealed with electrical tape.

This type of DIY bird feeder made from a plastic bottle is the best for the following reasons:

• Most of the food is protected from contamination and excess moisture, which means it will stay fresh longer.
• Birds, due to the peculiarities of food consumption, often scatter part of the feed. Thanks to the bunker feeder, the scattered portion of the feed will be reduced to a minimum.
• In case of accidents (feeder falling, rain or snowfall) only part of the food will be spoiled, while the rest of the food will remain intact.

Original winter bird feeder made from plastic bottles

Winter is the time of the most unfavorable conditions for birds: most of the food (which is not very much in the cold anyway) that birds can get is hidden under a thick layer of snow, and strong gusts of wind and snowfalls do not make the task any easier. That is why it is very important to make feeders for the winter period.

However, not every feeder is suitable for the cold period and “winter feeders” have a number of features:

• The presence of a canopy that protects food from snow.
• The walls of the feeder should be high enough to protect the feed from strong gusts of wind that could blow it away.
• In order to prevent the product from falling from the tree, it is necessary to equip the feeder with a sufficiently strong fastener.
• The base of the feeder should be made of a material with high frost and moisture resistance.

To make a suitable feeder you will need 2 bottles of 1.5 liters and one 5-liter bottle:

1. A large bottle will become the basis for the feeder. On its three sides, it is necessary to cut 3 holes in the shape of the letter "P": 1 large and 2 smaller ones. Bend them upwards to create a canopy. In the lid, it is necessary to make a hole slightly larger than the neck of the small bottle.
2. You need to make a couple of holes in the bottom of one of the small bottles, and then insert it into the base bottle.
3. "One and a half" bottle #2 must be cut in such a way that a funnel is formed. It must be inserted into the neck of the first 1.5-liter bottle.
4. Finally, after adding the food, you need to screw the lids on the bottles.

Automatic bottle feeder

Those who are going to make such a “dining room” for birds will need 2 bottles (their volume does not matter).

First bottle:

1. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and one of the sides like a child's shovel.
2. Step back at least 3 cm from the cut end and cut a hole slightly larger than the neck of the second bottle.

You don’t have to do anything with the second bottle: you just need to remove the lid and pour food inside.

Then:

1. Insert the second bottle upside down into the opening of the first bottle and secure them together with hot glue.
2. Make two tiny holes in the bottom of the second bottle, a short distance apart. Put one end of the rope through the hole and pull it out of the other (loop down). Tie the ends of the rope together in a strong knot.
3. Do the same operation with the bottom of the first bottle.

Feeder with dispenser from 2 plastic bottles

To make a bird feeder with automatic feeding with your own hands, you will need a couple of plastic bottles: 5 l and 1.5 l. In the larger bottle, you need to cut large holes around the entire perimeter, which must be located at least 2 cm from each other and from the top and bottom of the bottle.

The small bottle should be filled to the brim with food and the large one should be threaded inside, neck down (without a lid). Then the bottom of the "one and a half" bottle should be cut off. The large bottle should be closed with a lid with a rope threaded through it. You can replenish the food supply by unscrewing the lid of the large bottle and pouring the grain into the small one. Sharp edges should be sealed with electrical tape.

Every time the amount of food in the large bottle decreases, it will start to spill out of the small one.

Feeder made from a bottle and spoons

For such a "tableware" it is necessary to make several holes in a 1.5 l. bottle: 2 on each opposite side (the spoons should be placed perpendicular to each other). Moreover, the size of the holes is also distributed in pairs: 2 of them should be no less than 2 times larger than the others. The size of the small holes is selected depending on the volume of the spoon handle.

You need to push a spoon through the holes so that the handle is in the small hole and the "spatula" is visible under the larger hole. You need to cut a small hole in the bottle lid for the rope. Then you need to pour food into the bottle and close the lid. The principle of operation of such a feeder is very simple: food for birds spills into the spoon as it empties.

Feeder from a bottle and a plastic plate

Instructions:

1. Cut a hole in the center of a deep plastic bowl, do the same with the lid. Fasten them with a bolt and screw.
2. Make several small holes at the neck of the bottle so that the food can pour out through them.
3. Make a hole at the base of the bottle, thread both ends of the rope through it and tie a tight knot (you should get a loop outside the bottle).
4. After filling the bottle with food, screw on the lid with the plate. This bird feeder works on the following principle: food flows from the plastic bottle into the plate, eliminating the need to constantly fill the feeder with your own hands.

How to decorate a ready-made bird feeder?

There are several ways to make a product more attractive:

• Color and decorate with patterns using non-toxic paints;
• wrap with colored twine or ribbons;
• stick on various appliques;
• attach materials found in the forest: spruce branches and cones, bark, rowan branches, etc.;
• Instead of standard cutouts on the "dining room", you can use artistic carving.

In fact, there are a huge number of ways to make a bird feeder more attractive; the main thing is to use your imagination.

For example, you can make a cute little bird feeder using some materials:

• Broom made from dried twigs;
• non-toxic paints;
• sticky mass;
• rope.

Cover the bottle with glue over its entire surface, then wrap it with twine so that there are no gaps. Place the broom twigs evenly around the neck, not far from the lid, and tie them tightly with twine. When the product dries from the glue, you can draw beautiful carved windows on top of the twine.

For feeders built for the cold season, you can use unnecessary clothes, such as socks or a T-shirt (depending on the size of the bottle). However, you must ensure that the clothes are clean and do not emit strong odors that can scare away the birds.

To decorate like this, you just need to pull the clothing element over the feeder, sew it at the bottom so that the clothing fits tightly to the bottle, and cut out holes corresponding to the holes in the bottle. For the safety of the birds, you should glue the bottle with the clothing at the holes, otherwise the bird may fall into the trap.

It is not always easy for birds to find food for themselves, so people should help them with this.

Making bird feeders with your own hands from plastic bottles is not only a good deed towards the fauna, but also a great way to spend time with your family. In addition, this hobby will help to conduct an educational conversation about the importance of preserving nature, which is so necessary for modern children.

Video: DIY Bird Feeder from a Plastic Bottle

How to make a bird feeder from a plastic bottle, learn in the video:

Original DIY bird feeder ideas in a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OiQDmhtclU