This DIY Hack Transforms An Old Wine Bottle Into A Perfect Bird Feeder
Bird feeders are one of the best ways to get closer to the many beautiful and fascinating species living just outside your window. As described by Audubon, birds can find most of what they need outside in their natural habitats, but in North America alone more than 100 different types of birds enjoy visiting bird feeders as well. In the cold weather, when natural food sources dwindle, feeders can be a vital resource for the birds in your neighborhood.
Bird feeders can provide nutrition to local birds and hours of enjoyment for humans – but they don't have to be expensive to be attractive and effective. If you're handy, you can build a beautiful bird feeder that both you and your local birds will love using scrap wood, a glass bowl, an old wine bottle, and gravity.
Build the frame
To build this feeder, you will need some scrap wood, a drill, screws, wood glue, a hook, wire, a small bowl, and a wine bottle.
You can make these feeders using any size and shape bottle as long as you ensure that you cut the wood to the correct size to accommodate it. As demonstrated by HGTV Handmade, for a standard wine bottle, cut one piece of wood to 14.25" X 5.5". This will be the back of your feeder. To make the base, cut another to 5.5" X 5.2". Then, align the base at a 90° angle and secure it with wood glue. After it dries, you should secure it with L-brackets, since it will have to hold up to the elements for years to come. If you would like to have your bird feeder painted, you should do so now.
Add the bottle
The next step is to add a cup to the center of the base. You can use a small glass bowl so that it matches the bottle, or a small flower pot to ensure your feeder has drainage. Use wood glue, and allow it to dry completely before continuing on.
About a quarter of the way down the feeder, drill two holes large enough to feed your wire through. Drill another two holes about three quarters of the way down the back. Thread the wire through these holes to make a pair of loops coming off of the back of the feeder, hanging over the base. Then, you can slide your wine bottle through the loops, until the mouth is just inside your bowl. Secure the bottle by tightening the wire loops, twisting them behind the back of the feeder.
Finish by filling the bottle with your seed-mix of choice. As the birds eat the seeds that have poured into the bowl, more will come out of the bottle, meaning that the feeder refills itself as the birds eat – at least until the bottle runs out! Then you will have to loosen the wires, slide the bottle back out, and add more.
Where to place your feeder
It's time to screw in a hook and hang your bird feeder! To attract the most birds, you will want to make them feel safe from predators. The Humane Society advises that if you have a brush pile, bush, or tree near your home, your birds will be happiest if the feeder is around 12' away from it so that they can quickly fly to safety if they see a hawk or cat approaching.
To get the best view of your visiting wildlife, you may wish to put your feeder near the window – but be warned that birds can be confused by the clear glass and seriously hurt themselves by flying into your window. To avoid this, you should either keep your feeder right next to the window (ideally less than 3' from the window so that the birds aren't going fast enough to do real damage) or more than 30' away.