DIY An Adorable Bird Feeder By Repurposing Plastic Spoons

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There's nothing like a Sunday morning on the back porch, sipping coffee, leafing through a newspaper or scrolling through your phone, and enjoying the familiar music of goldfinches and cardinals. Sometimes, you may even be graced with the sight of one of these colorful creatures up close as they land on your porch railing. One of the simplest ways to attract songbirds to your yard is to put food out for them, and that's easy enough to do: Your local Lowe's or Walmart surely sells plenty of feeder options. But if you have the time, it can be satisfying, fun, and cheaper to make your own. In fact, there's a simple, affordable DIY bird feeder making the rounds on social media that involves a plastic soda bottle and plastic spoons you might otherwise toss.

This feeder allows birds to perch while eating, and has a tray to catch any seeds that fall from seed-filled spoons. You'll be able to set this versatile feeder on flat surfaces or hang it from trees or eaves. Once you've got this feeder set up, your yard should fill with more birds, which might serve as little helpers for your garden by eating pests as well as the seeds of unwanted plants. For this project, you'll need a few things, including a magic marker, a plastic liter bottle, three Asian-style soup spoons, a hobby knife, a plastic plate, a screw, a hot glue gun, and some string or twine.

Before you get started, it's good to know what you're aiming for. The bottle will sit upright, attached to the plastic plate, which should catch bird seed that falls from the spoons. The spoons will stick out of the bottle in various directions. They will be angled so the feed slides downward along the concave, trough-like handles into the spoons' basins, where birds will access the feed.

The first step is take your marker and draw three marks on one side of the bottle and three marks on the other side. The first round of marks should be lower than the second round of marks on the opposite sides. Then you'll use a knife to cut into the bottle along each of the marks. Make them just wide enough for the spoon handles. Once those slits have been made, insert the spoons until they are secure (the handles will go all the way through, like a KerPlunk game). Then, poke small holes into the bottom of the bottle and the plastic plate, attaching the plate into the bottom of the bottle with a screw. Reinforce both plate and spoons with hot glue if necessary. You can also add holes to the plate for drainage. Next fill the bottle with bird seed, screw the cap back on, and use string to hang it.

Once you've completed this feeder, consider other options to keep your backyard avian population happy. For example, there are various plants like sunflowers and berry bushes that will attract a more diverse variety of birds to your yard.