DIY An Adorable Hummingbird Feeder By Repurposing An Old Candy Dish

Half of the fun of visiting a thrift store is imagining what you might do with some of the fabulous finds you discover on the store's shelves. The same could be said when digging through some cupboards you haven't gone through in a while at home. In either case, candy dishes are exactly the type of find that might look gorgeous, but they just don't get used very often ... until now. A tabletop candy dish divided into separate areas can be easily transformed into a one-of-a-kind feeder to DIY the perfect hummingbird haven in your yard.  

If you find several while thrifting, opt for a candy dish or divided serving tray that has red, orange, yellow, or pink elements, as these colors in your garden will attract hummingbirds. A hummingbird has enhanced vision compared to a human, and it's able to detect ultraviolet rays, too. Certain hues with elements of red in them might be intensified in a hummingbird's sight, which is a handy trait since many of the flowers that naturally contain nectar are in the same colors. 

Transforming the candy dish into a hummingbird feeder that dispenses sweets of another kind — nectar — only requires a few other inexpensive supplies. A small patio table or similar surface is also needed to set the dish upon, as it's designed for tabletop use.   

Using the candy dish as-is to hold hummingbird nectar would be quite messy, so you'll need a way to contain the liquid. Consider an eight-pack of these Honeydak handheld hummingbird feeder cups instead. Their lids each display a tiny faux flower around a small feeding port, which keeps the nectar safe from larger animals. This nectar will need to be changed every other day or so to keep it fresh. A smaller hummingbird feeder size, like this DIY one, means less nectar waste when the liquid is discarded and replaced. Set one handheld feeder in each section within the candy dish so that several hummingbirds can enjoy nectar at once.

If desired, secure the vessels to the inside of the tray with a small piece of stick-on hook and loop tap. Use the loop part on the bottom of the cup. This way, no bird or animal can get trapped in the loops. This removable method, rather than relying on glue, will comes in handy when it's time to wash the feeder cups. 

When your feeder is ready, whip up a DIY batch of the perfect homemade hummingbird nectar by dissolving one part white sugar into four parts water. Fill each tiny feeder cup and place it in its station on the candy dish. If desired, add water into the candy dish around the hummingbird ports to serve as an ant moat, otherwise ants may march their way up the feeder cups to get to the nectar. Set the feeder atop a table or flat surface in the shade to keep the nectar fresh for longer.