The first step in attracting birds to your yard is finding the right birdfeeder. Here is a simple project for making a birdfeeder from an empty milk carton.
Instructions:
- Clean the empty container with a small amount of dish soap andwater and dry completely. If the top has a plastic spout stickingup, push it in. If the top has an opening for pouring, staple itclosed.
- Paint the entire container brown (don’t forget thebottom).
- Cut out matching two-inch openings on opposite sides of thecontainer. Make a small hole and insert the wooden dowels undereach opening to make perches for the birds to land on.
- Cover the container with craft glue and decorate with twigs andsticks.
- Punch a hole in the top of the container to hang thefeeder.
- Fill the feeder only one-half full with bird seed to preventrotting and help control the number of visitors. Hang the feederfrom a tree branch with a sturdy string. Refill as needed.
Materials:
- An empty, half-gallon, cardboard container
- Brown acrylic paint (Note: Poster paint does not work for thisproject. When using acrylic paints, be sure to wear art smocks orold clothes and monitor children.)
- Paint brush
- Twigs and branches (either collected from your yard orpurchased from a craft store)
- Craft glue
- Scissors
- 2 small wooden dowels (about ¼ inch in diameter), cut to aboutfive inches long
- Hole punch
- Sturdy string or cord
