Turn your used bottles into these cute Plastic Bottle Bird Feeders in just a few steps! This is a great recylced (or upcycled!) project that also encourages kids to engage with nature.
Jump to:
- Feed the birds...
- Fall is fading
- Make a Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
- Recycle a plastic bottle
- Video
- Choose and prep the plastic bottle
- Cut holes in the bottle
- Position the wooden spoons
- Fill the bird feeder with bird seed
- Hang your plastic bottle bird feeder
- Enjoy watching the birds!
- Variations of Bird Feeders
- Oh yes, the song...
- Other fun fall nature crafts with the kids
- Enjoy!
- Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
Feed the birds...
Feed the birds, tuppence a bag, tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag….
Who can name that musical? (The answer is at the bottom of the post.)
Fall is fading
In the Midwest the leaves are falling, the clocks are set back and fall is shifting into winter. Some of the birds are flying south and some will need some care this winter.
Make a Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
Let’s make a recycled plastic bottle bird feeder so we can feed the birds. You won’t even need a tuppence…well, maybe a few 😉
This simple homemade bird feeder is fun too make, easy to put together with just a few items you have around your house, plus it feeds our sweet little feathered friends!
Recycle a plastic bottle
I especially love this simple craft with the kids because we can recycle a plastic bottle. I have a granddaughter that is all about recycling and she is going to love this one.
There will probably be a hundred recycled plastic bottle bird feeders hanging from tree branches if she has her way! This is a great way to reuse items from the recycling bin, and a fun craft project to teach kids about reducing, reusing, and recycling.
Video
Check out the video to make this super-duper simple but immediately useful craft.
Choose and prep the plastic bottle
Choose a plastic bottle in a size you like. We used a clear, larger water bottle in the video, but you can use other options as well.
I even wonder if you could try 2-liter bottles or a milk carton, but I haven't tried them yet. For now, I'd recommend a smaller bottle like a water or soda bottle.
Take the label off the plastic bottle and wash and dry it. Be sure to keep the bottle cap.
Cut holes in the bottle
Now it's time to make our feeding holes!
For this step, I would recommend using a craft knife or utility knife with a sharp point. A pair of scissors could work, but they can be difficult to maneuver safely while making such small openings in the empty plastic bottle. Instruct older children to work carefully with this step, and younger children will need assistance.
On the side of the bottle, close to the bottom, cut a horseshoe shaped semi-circle (not a complete hole) that is about 1.25 inches in size. Leave the plastic attached on the bottom of the hole so that it makes a flap that you pull out and down.
Push the handle of a wooden spoon through this hole and straight across the inside of the bottle till it taps the opposite side of the bottle.
Mark the spot where the handle touches the other side of the bottle.
Cut a small hole, small circle or an “X” where you marked the bottle. Make this just large enough for the spoon handle to come through snuggly.
Position the wooden spoons
Push the spoon handle through the small opening you just cut near the bottom of the bottle.
Do the exact same thing for the second spoon about half way up the bottle starting from a different direction than the first spoon. Perhaps making a right angle from the first spoon.
This will create your second feeding location in the side of the feeder. You want the spoons running in different directions so multiple birds can perch to eat at the same time and the feeder won't get too heavy on one side.
Position the spoons so that the bowl of the spoon is up.
Fill the bird feeder with bird seed
We have just essentially made two gravity-fed seed bins in this simple bird feeder! The seeds will fall down into the bowl of the spoon, continuing to spill out as the seeds are eaten by the birds.
So are you ready to fill up your new feeder? Let's feed those backyard birds!
First choose what type of seed you'd like to use. There are great wild bird seed mixes you can purchase, we used one with sunflower seeds in it.
Use a funnel (or wrap a piece of paper into a funnel) to fill the bottle up with bird seed. Some seed should spill out onto the bowl of the spoon. This is where the birds will perch and eat. Isn’t that cool?
Hang your plastic bottle bird feeder
With your recycled bottle plastic bird feeder ready to go, it's time to hang it up!
Tie heavy string or use wire on the top of the bottle and create a loop or hook. We looped wire around the neck of the bottle, using the lip to keep the wire from sliding.
Go outside and hang the DIY bird feeder bottle from a tree or shepherd’s hook.
Enjoy watching the birds!
Now all that's left is to keep an eye out for visitors to your new bird feeder!
The spoon bowl will catch the birdseed for the birds to eat and you will get to enjoy seeing the birds outside your window all winter long. Watch for different species and use this to learn about different kinds of birds with the kids.
Perhaps you could look up the birds on the internet or in a bird watching book as they perch on your plastic bottle feeder. Then why not sketch them, or make notes about them in a nature journal?
Variations of Bird Feeders
Of course this isn't the only kind of bird feeder that will bring little friends to your backyard! Here's an idea for a Bird Feeder from a Pinecone. Or if you want to try making your own bird feeders from other sizes of plastic bottles, give them a try!
Perhaps a plastic milk bottle could be a good option for larger birds? Or if you would like to cater to smaller birds, you could try using small spoons and wooden chopsticks as perches? I haven't tried these options, but if you do, let me know how they go!
There are also store bought variations of DIY bird feeders that you can try, I have seen kits for a wooden bird feeder that looked pretty cool!
Oh yes, the song...
Oh by the way, the song “Tuppence a Bag” is from Mary Poppins! I loved going to that movie in the theater when I was a girl. You can enjoy listening to the song here:
Creating a bird feeder out of plastic bottles is maybe easier than you'd think! All you will need is a bottle, some wooden spoons, a craft or utility knife, and some wire. Wash the bottle, make your cuts and insert the spoons, then fill with feed and hang. Watch the birds come and enjoy!
Start by removing the label from your bottle and giving it a wash. Make well placed cuts to insert your spoons, leaving a flap so the seed will continue to fall in a measured way out onto the bowl of the spoon. As birds eat the seed, more will appear on the spoons! This feeder is easy to make and easy to refill, making it a perfect nature craft for kids!
Other fun fall nature crafts with the kids
Looking for more fun nature themed activities for kids? Check these out for making fun things with the items you may find on a fall walk with the kids.
- Nature Weaving for Kids (2 Ways!)
- DIY Tabletop Easel for Kids
- Treasure Hunt Nature Mobile
- Tree Leaf Identification Journal
- How to Grow a Tree from a Pinecone
Enjoy!
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Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder
Equipment
- Utility knife or scissors
- Funnel to fill the feeder
Items Required
- 1 Plastic bottle washed and dry, label removed
- 2 Wooden spoons
- Wire to hang the feeder
- Bird seed
Instructions
- Choose a plastic bottle in a size you like, like a larger water bottle. Take the label off the plastic bottle and wash and dry it. Be sure to keep the lid.
- On the side of the bottle, close to the bottom, cut a horseshoe shaped semi-circle (not a complete hole) that is about 1.25 inches in size. Leave the plastic attached on the bottom of the hole so that it makes a flap that you pull out and down.
- Push the handle of a wooden spoon through this hole and straight across the bottle till it taps the opposite side of the bottle. Mark the spot where the handle touches the other side of the bottle. Cut a small circle or an “X” where you marked the bottle. Make this just large enough for the spoon handle to come through snuggly. Push the spoon handle through the small opening you just cut.
- Do the exact same thing for the second spoon about half way up the bottle starting from a different direction than the first spoon. Perhaps making a right angle from the first spoon.
- Position the spoons so that the bowl is up.
- Use a funnel (or wrap a piece of paper into a funnel) to fill the bottle up with bird seed. Some seed should spill out onto the bowl of the spoon. This is where the birds will eat.
- Tie heavy string or use wire on the top of the bottle to make a way to hang the easy to Make Recycled Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder.
- Go outside and hang the bottle from a tree or shepherd’s hook.
Video
This post was originally published in November 2020 and has been updated to add more relevant and detailed content.
Laura says
Love this idea to encourage learning about recycling AND nature!