After some failed attempts at making an upcycled bird feeder or two, I sat here thinking “Ok happy thoughts”, we can do this. This upcycled bird feeder was inspired by the brilliant idea that Karen at The Art of Doing Stuff invented. I loved them so much I wanted to make my own. It’s costs almost nothing and looks way more expensive than it really is.
How to make your own Upcycled Bird Feeder
I picked up a clear globe light cover at the Salvation Army for $1.99 to start.
Then by fluke I came across these Embroidery Hoops in a thrift store and I had an idea.
Took them apart and checked to see if the smaller embroidery hoop ring would fit.
It didn’t.
So I made it fit.
Glued all the pieces back together with E6000 glue. This is my absolutely favorite glue for any heavy craft projects such as my DIY Hanging Planter.
Then glued the rings onto the glass globe.
TIP: If you do this, by all means measure the circumference of your glass globe and get the embroidery hoops in the size that matches the globe.
Let it dry overnight. Actually two days to be safe just because I hadn’t tested out the E6000 outdoors at this point.
Added twine. Filled with bird seed.
And the globe bird feeder is done!
My neighbor saw it and joked that he thought I was putting up a Pinata.
Suddenly a subconscious fear of someone using it as batting practice late at night on a bored summer night appeared in my head. So I moved it to another branch closer on my lawn.
Then Mr. Goldfinch took a hell of liking to it and has been in there every day since.
So Karen I humbly thank you for seriously the easiest and most cost effective “modern” looking bird feeder ever. I need to make more. If only to protest the Pinata comment.
UPDATE – DID IT LAST OUTDOORS?
It absolutely did last outdoors. Nothing fell. The adhesive stayed put during all kinds of weather. Bird feeders all eventually do get older and messy just due to the birds and natural elements. But it’s really a great project to do with your kids!
14 Comments
theartofdoingstuff
May 2, 2012 at 6:48 pmLooks great! Nice touch with the embroidery hoop! ~ karen
northofseven
May 2, 2012 at 8:32 pmThanks! Your blog cracks me up all the time. Please don’t even change! 🙂
Lisa
June 21, 2012 at 12:06 pmCute! How does it do against squirrels? My biggest problem…
northofseven
June 21, 2012 at 1:55 pmFunny you should ask! When I first put them up against the back fence, I was at war with one who kept chewing the twine down to knock it over to get all the seeds. Then I hung one with metal wire and moved them to a fence closer to the house and they haven’t touched it since.
northofseven
June 21, 2012 at 10:31 pmMy bad. I responded without looking at which bird feeder I was talking about (I had made way too many one weekend). This one they do not go near. For some reason they either don’t realize it’s a feeder or they can’t crawl into it. Strange, I know, b/c the can ones are the ones I moved. Karen had a seriously good idea when she created this!
cred
December 14, 2012 at 9:18 amfunny, I made a similar one- the crazy love child of Karen’s light globe feeder and her dollarama candy dish posts. I used the glass candy dish and drilled a hole through the top with a glass/ceramic bit and use twine to hang it.
The squirrels go after mine but if hung strategically, they can’t reach it from any other branch. They did, however, chew the twine and I had to replace it with a thin braided wire. I fill it with black sunflower seed- the chickadees and cardinals love it.
Alex@northstory
December 14, 2012 at 11:08 amKaren’s blog is by far one my favourite blogs out there. She cracks me up!
Has your survived the season? There’s a good chance my bird feeding days are over b/c of the squirrels. Even with twine and reties and wire hanging they always found a way in. That and the more feeders the more the birds & squirrels found their way to my sunflowers in my garden. It’s totally the black sunflowers! I did that too and they devoured it.
cred
December 14, 2012 at 2:40 pmI love Karen, too. Her blog is the first one I started following (I was a little late in the game)
Well, so far mine has survived. It took them awhile last time to figure out that chewing the twine would work last year. And now they still find their way to the feeder. But because the wire is long and they can only access it by shinnying down along the wire- it’s precarious enough that it’s a last resort for only the bravest ones. They resort to feeding off the ground- anything that the chickadees knock out.
Yeah, I keep running out of black sunflower seed. I don’t want to buy too big a bag- last winter’s leftovers mildewed in the airtight container. I have to keep the mice out but I now know seed needs airflow for longer storage- haven’t figure out how do that yet. If I didn’t love the chickadees and cardinals so much, I probably wouldn’t bother.
Katie
May 29, 2013 at 3:57 pmI just came across your blog and I’ve spent the last 15 minutes reading tons of posts! Can’t wait to start following you AND making this globe feeder! I’ve been looking all over pinterest and couldn’t find anything I liked and this is perfect. And also now on pinterest. 🙂
I completely agree about the Krylon paint thing, too. I used it to make that polka dot mailbox feeder you posted about (only I use mine as my actual mailbox!) and it took two bottles!!
barbara dean
June 2, 2013 at 6:54 pmYOU HAVE GOOD IDEAS
PeggySue
April 4, 2014 at 4:10 pmThat is so Awesome but one question, How in the word would you keep the squirrels out of that…?
Amanda Formaro
April 10, 2014 at 7:49 pmSince Facebook is notorious for not letting page owners know when I tag them, I thought I would stop by myself and let you know I featured this post and my readers loved it! https://www.facebook.com/CraftsbyAmanda/photos/pb.323548680216.-2207520000.1397173019./10154010925795217/?type=3&theater
Alex
April 10, 2014 at 9:03 pmThank you so much! I know the Facebook thing is never traceable. I figured out the catch. My blog name is reversed on the post on your page so maybe that’s why it didn’t link up to my FB page. I’ve been having insane issues w FB this week not letting me send messages etc. Thank you so much for sharing it! It was one of the first projects I did when I started blogging under my original blog name. Hence the old watermark. The idea came from Karens amazing globe birdfeeders.
BessAnn
March 21, 2015 at 7:58 pmI go tired of the squirrels not leaving any feed for the birds, so I hung the feeder on a wire. Then I rubbed plenty of petroleum jelly up and down the wire. The birds have feed now because the squirrels can’t hold on to the wire and the birds don’t need too, they just fly in on the feeder.