DIY Geometric Bird Feeder
by
Zest it Up
8 Materials
$20
2 Hours
Medium
It is so nippy outside for most of us during this time of year! I love to garden, but not when my fingers feel like they are going to freeze off! Between the frost and the rains, my garden definitely looks like it is taking a nap…or that I have been! There is die-back everywhere from plants that could not stand the cold, and brambling branches in want of a serious prune. During the spring, summer and even fall, this would irk me and make me feel guilty for not taking care….but in winter, the pace slows. It is actually poetic, in a way. I secretly love how winter wants to give us a bit of a rest, a sort of hibernation from some of our to-dos (even from the chores we love).
When I see the leaves fall and the plants take a winter’s rest, my mind always goes back to something I heard years ago about birds. We all love to feed them during the warm season, when we are out and about in our yards enjoying their chirps and flutters. However, when the cold has us spending more time inside, we can have the proclivity to forget about feeding them. Ironically, this is the season when they need the extra fattening up and a little extra care from us would be a blessing. Visions of birds fluffed up against the cold and rain seem to now constantly fill my head when I look out at my winter garden. So, even though I am not up for pruning and planting right now, I find myself busying about feeding my feathery friends. Sounds pretty “Snow White,” right? Haha, well here is a modern twist to my Snow White syndrome! A geometric, industrial inspired bird feeder to jazz up your winter garden!
Photo Cred: Anya McInroy
Supplies:
- one 6ft 1″ X 4″
- 3/4″ Copper “M” pipe
- small terra cotta saucer
- sisal rope
- gorilla glue
- copper finishing nails
- measuring tape
- chop saw
Set your chop saw to a 30 degree angle for cutting.
Cut the end of the board so that you have a 30 degree angle at the end, and then measure out a section that is 12″, then make the second cut.
For the second piece to create the apex of my triangle, I cut it an inch longer (as you can see below where I set them next to each other to show the difference).
This allows for the longer piece to be the tippy top of my triangle, and the shorter side to come up under.
Return the chop saw to 0 degrees and cut the bottom to measure out 13″.
Before attaching the triangle together, use a 3/4″ drill bit to create a recessed hole large enough for the copper pipe.
To make this extra sturdy for the elements, I chose to use Gorilla Glue. It is a waterproof product that will have no trouble keeping things together!
After gluing, I used these cute little copper finishing nails that I found at Miner’s. I liked how they tied in the color and texture of the pipe.
I used Gorilla Glue again to affix the copper pipe inside the shallow hole that I had created previously in the base of my triangle.
I'm really loving the shape of this modern bird feeder!
After letting the Gorilla Glue dry for about 30 minutes, I used sisal rope to hand the bird feeder from a tree.
Next, I used Gorilla Glue to adhere a tera cotta saucer to the top of the copper pipe. It balanced beautifully while it dried. Feel free to glue the saucer before or after you hang it! One hour after glueing, the saucer was ready for some seed!
I love how it turned out! I am going to let the rainy season age my wood a bit before I seal it with some Spar Varnish for more staying power. I wouldn’t want anything this cute getting destroyed in a year by the weather!
Cheers to creating and taking care of our bird friends!
xoxo
Chanda
Resources for this project:
1 in. x 4 in. x 6 ft. S4S Red Oak Board (2-Pack)
Online Metal Supply Copper Tube - Pipe 3/4 inch, Type L, 12 inches long
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Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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2 of 13 comments
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Oh, oh, look out for the squirrels. They love bird food.
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It is tough for me in town I have no squirrels plastic black bowl looking thing that hang up side down on the post the can’t get pass the the plastic they can’t get pass it it’s to slick
Frequently asked questions
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Do you bring this inside every time it rains or how do you deal with rain?