DIY Basic Clay Pot and Saucer Bird Feeder

The other day my good neighbor and friend walked by my house and stopped to ask me if I could build her a 'simple bird feeder'. I said sure I could- since I have already built her bird houses and a potting bench for her yard and garden. She added that she searched the stores and all she could find was 'cheap plastic ones'. I told her to give a me a few days and I will come up with something...
and so that night I went to bed thinking about what I would use...
and when I awoke I knew it would be out of clay pots.
This is not an entirely original idea. However, what I came up with is a simple and basic design which anyone can build with the right tools and basic measuring skills. This project cost less than $6 and is something than anyone with a drill can do.
You will need:
drill, 1/2" masonry bit or 1/2" diamond bit hole saw, masonry bit slightly larger than an eye bolt and nut, 2 large washers which the eye bolt needs to go through, wire, an S hook, safety glasses and a water. For any DIYer the masonry bits, wire and wire cutters, and safety goggles are part of the supply list for creating projects in the home and garden (well at least for me).
This whole project takes less than an hour and has so many other possibilities! You could personalize this with paint, glitter, or even moss. What a great gift idea for Christmas for the gardener in your life. I will be making more for others and may hang one in my yard {I do not feed the birds since I grow many flowers for this purpose and the most importantly I have cats and this gives an unfair advantage to the birds}.
Creating. Inspiring. Gardening with the rules!
Read more about this project @ www.thegardenfrog.me
simple and basic. It is heavy so be sure to hang from a strong bracket
6" clay pot and saucer & 9/10" clay saucer
Home Depot had this Rigid diamond bit hole saw for $15! What a steal and this will go through tile, slate, glass, clay pots, etc so I have many more projects to come up with! The smaller masonry bit is slightly larger than the eye bolt.
Need to find center.
Drill center in both saucers and 3 drain holes in the large saucer for drainage. I used the 1/2" hole saw for making 3 holes in the bottom of the clay pot for the bird seed to come out. Keep the pots wet and dripping water while you are drilling. Go slow!
I cut the wire about 18" and then twist tightly
Twist it tight
Then slide the wire through the 6" saucer for the lid
Be sure to twist tightly on the S hook and then take the pliers to pinch the end together to keep the wire in the hook
I put about 1/2" of water in the saucers and drilled the holes. Water is used to cool the drill bit down. If you hold the saucer just right the water stays in the saucer
fill with bird seed
The Garden Frog with C Renee
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
3 of 4 questions
  • Ruth Ruth on Feb 27, 2017
    What did you use to drill the holes in the pot that allows the seed to spill out into the saucer?
  • Elle Elle on Dec 06, 2018

    do you have a picture showing how the washers are used and also how the pot is attached to the bottom saucer? This is a great idea, thanks so much for sharing. I have a squirrel that keeps chewing up my plastic feeders.

  • Paulette krikken Paulette krikken on Feb 10, 2019

    why does my elvira plants gets brown tips


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