Fanciful Bird Feeder

by Lynn @ Nourish and Nestle

While it is cliche to reference the singing birds that accompany spring, it is no less true that spring definitely brings more chatter in the bird world. This simple Fanciful Bird Feeder project is truly 'for the birds.'

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With some easily sourced items, you can create unique and a Fanciful DIY Bird Feeder for you or to give as gifts this spring.

I'm sure, like mine, your local thrift, Goodwill and Re-Store shops always have a fair inventory of pre-loved silver-plate pieces. I picked up both of these pieces for $10.00. The tags claimed they were 'mayonnaise bowls'. I had never heard of silver-plate mayonnaise bowls, but what do I know. I guess there are, or at least there were, folks who serve their mayonnaise in silver or silver-plate bowls. Guess that's what makes the world go around.

What You Need to Create A Fanciful DIY Bird Feeder:

Some sort of vessel to hold the bird seed

" copper tube/pipe. My tube was cut to 5'.

" copper end cap

#10 Screws, Nut and Washers

Drill and Drill Bit...I used 1/8" to pre-drill the copper cap and a 3/16" for the actual holes

Optional: Copper Wire/Copper Garland

How To Create Your Fanciful DIY Bird Feeder:

Find the center of the bottom of your vessel. We measured the diameter and drew it on the bottom of our vessel with a sharpie. Then we marked halfway on the diameter line and drew a perpendicular line through the first line. While this method would probably not be endorsed by my High School geometry teacher, it worked perfectly for us.

The silver was soft enough that we did not need to drill pilot or guide holes on it. We used the large drill bit for the hole in the middle of the bowl.

We also used the smaller drill bit and drilled holes through the bowl and the saucer so that any rain would drain through.

Drilling through the copper cap was a little more difficult. The method that worked best for us was to place it in our vise, with wood pieces on either side to protect it from getting damaged. You will definitely need to drill a pilot hole using your smaller drill bit. Once that's through your cap, switch to your larger drill bit. WORD TO THE WISE: COPPER HAS A HIGH THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY WHICH MEANS....IT GET REALLY HOT WHILE BEING DRILLED. Terry has a blister on his finger to prove it.

Once you have all your holes drilled, it's just a matter of attaching the end cap to the bowl. I placed a washer between the screw head and the bowl. Then placed the end cap on the bottom of the bowl and placed a nut on the screw.

Screwing the two pieces together was a two-person job for us. One of us held the nut that was in the end cap with pliers while the other one screwed the screw in.

Then we just placed the end cap on the pipe/tube. I didn't glue the cap on the pipe, but if I need to I can go back and add glue.

I was perfectly happy with the bird feeder at this point, but I have had this copper ivy garland for years and thought it'd be a great adornment on my bird feed. Truthfully, I think I got it the same time I got the copper topper and patina green paint that I used for my copper patina bunny.

It's been lying around all this time, trying to find its purpose. I think it finally has! I did search the internet to see if I could find a similar garland but came up empty-handed. If you would like to add something else, you could use some copper wire. You could twist it into a curly cue and attach it.

So there you go! Once you have your materials this fanciful DIY bird feeder is so quick and easy to put together. Start to finish I think it took an hour to assemble the bird feeder. In half and hour you would have a great Mother's Day gift, birthday gift, housewarming gift or a just-because gift.

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3 of 5 comments

Diva of DIY on Mar 15, 2016
This fits in perfectly with my whimsical outdoor decor! I have a chandelier bird feeder already.

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- Lynn @ Nourish and Nestle on Mar 15, 2016
  @Diva of DIY I'm all about whimsical lawn art! I need to check out your bird feeder
  
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Robin on Mar 09, 2021

I like this idea a lot— great for winter & spring in Florida, but in the summer it gets so hot I’d worry that bowl would get too hot for the birds’ feet. Unless you have a way of offsetting that.
Thank you for your ingenuity!

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