Build a Shabby Chic Glassware Bird Feeder for Your Garden

A bird feeder may not be the first thing that would pop into most people's head when they discover their dishes sagging in a buffet cupboard, but those same people say my mind doesn't think like normal people. Normal? No, I'm not offended, I love thinking outside the box.

I have an antique buffet with a bottom cupboard, and I recently noticed the floor of the cupboard was sagging so precariously, that the edges were starting to lift up as the middle was sinking. I unloaded my mishmash of pretty dishes to fix the buffet floor and realized most of them would need a new home. There were just too many and they were too heavy. I really didn't need them all, most had been picked up at tag sales and auctions because I couldn't live without them...at the time.

I decided to keep only those pieces that I used often or had an attachment to. But what to do with the rest? The solution came to me as I gazed on the stacks of glassware. Bird feeders! The wheels in my head started turning as I envisioned shabby chic bird feeders for decorating my garden. By stacking different sizes and types of dishes, I was able to create a tower of glassware. The plates would become a perfect stage for birdseed.

Heavy duty adhesive is a necessity. I have experimented with two kinds (E-6000 and Goop) and had good results. Here is my disclaimer. The outcome could be different depending on the weight of your dishes and the weather conditions your bird feeder is exposed to. Mine has not gone through temperature extremes or been in windy conditions. For a first bird feeder, use dishes that you could live without, just in case. If you are not hanging your bird feeder, but instead displaying it on a patio table or garden chair, the adhesives mentioned should be more than sufficient.

This tutorial is for building a bird feeder identical to mine, but you can use what ever glassware you have available. You will not be able to make just one, and each one will look different. There is no right or wrong design.

Items I Used to Make a Glassware Bird Feeder:

White china dinner plate
Clear glass decanter, 9 1/2-inches tall
Amber glass basket
Clear crystal saucer
Clear glass punch cup
Short crystal candle holder
Clear glass decanter cork
E-6000 or Goop

Steps For My Glassware Bird Feeder:

Step 1-Clean all the glassware thoroughly. Wipe away any water spots or fingerprints.

Step 2-Apply a liberal amount of adhesive to the bottom of the decanter. If the bottom has a depression, be sure to apply the adhesive to all the areas that will touch the flat surface of the plate. Center the bottom of the decanter on the plate and press down.

Step 3-Apply adhesive to the top rim of the decanter. Turn the amber glass basket upside down and center it on the decanter rim. Press down.

Step 4-Apply adhesive to the bottom of the glass basket. Center the crystal saucer on the bottom of the basket and press down.

Step 5-Apply adhesive to the rim of the glass punch cup. Turn the cup upside down and center on the saucer. Press down.

Step 6-Apply adhesive to the bottom of the short crystal candle holder. Place the candle holder on the bottom of the punch cup. Press down.

Step 7-Fill the center of the candle holder with adhesive and insert the glass decanter cork. Press down.

Step 8-Allow the adhesive to dry thoroughly for 24 hours or more.

Making The Hanger:

Cut four lengths of heavy craft wire, 36-inches long. Hold two wires together on one side of the bird feeder and two on the other side. Center the wire lengths below the rim of the candle holder. Bring the two sets of wires together on one side of the holder and twist together. Bring the wire sets together on the other side of the holder to secure the wire to the bird feeder. You will have four wire ends on each side of the candle holder. Twist the wires together. Bring each end of the twisted wire together. Overlap four inches. Knot and twist the wire tightly.

My completed bird feeder is 17-inches tall, not including the hanger.