How to Make a Milk Jug Bird Feeder

Looking for a rainy day craft idea that is Eco-friendly as well as fun? Let's make a hanging bird feeder out of a plastic milk jug! This is an easy craft project requires some adult supervision, but is lots of fun to make and provides entertainment all year long for bird watchers of all ages!

Tools and Supplies Required

1 _ gallon milk jug with lid
2 _ wooden 1/2 inch dowel rods, each about 10 inches long
2 _ pieces of pliable wire, at least 8 inches long each
1 _ 2 to 3 foot length of rope or an old narrow belt
Marker
Box cutter or sharp knife
Scissors
Nail or Heavy Needle
Baking soda if needed

Wash and rinse the jug. If there is a strong odor of spoiled milk and/or stubborn milk residue, fill with hot water, add a tablespoon of baking soda and let sit for a couple of hours before proceeding. Rinse well and let the jug and cap dry.

Draw your doors on two opposite sides and where you want the dowels for perches. The perches should be centered beneath the doorways. The first perch should be about 1��"šï¿½ï¿½ from the bottom and the door about 1/2 inch or so above that. One side will need to be about 1/2 inch lower than the other so the perches have clearance to cross each other in the center.

Using the point of the knife, make a cut at the center of your door large enough to get a blade of your scissors through. This will make cutting easier. Cut outward and at an angle towards the line you've drawn. This makes following your outline, rounding the corners and getting the shape you want easier.

Slicing the holes for dowels can be a little tricky. You want the fit to be snug so they do not slide or roll. I suggest pushing in the point of the knife to make two small cuts like an "X". This will allow you to push the dowel through and out the other side without getting the hole so large as to be "sloppy". A common problem is getting the hole a bit large. If that happens, just position your dowels, then slide 1/2 inch rubber washers (the kind used in garden hoses work fine) over the dowels and up against the jug to lock it in place. A dot of hot glue between washer and jug will keep it from rolling when birds light on it.

In place of dowels, you can use any fairly straight branch or stick that is between 1/4 and 1/2 inch thick. The benefits this offers are that they are less likely to roll, are free and add a nice rustic look to the feeder. You will sometimes have to adjust the distance of the doorways and perches from the bottom a bit to accommodate the irregularities found in natural materials though.

Notice the cap area and how the jug is made. There are usually "rings" or heavier circles around the spout, below where the cap screws on. Immediately below these rings is where you will put your wires for hanging.

Poke two holes, about 1/2 inch apart, right at the base of the bottom ring. Repeat on the opposite side. When you get the nail through the plastic, wiggle it around to widen the hole a bit. This will not only make it bigger, but will help smooth the edges making it easier to push the hanger wire through.

Make one 90 degree bend in each piece of wire, about 3 inches from the end. Push the long side through the holes on each side of the cap and bend upwards. Bend the wire into loops on both sides. Depending on how stiff your wire is, you may want to make a twist in it to secure. Your feeder and seed will hang from this, so it should be secure and sturdy. Although two hanger wires is not absolutely necessary, I like to overlap the loops on each side for added strength. Having two wires reduces some of the "swing" of the bird feeder when it is windy as well.

Thread your rope or belt through the loops and tie securely to a branch large enough to hold it well. Do not pull the jug too tightly against the limb. If the branch is a bit too upright, just take a wrap with the rope or belt before tying together. This will hold the feeder in place nicely while still allowing it to hang freely.

Some people like to use just a length of wire to hang the feeder from the tree branch, but I prefer the rope or belt because it does not damage the branch so badly over time. If you do use wire, be sure to wrap it with duct tape or a bit of rag where it rubs the limb.

Although I have never had a problem with moisture getting into the jug, it is a good idea to use your nail to poke a few small holes in the bottom for drainage, particularly if you live in a rainy area.

Many folks like to paint or otherwise decorate their feeders. If you do so, be sure to use non-toxic paints and decorations because birds have a tendency to peck or pick at some colors and anything that flakes off or invites tampering. Leaving a 1/2 inch space between the painted area and the edge of the doorways will help prevent this, as will placing decorations out of reach of the perches.

The last step is to fill your new feeder. Using standard birdseed, found in most pet areas of grocery or department stores, fill to within 1/2 inch of the bottom of the door, depending on how your feeder hangs. Allow a couple of days for the word to get out among the neighborhood birds. Get a camera, a pair of binoculars, a birding guide for your area, some refreshments, find a discrete location from which to watch and begin a rewarding new hobby!