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“Can we feed them, PLEASE, Mama?” In the mornings we have been listening to the birds singing outside our patio door. Birdseed is cheap, but bird feeders? That’s another story. Call me crazy, but when I noticed an old tennis ball can sitting on the shelf in our garage, I figured it would make a perfect bird feeder. With just a few supplies I already had around the house and 15 minutes of work we hung up our creation.
Charlie was so excited to see the feeder hanging up. He saw me taking pictures of it and asked if he could get a camera and take pictures of the birds when they come. I have a small point and shoot camera that I pull out occasionally but it eats up batteries so quickly that I rarely use it. But I just couldn’t say no to that cute little face. He KNOWS how to use those puppy dog eyes!
Upcycled Tennis Ball Can Bird Feeder
Supplies:
- Tennis ball can, label removed
- Plastic plate
- Hot glue
- Two skewers (I used bamboo cooking skewers)
- Twine
- Sharp knife
- Nail or small drill for boring holes
After removing the label on the tennis ball can, cut two holes in the bottom, as shown above. When you fill it, some of the seed will spill out onto the base, but most will stay in the can. Using a nail or small drill, bore holes in the sides and thread skewers through to provide perches for the birds. Bore two holes up near the top of the can and thread the twine through to create the hanger. Hot glue the base of the can to the plate. It may take a few applications to get it to hold. I had to glue mine down and then add more glue around the outside of the base. After it’s dry, fill with wild bird seed and hang up outside!
In the past I’ve done quite a few little projects like this to keep things out of the land fill and serving a new purpose. One Spring I used a broken old picnic basket as a planter to spruce up my front porch.
This fall, I rescued the door of a cabinet from an old entertainment center sitting on the side of the road waiting for the trash man. I used it as a window on my mantel.
Have you ever rescued anything from the trash just because you knew it could be used in another way? There’s a fine line between being thrifty and “green” and being a hoarder, I know. But it’s always good to use things creatively and get as much bang for your buck as possible!
This shop was originally sponsored by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
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Polly says
Love looking at your creations . Makes me start to l ok around my home and see what I can come up with! Thank you!
Nicole Burkholder says
Thank you! I try to teach my kids that we don’t always have to go out and buy everything we want/need. Sometimes you can get a little creative and come up with your own solution (and then again, sometimes, you DO need to run to the store.) ๐
Heather may says
I LOVE THIS! This would be a great project with the kids! I can not wait to see how they turn out!
Sarah B says
BRILLIANT! I love this idea!! We’re having my daughter’s birthday party at the local Audubon, and this would be a perfect project for the party! #client
Nicole Burkholder says
What a fun birthday party!!! This would definitely fit the theme and it costs practically nothing! ๐
Yvonne [Tried and Tasty] says
So fun – your little guy with the camera is too dang adorable!
Linda@MixedKreations says
What a great way to upcycle a tennis ball bottle. Love it! I need to make me some bird feeders. I haven’t got any up since we moved to our new house. This would be easy and cheap to make. Thanks for sharing!
christine says
Cute idea. My kids always want to make bird feeders in the spring.
Jenny B @ Honey and Birch says
What a cute idea! We have some great birds in our yard but I feel like they leave because we don’t have a feeder for them. Going to give this a try for the spring.
remade in Britain says
What a great Idea, we have lots of hanging space in the garden. The tennis ball bird feeder will give us lots more feeders for a fraction of the price. Thanks for sharing.
Nicole Burkholder says
Thank you! I’m sure your garden will be full of birds soon! ๐
Natalie @ Life Made Simple says
Such a great way to upcycle!
Christine says
Such creative ideas! Love the picnic basket planter.
Mommy on Demand says
What a fun idea! Can’t wait to make one of these this Spring!
Nettie Moore says
I love the idea of using the tennis ball can, since we have tennis players in our family, I have a lot of cans, and I can never have enough bird feeders! Nettie