Dump Traditional Bird Feeders: Upcycle An Old Pot Lid & Plant Pot With A Smart DIY

Gardeners can't seem to resist visits from friends of the winged variety. And while there are lots of ways to attract birds to your yard, a well-stocked feeder is largely a guarantee. Rather than lay out cash for a store-bought plastic tube, why not add a DIY into the mix that adds some homey warmth? YouTube creator Coffee With My Sunshine constructs a charming bird feeder with a few Dollar Tree supplies, and it could become everyone's favorite backyard accessory — humans and birds alike. The gravity-fed seed storage comes in the form of a lightweight plastic planter pot, sitting atop a splatter screen from your kitchen. Birds easily access just enough seed, and you get a decorative, distinctive piece of yard art.

Not only is the project inexpensive, quick to put together, and fun to personalize, but the benefits of having bird feeders in the garden extend beyond photo-worthy moments. Utilizing the accessory means you have natural, flying pest and weed control monitoring your outdoor space, and they don't require any compensation other than seeds! To put this together, find an old splatter screen pot lid (one that's lightweight and made from steel mesh), a wreath, a plastic plant pot, and some wire and twine.

A functional, clever way to use old pot and pan lids, this DIY starts with the kitchen accessory — Dollar Tree's Cooking Concepts Splatter Screen or the 3-pack splatter screen for frying pans at Amazon work well if you need to buy one — and a grapevine wreath of similar size. The slightly concave lid, when inverted, serves as the base, with steel mesh providing drainage so your bird feeder doesn't become a birdbath. The wreath is both rustic perch and seed catcher, making for fewer spills. Use steel or aluminum wiring to tie the two items together. You'll drill small holes in the top (now the bottom) of the pot rim to loop wire through, so it can be attached to and removed from the mesh base. Larger holes drilled right at the rim through dispense seeds onto the tray. Three or four lengths of jute twine attached to the pot lid allow you to hang the feeder, and it's ready to go.

Durable and easy to clean and refill, this DIY feeder can also benefit from a bit of personalization, whether you'd like to add accents around the wreath (just make sure they're bird-safe and nontoxic), or a pop of color or decoupage to the pot. YouTuber Coffee With My Sunshine tops her project off by adding faux flowers around the fixture with hot glue. No matter what style choices you land on, place your bird feeder away from windows and in a spot where other animals can't bother the birds or steal seed.