Upcycled Bird Feeder

 Click here to print these instructions(PDF, 255KB)

 YOU WILL NEED:

Birdseed

Milk or juice carton

Scissors (and/or Stanley Knife)

Acrylic paint

Paintbrush

Chopstick (or twig around the same size)

String

Ruler

Ballpoint pen

· Grab your used milk or juice carton and  rinse it out thoroughly.

· Leave it to drain and dry off.

· Outline the two shapes you want to cut out on your milk carton with your pen—I cut out a rectangle and an arch, using a ruler to make sure they were the same height from the bottom of the carton.

· Get your adult to help you cut through the milk carton to make your two holes.

· Poke a hole just below your cutout shapes on both sides—push your chopstick or stick all the way through, to make a perch for your birds on either side of your feeder.

· Decorate your feeder—I used acrylic paint, which seemed to work fine on the waxy surface—needed a couple of coats, though—or you could stick decorative paper on—it’s up to you!

· When it’s dry, poke a hole in the top of your carton, thread your piece of string through it, put some birdseed in, then find somewhere out in the garden to hang it, and watch the birds enjoy it!  (you’ll need to bring it in if it rains, though—it’s not super waterproof)