Bird Feeders

I don't know about you, but the thought of Spring gets me excited! I know not everyone has winters like we do here in Ketchikan (think lots of dark and wind and RAIN) but when the plants start budding and the flowers start sprouting and the sun starts shining, it makes me want to tap dance down the sidewalk. 

Well, that time is here again!!





 
 Seemingly overnight the first sign of spring has popped up. We've had such a mild winter that an early spring seems inevitable, yet I've lived here long enough to know that a mild winter can turn on you mid-march and kill everything with a big freeze (fingers crossed this doesn't happen!!) I am choosing to take the optimistic view of things instead and plan as though Spring really is just around the corner. So in the spirit of the new season I thought I'd revisit a fun craft we did a few years ago to help welcome back old friends.



    Bird Feeders!!

One of the best parts of the warming weather is the return of the songbirds around our house. Waking up to sunshine and the sounds of birds chirping is the absolute best start to a day! What better way to make sure they feel at home than to see to it that they are well fed.

I googled "how to make milk carton bird feeder" and as you might expect, got about 10 million results. After looking through the first 4 pages or so, I went with a mash up of different ideas to best use the materials we had.

Materials used for this craft:

Milk Carton (washed and air-dried)

Paint

Paint Brush

Tissue Paper

Exact-O Knife

Foam Sheet

Wooden Dowel/Popsicle stick/Twig

String (for hanging)

Now I've said it before, but I'll say it again, pretty much everything listed (other than the milk carton) is optional, don't let not having the exact same supplies keep you from trying it out. See how we made ours and let it inspire you to dig out what you have and make something awesome!

First step is to use your knife to cut an opening in your carton

Turn over and cut another opening on the other side, remove the cap and push the spout in. When you have something that looks like this...

..it's time to decorate! 

Paint one side at a time, covering the wet paint with tissue 

paper as you go.

    

                       

When all sides are covered, trim foam sheet to fit (our piece was 4x6") and staple or hot glue to the top of your carton to make the roof.

If you would like to have a perch for added comfort, poke a hole through both sides and run a thin dowel or twig through.

Let dry overnight, then bore a hole in the top (I used my corkscrew :P) and thread some yarn through for hanging. 

Fill the bottom of your feeder with your choice of birdseed find a good place it. 

Finding a spot near a window allows for many good bird watching opportunities, I was so excited the first time I saw a little bird at ours I nearly spilled my coffee.

Now all there is to do is sit back and wait for the birds (and Spring!!) to come.

Have Fun!

A little side note - If you noticed a difference in the boys' appearance it was due to me using pictures taken 2 years apart instead of trying to get all the shots over. Hard to believe how much they've grown!!