With this lifehack you will find out how to make a feeder from a 5 liter plastic bottle, 4, and 1.5-2.
Often for children in older groups kindergarten or in primary school they are asked to make a house for birds for the winter and the easiest and cheapest way to do it DIY feeder for tits made from plastic bottles, but there are also important nuances in this matter, which we will talk about further.
Bottle bird feeder
First, let's take a step-by-step look at the most common options, and then we'll get to the automatic versions. Our main goal is not just to create a beautiful craft, but also a functional, convenient one. make a bottle feeder for birds which you need wisely.
5 liter bottle feeder for birds
For this we need:
Five-liter plastic bottle for feeder, rectangular, preferably with a stopper and, if you’re really lucky, then with a handle on the neck.
Scotch tape or tape
First, take the bottle and cut out windows on four sides. Their height can be about 15 cm, width about 10 cm, or simply step back 2-3 cm from the edges of the bottle so that several birds can fly into one entrance at once and the windows should be located 1.5-2 cm from the bottom of the bottle, otherwise It will be inconvenient for the birds to fly out. An example of a window below:
We make such holes on two or all four sides. Next, you need to cover the cut edges of the bottle with insulating tape to prevent injury to the birds.
The next step will be to create a mount with which feeder from a 5-liter plastic bottle You can hang it on a branch, for example. If you have a bottle with a handle, then simply tie a cord to it in the form of a loop. If there is no handle, then first, with a hot awl or nail, in the center of the lid, so that the double rope passes without problems, we make a loop from the lace and tie the two ends into a knot. We thread the loop through the hole in the cork, and the knot prevents the skin from falling off.
If desired, you can decorate our 5L bottle feeder, but this is all at your discretion. About the same can be made from a four-liter bottle, just the scale will be slightly different.
DIY bird feeder from a 1.5-2 l bottle
For this we need:
One and a half or two rubles ( plastic bottle for tit feeder)
Household cord 5-7 mm - 0.5 meter
Scotch tape or tape
Stick, Chinese type 1 pc.
Matches or toothpick
Threads
We start with a bottle, or rather, we cut out windows on both sides, opposite each other, 5-7 cm wide and 10-12 cm high, then we retreat the bottom 2-3 cm. It is important that we will not cut out the window completely, but only from three sides, so we will form a visor. It looks something like this:
Then we make through holes under the windows for the stick, which will pass through the bottle. This is a kind of perch. Holes can be made using a hot awl or nail. Then just stick the stick in.
Now we create a visor, for this we make holes with needles, as indicated in the picture, and then bend the cut out windows up. We take a thread and tie one side to a match, thread it through the hole on the bottle, and thread the other end into the hole on the visor and set up our improvised visor, then tie it to the match in the same way. We carry out the same procedure with the second window.
Now we make a hole in the lid with a hot nail or an awl and thread a lace loop through it.
That's it, we made a feeder from a plastic bottle 1.5 liters. Let's move on to the last scheme, in which we combine a feeder from two bottles.
Automatic feeder made from a plastic bottle
We have already learned how to make a feeder from a 5 liter bottle, but here we will need more than just that:
One 5 liter bottle, make a feeder, or rather its basis, we can use it.
One one and a half liter bottle (this is our dispenser)
Household cord 5-7 mm - 0.5-1 meter
Scotch tape or tape
We take our five-liter bottle and make two windows opposite, as shown in the figure, and also make small slits on the sides of the window. We will explain the unusual shape further.
Now we take one and a half rubles. We will have it inside the five-liter container, with the neck down, and the bottom tightly resting against the neck of the container, but for this, the bottom 1.5 must be cut to size (it is better not to rush with this matter and measure as carefully as possible).
When we have measured and cut everything perfectly, in the neck of the one and a half, right at the place of the thread, we cut two small windows, opposite each other (it is better to do this with a hot knife). The food will leak through them.
Now, using a cord and a 5L cap, we make the fastening that we described in the first diagram.
Don't forget to cover the edges of the windows with tape or insulation.
We assemble our design: through the window in Pyatina we insert a half-barrel with the neck down, bend the window and insert it into the side slots, this creates a visor, then we pour in 1.5 grains, and through the holes in its neck it fills the bottom of the feeder, screw on the lid and hang it on a branch (just choose something stronger).
Now you know how to do it DIY bottle feeder. We tried to include as many variations as possible in the diagrams and you can not just follow the instructions, but choose the most suitable, the best of all and create your ideal feeder. In fact, there are many more methods and materials for bird feeders, and we will definitely talk about them on the pages of our website, so subscribe to our VKontakte group and follow the news.
Finally, a few video instructions for making feeders from plastic bottles.
Do you remember how, even in childhood, educators and then teachers diligently instilled in us a love for our little brothers? We willingly made bird feeders during labor lessons and were not lazy to fill them regularly, taking care of the birds during the cold season. Years have passed and high technology has come into our lives, but progress has not affected the colorful flocks of birds. In winter they still need support, which even now costs almost nothing. The simplest bird feeder made from a plastic bottle, hanging outside a window or in the yard, can be made in just a couple of minutes, and is practically inexpensive to maintain. Maybe we can make bird feeders from plastic bottles right now? Why not!
But before starting a master class with instructions on how to make a feeder from a plastic bottle, we will only barely touch on the topic of the value of this craft. The primary benefit is obvious - it is practical help for birds suffering from nutritional deficiency in the cold. It is for this reason that birds fly to cities in winter, closer to people. But in the pedagogical aspect, making this craft has value. By involving a child or teenager in the process, we form a full-fledged personality—we embed in the consciousness of a future member of society the concepts of virtue, responsibility, and love for living nature. And making bird canteens from plastic bottles with your own hands is much more interesting than playing empty virtual games.
Materials and components
Do you remember how bird houses used to be made from plywood, wooden blocks, milk cartons and other available food? This is all because at that time we simply did not have PET bottles for soda and other liquids. The appearance of soft plastic containers will only simplify our task. Let's make a bird canteen out of bottles on our own, using step-by-step methodological diagrams. Together with the kids, of course. The kids will definitely love this activity.
In addition to PET containers from 1.5 liters or more, we will also need: disposable plastic spoons and wooden skewers (twigs), strong ropes and scraps of nylon rope. Acrylic paints(on plastic) or self-adhesive film to decorate the feeder, if desired. All you need is an awl, scissors and a stationery knife. Use foil, rustling candy wrappers and “crispy” cellophane to a minimum - an excess of such decor can scare away small birds.
Feeder-teremok from a regular PET bottle
On the first step by step diagram a beautiful bird's canteen-teremok is shown. Anyone can make one from plastic bottles with their own simple tools. In winter, this will be a feeding place for forest tits, and in the summer heat, it will be a drinking bowl for birds from stuffy city neighborhoods.
Shall we get to work? So:
- Trim the top of the bottle with your cutting tools: scissors, a utility knife - whatever you are used to using. This is the future roof of our little house;
- The height of the remaining bottom should be reduced by about a third, and then a hole should be cut into the body of the “house” required size. The small size of the hole gives access inside only to small birds - bullfinches, tits, etc.;
- When cutting out a window, do not rush to cut off the extra “tab” of plastic. It can be bent outward, forming a convenient bridge for landing;
- Treat the parts of the future feeder with decorative materials (paints, beautiful stickers, film, etc.) Fig. 1 will help you with design ideas.
The bird feeder made from a plastic bottle is almost ready. All that remains is to hang the lower part of the house on the braid, making 2 holes in the workpiece with an awl. Then pull the ribbon from the inside through the top of the bottle, after making a hole in its cork. Rice. 1 will help you navigate this. Hang your designer birdhouse made from a plastic bottle on a tree branch in the park and fill it with food. Guests won't have to wait too long!
Original bunker feeder for bullfinches
The second picture will introduce you to an even simpler idea. The special feature of this feeder made of plastic parts is that it does not require too frequent filling due to the feed hopper tank. And making such a bird feeder from plastic containers couldn’t be easier—you don’t even have to cut the bottle. But what you should pay special attention to in Fig. 2 is the width of the neck of the future bird canteen. The looser it is, the more convenient it will be for you to add food. So:
- Take any plastic bottle with a wide neck (for example, a liter milk bottle) and pierce it through with wooden skewers along the holes marked with an awl. The skewers should stick out on both sides - these are landing perches for arriving birds;
- Make several such punctures at different heights so that the birds do not interfere with each other if, upon arrival, they sit on all the perches at once;
- All that remains is to make holes through which bullfinches will pull loose food out of the feeder. A diameter of 0.5-1 cm will be sufficient (if grain and cereals are poured into the bunker). Holes can be burned out over the perches with a hot nail or carefully cut out with nail scissors.
This is interesting! Look how well the skewers-perches of the bunker feeder have been replaced with wooden spoons in the figure. 3. The principle of manufacturing the structure remains the same, however, the size of the feeding window can be increased, and the landing of birds will become much more convenient. Wooden spoons can be replaced with disposable plastic ones. And don’t be afraid that a lot of food will spill onto the ground. It is enough to lightly trample the snow under the feeder so that the birds peck all the falling food.
The original bird feeder is ready for uninterrupted service for the benefit of our feathered friends. It remains to be noted that the transparent PET bottle, taken as a basis, allows you to see from a distance the percentage of the bin being filled with food. But an opaque feeder will have to be checked manually every time.
Large bird feeder and birdhouses
In general, a feeder made from a plastic bottle can feed a whole flock of hungry tits at once if it is made from a five-liter canister for bottled water. This is no longer just a bird canteen, it is a real restaurant for birds. It will be even more interesting to watch the birds that come here to feed in winter. In Fig. 4 shows options for such a product:
- You can hang the canister vertically by cutting feed windows with canopies on all sides;
- Or you can fix a five-liter bottle horizontally, cutting out a bird pavilion with a roof from it;
- Or simply cut off the top of the bottle and make a windproof tunnel feeder in a horizontal position.
However, you may have your own original ideas execution. But from an ordinary PET bottle you can make not only a bird’s canteen. You can make an excellent birdhouse from a plastic bottle if you use an opaque container (see Fig. 5). In winter it can also be used as a feeder.
And in the spring, it is likely to have serious guests. The main thing is to have time to hang the birdhouse from a plastic bottle higher before the arrival of the starlings.
What should you treat your visitors to?
In winter, birds are not picky. They will happily feast on any cereals and seeds, grains of oats and wheat, bread crumbs, dry millet and millet. You should not use wet food - in the cold they quickly freeze and become inaccessible. But bulk food is optimal for winter feeding of bullfinches and tits if you decide to make a bunker-type feeder for small birds. Pieces of lard can be used, but they are usually hung on a string or placed on tree branches.
Make some birdhouses for birds and be sure to tell your children how important it is! It will also be interesting for novice naturalists to watch tits and other forest birds flying to the feeder. Do the kids know all of them or do they still need to tell them about someone? It is quite possible that not every visitor will be familiar to you. The more interesting and educational your trips to the bird feeder with your child will be. The main thing is, do not forget to regularly replenish food supplies, since you have taken up this task. The birds will get used to it and will wait for you every day. And in the summer they will certainly thank you for your care with loud trills in different ways. In parks and squares, by the river and on forest paths. Good luck!
On our website you can find others, for example there are wonderful articles on how to make almost
Birds in a private garden are pleasantly chirping and animatedly fluttering along the branches. In autumn, when the garden is “bare” and empty, little birds give it a new sound.
Birds play an aesthetic and sanitary role. They are indispensable assistants in the fight against harmful insects. Feeders will help attract and retain orderlies in the garden. You can make beautiful bird feeders with your own hands from scrap materials, for example, from plastic bottles.
With cold weather and the first snow, forest birds experience an acute shortage of food. It is advisable to hang feeders in the garden at the beginning of autumn and replenish the supplies as they become empty. Do not put in a lot of food at once. Over time, rot and mold develop, turning the grain into unusable food.
When choosing a design, be guided by the following:
- keeping food dry even during rain;
- unhindered access of birds to food;
- it is desirable to have perches;
- the presence of two or more holes, and they must be through so that the bird does not perceive the feeder as a trap;
- sections are glued with adhesive tape or tape;
- the height of the sides is 7-10 cm.
You need to attach the finished feeder with the convenience of replenishing supplies in mind, but take into account that it is out of reach for cats. For the feeder, suitable material is moisture and sun resistant, lightweight, wear-resistant and safe for birds. Plastic meets these criteria, and plastic bottles make an excellent base.
Good ideas with short instructions
The design of bird feeders made from 1.5-liter or 5-liter plastic bottles has 2 types: free access to food and a bunker system. In the first type, windows are cut out of the bottle through which the bird takes food poured on the bottom. In the second case, food is poured with reserve into the “bunker”, from where it flows “by gravity” into a special tray or to the bottom of the feeder as the birds eat it. The second design is convenient in that it is not possible to replenish the “canteen” every day, and the remainder is clearly visible through the transparent plastic.
The orientation of the feeders can be vertical (it’s more convenient to attach with twine through the lid) or horizontal (more birds can feed at the same time).
Let's consider original ideas that will inspire craftsmen to create a real decorative element with a useful function.
A simple and quick way to make a feeder: take a 5-liter container, cut out a small window (preferably two) at the bottom, 7 cm away from the bottom, and hang it vertically on a branch by the handle. Make a hole in the lid for a wire from which to hang a piece of unsalted lard.
If you have a 1.5-liter container, then make one hole, but a fairly large one. By treating the edges with colored material, we get both a safe and bright feeder. To secure it to a tree, just tie it to a branch by the neck with a strong ribbon.
A bird-friendly option with perches that penetrate the bottle right through just below the holes made. The perches serve as a kind of weighting material and empty containers will not “fly” in the wind. Visors are provided for protection from rain and snow. Holes are made at the bottom with a heated nail to drain condensate. Nice place for a feeder not only on a tree, but also under the porch canopy. At the same time, it is protected from winds and precipitation.
You can make a simple bunker feeder from a 1.5 or 2 liter plastic bottle. To do this, prepare two wooden “spoons” with a long handle, make holes of the appropriate diameter in the bottle and push the handle through. A small hole is made above the “spoon” tray so that a flying bird can take the grains. Spilled grains will remain on the tray and not fall to the ground.
The bottle is completely filled with grain. You should not make the holes too high, as they will quickly turn out to be unclaimed, although the container will still be half full. You can make two trays at the bottom and one at the top. To protect the trays from snow, install a roof made from a 5-liter bottle.
You can secure bin feeders by tying a strong belt or twine around the neck, or by threading a metal pin with a loop on top through the lid (it’s even easier to make a loop from a piece of wire or wire and hang it on a branch).
If you glue a plate to the bottom of a liter plastic bottle (an old children's bowl made of thick plastic will do), you will get a convenient dining room with a bunker system. You can secure the plate using liquid nails or other fastening compounds that are intended for outdoor use and are not afraid of moisture. At the bottom, 5 cm away from the bottom, 3-4 holes are made to extract food. The plate serves as both a tray and a perch at the same time.
In addition to plastic water or drink bottles, use plastic 5-liter canisters for liquid soap, fabric softener or construction primer. First, you need to rinse and dry them well, then cut out the required number of holes. If the container has a handle, then there will be no problems with hanging.
Otherwise, we proceed similarly to the previous examples and thread the cord or wire through the holes in the lid.
A 5 liter canister and a 1.5 liter bottle will make a good feeder with a hopper. It is enough to cut out a large window on one side of the canister, and cut off the bottom of a 1.5-liter bottle and tie it inside the canister with the neck down, so that you can add grain through the lid of the canister. The result will be a food supply for birds protected from wind and rain.
If you show a little imagination and involve children's imagination in the process, then a homemade feeder from a plastic bottle will become an unusual decor for the garden. The most practical solution is to wrap the container with twine. To secure the rope, it is soaked in an adhesive base.
Fir branches and cones, decorative birds and flowers are used for decoration. The main thing is not to overdo it with decor, the excess of which will scare the birds. If you make only one small hole, you will get a warm and cozy birdhouse.
Master class: convenient bunker-type feeder
To make it, you will need two plastic water bottles, one juice or tea bottle (with stiffer walls) and any plastic lid from a container of a suitable diameter and with high sides.
Manufacturing process with step-by-step photos:
- cut off the neck of 2 bottles;
- We cut off the excess plastic from the resulting “dispenser” blanks to make a small funnel, as shown in the photo;
- take another bottle and mark on it on both sides with a marker a hole for a “dispenser” along the lid;
- Using a stationery knife and scissors, we make a “skirt” in the marked circle for better fixation and protection from moisture;
- in the covers of the prepared “dispensers”, use a drill to make a hole in the form of a wide slot (grain will flow through it from the bunker), insert the prepared “dispensers” into the holes;
- Using a drill, we make two holes below the “dispensers” for the passage of a wooden stick (we select the diameter of the drill in accordance with the diameter of the stick), pass the stick through two holes at once; its length should be enough to form 10 cm perches on both sides;
- We fix the plastic cap to the bottom of the bottle, and we get a practical and convenient feeder, spending 15 - 20 minutes.
Bird feeders in winter help save birds from hunger. However, this is not the only reason why it is worth making them.
The beautiful and original feeders themselves can become a unique decoration for your garden.
And the process of their creation instills in the younger generation a sense of responsibility and care for weak creatures.
In addition, this is invaluable time, which allows parents to spend time with their children with interest and benefit.
Wooden bird feeders
There are several types of feeders that can be made from wood. Firstly, these are feeders that look like a base made of plywood or other similar material with sides along the edges that prevent treats for birds from falling apart.
Most often, such a structure is suspended from a tree branch on thick ropes.
But such a feeder has a number of disadvantages. The most obvious thing is that this design does not in any way protect the food poured into it from precipitation and bad weather. It is also quite light and can move or tip over in the wind.
The second version of wooden feeders looks more like a house and has a roof. In such feeders, the food is reliably protected from bad weather. The base of the structure looks the same as in the first version, only there are supports on it that support the roof.
The roof can be either straight or pitched. Any child can make a straight roof, because essentially it is a rectangular piece of plywood, only slightly larger than the base.
A pitched roof has a slightly more complex design, but it the better that, unlike a straight roof, snow does not accumulate on it and does not have to be cleaned periodically.
There are also original options feeders made of wood. For example, a feeder can be made from ordinary logs. To do this you will need a chainsaw, a chisel and a hammer, as well as a chain and rings for hanging.
To begin with, you need to saw off two round pieces of wood on both sides of the future feeder. Then a wedge is cut along the entire log, and longitudinal and transverse cuts are made, not reaching the bark by about 5 centimeters.
This is necessary so that later it will be easier to remove the middle from the workpiece with a chisel. After all the work is done, the previously cut round pieces are nailed on both sides of the feeder.
All that remains is to screw in the rings and attach a chain on which you can hang the feeder.
Feeders made from plastic bottles
Plastic bottles are also used as feeders to feed birds. These can be either 5-6 liter containers or small 1.5-2 liter bottles.
Most often, a plastic bottle is turned into a feeder by cutting out several windows in the body.
Then such feeders are hung horizontally or vertically, depending on the design. For the convenience of the birds, cross perches are installed near the bottom of the feeder.
But sometimes you can find quite original feeders that provide automatic addition of feed. These are the so-called bunker feeders.
Such a feeder can consist of two wooden spoons inserted at an angle into through holes in the bottle. Thus, food from the bottle will gradually pour out onto the spoon.
A bunker feeder can be made from a 2-liter bottle. To do this, just cut the bottle in half, make round holes in the bottom, and turn the top over and place the neck down. The top can be covered with a lid or a disposable plate. You won’t need to add food to this feeder for a long time.
Useful materials for making bird feeders
The simplest feeder you can come up with is a garland of rowan, pine cone or berries. A treat for birds strung on a rope will decorate young trees in the garden. The only disadvantage of such a feeder is that as the food is eaten, the garland loses its appearance.
An interesting solution would be to make a feeder in the form of lumps of grain or seeds. Such decorations can be placed on benches, tables, or simply hung on trees in nets, in which tangerines are usually sold in stores.
They are based on fat or gelatin. The lard is melted and the main food is added to it. Then the finished substance is poured into molds (this can be baking molds or a regular balloon) and placed in a cold place to harden.
The same goes for dissolved gelatin mixed with grain.
If you have coconut shells lying around idle, then they can also be used to make a feeder.
As a result, such a design will be invisible on the tree. Juice or milk boxes are also suitable for making feeders. Their design itself will not differ much from simple feeders made from plastic bottles.
Photos of bird feeder ideas
The cold is in full swing and it wouldn’t hurt to feed our little brothers. How a homemade author made a feeder with a dispenser will be discussed in this article.
Tools and materials:
-2 liter juice box;
-Plastic;
-Beading;
-Wire;
-Knife;
-Roulette;
-Pliers;
-Awl;
Step one: feeder
As you may have guessed, the author made the feeder out of a box. To do this, I measured 6 cm from the top of the box. I cut off the top part. We don’t throw away the cut off part, it will still be useful.
Next, I cut out windows in the walls of the lower part of the box. In this case, you need to retreat a couple of centimeters from the bottom.
And dividing the box diagonally from the line, also step back down. At the top of the windows, to prevent flooding, you need to make canopies. Everything is perfectly visible in the photo.
Step two: dispenser
The dispenser must be made of a smooth and rigid material. The author used plastic for this purpose. First, I cut the plastic to the width of the box. Then I made a small cutout in the lower part, leaving “legs” on the sides.
Feed will flow into the box through this cutout. Therefore, depending on the food, it is necessary to make a cut. If you make it too big, a lot of food will spill out; if you make it too small, the food will get stuck.
Step three: fastening
Next, the author makes a mount on which the feeder will be held. Stepping back 2 cm from the top, apply a glazing bead to the box and make two punctures with an awl, on top and bottom. Then he stretches the wire and twists it around the bead. The ends are bent down. The same operation is performed on the other side of the box.
Step Four: Perch
Turns the box over and attaches the strips from the bottom as in the photo. Birds will perch on these slats. To prevent pigeons from landing on them, the author recommends not to protrude beyond the edges by more than 3 cm.
Now all that remains is to secure the feeder, pour in the food and cover the top with the cut-off part.
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