Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Milk Jug Bird Feeder

One hundred dollars. That's how much the above Anthro birdhouse costs. Pretty huh?  I love it. But there's no way I'm spending that much on a birdhouse. Sorry Tweety. So I thought I'd try to make one myself using some materials I have on hand...

Materials:

milk jug

tape

marker

fabric scraps

wood scrap

drill

sandpaper

spray paint

glue

 Tape off your desired shape and mark it.

Remove tape and then cut with kitchen scissors. Don't forget to cut your little birdie hole too. (I used the milk jug cap to mark that opening.) Once cut, spray paint desired color and allow to dry.

My awesome neighbor, Sarah, has a wood scrap pile that she lets me rummage through - a lot! I found one that was just the right size and sanded down any rough edges. Favorite part about this project - power tools. I used my husband's drill and his 1 1/4 drill bit to make my very crude hole for the rope.

  

I then glued the spray-painted milk jug to my wood scrap using gorilla glue. If I had more time I would have stained the wood for a more polished look. (I did this yesterday afternoon while my youngest napped.)

After braiding my vintage barkcloth straps and tying a knot in one end I was ready to hang my little treasure. It's far from perfect, but it's cute none the less.

Next time I'll use an empty bleach jug (cleaning it out very well first) because it's a nice round shape and already white. I think I'll go the extra mile and stain the wood too. My birds need to shack up in style! I give my first attempt three stars out of five. Hey, ingenuity's gotta count for somethin' right? xo