DIY Fruit and Hummingbird Feeders

Earlier this year I conducted a class for the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of on making bird-feeders utilizing natural sources, recycled materials and re-purposed items. Of course the best bird-feeder is what nature provides: nuts, seeds and fruit from native trees, shrubs and wildflowers (and native insects)... Here's my hand-out for my "bird" talk I give:  Creating a Bird Garden

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird - Butterfly Bush

I love watching the hummingbirds eat from their favorite flowers around my property: Trumpet Vine, Cardinal Flower, Columbine...  But to get the up-close views of a hummer, nothing beats a strategically placed feeder. - And this one costs only about $5.00! :)

Supplies:

• Copper wire - 6 or 8 gauge. Available at Home Depot for less than a $1.00 per foot. 8 gauge is easier to bend, but I prefer the look of 6 gauge. - About 2 feet.
• Glass bottle. A wine bottle is too large - it won't hold the seal of the feeder adapter. Opt for a smaller glass water or beer bottle.
• Bling or emlishments. Something red will attract and entice the hummers. Small gauge wire -available at craft stores to attach the pendent, decoration, etc...
• Hummingbird feeder tubes. You can occasionally find these at pet stores or I sell them in my Etsy shop 2 for $4.00. Here's the link: Rebecca's Bird Gardens (Etsy Shop)  
• Wire cutters, needle-nosed pliers.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird

How to:

Using the pliers (and a towel placed around the end of the wire to keep from scratching the copper), clamp the wire and bend a loop on one end. This gives you something to hold onto...  Start at the neck of the bottle and twist the wire around the bottle. Add another loop in the wire at the top of the bottle for hanging.

Add the embellishment and fill the bottle with a hummingbird nectar solution (1 part sugar dissolved in 4 parts water) - then add the feeder tube. Be sure to fill the bottle to the top with the solution - this creates a tight seal...

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird

DIY Fruit Feeders

• Spiral Fruit Feeder:  Copper Wire: 8 gauge wrapped around a rolling pin to create a "fruit cage" to hold oranges, apples, etc...
• S Hook Fruit Feeder: Small stick with a hole drilled in the center. Wrap 8 gauge copper wire through the drilled hole creating an "S" shape for hanging.
• Sheppard's Hook Fruit Feeder: Small stick with a hole drilled in the center. Push the drilled portion of the stick through the hook then simply add assorted fruit...

Immature Male Summer Tanager

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Community Chickens Post! ~ DIY Botanical Easter Eggs

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DIY Suet Wreath

Male and Female Downy Woodpeckers
Tufted Titmouse

I recently conducted a class for the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of on making bird-feeders utilizing natural sources, recycled materials and re-purposed items. Of course the best bird-feeder is what nature provides: nuts, seeds and fruit from native trees, shrubs and wildflowers (and native insects)... Here's my hand-out for my "bird" talk I give:  Creating a Bird Garden

But - this class was all about creating bird-feeders and I came up with a few originals and I experimented with several I found on the Internet. For this DIY suet wreath, here the link to one of the best tutorials I found: Create a Suet Bird Seed Wreath

I've been making my own suet for years and I am sure the birds prefer my homemade version over a purchased suet cake... In fact, I've never had a bluebird visit a suet feeder at my property unless it contained my homemade recipe! In addition to coating pine-cones with my suet mixture, I've been experimenting with some other options to offer this food supplement. Here's my recipe and the link to what I've came up with so far... DIY Suet Feeders

Suet Recipe
1 cup lard  ~ You can render your own suet from beef fat (it's an all day process), but I prefer purchasing lard, which is pork fat.
1 cup chunky peanut butter
Melt the lard and peanut butter together, then add:
3 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
4 cups birdseed

For the suet wreath, I added the following to the basic suet recipe:
1 package unflavored Knox gelatin dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

Add the prepared suet mixture to a greased Bundt pan. I also picked up a helpful tip from the tutorial above and added a wire ring insert. - Place half of the suet mixture into the pan, add the wire ring, then the remaining suet. Pack the mixture down thoroughly into the pan with the back of a metal spoon. Refrigerate overnight. Allow the wreath the return to room temperature and it should be easy to remove from the pan. I added braided strips of burlap to use as a hanger. This wreath holds up much longer than you would expect and the wire ring insert helps to keep it from falling apart.

Carolina Chickadee

Tufted Titmouse

Outdoor Wednesday
I'd Rather B Birdn'
Wild Bird Wednesday
Nature Notes

DIY Wine Bottle Bird-Feeders

I'm preparing a class for the Master Gardener chapter that I'm a member of on making bird-feeders utilizing natural sources, recycled materials and re-purposed items. Of course the best bird-feeder is what nature provides: nuts, seeds and fruit from native trees, shrubs and wildflowers (and native insects)... Here's my hand-out for my "bird" talk I give:  Creating a Bird Garden

But - this class is all about creating bird-feeders and I've been trying a few DIY feeders I've found on the Internet. Here's the link of the inspiration for this fun feeder: Michelob Bird feeder

The hardest part of this DIY feeder was learning how to drill a hole in a glass bottle...
Here's the steps in a nutshell:

• Start with a diamond drill bit. We purchased one that's a little less than a 1/2 inch diameter. It works well for small seeds such as sunflower chips or safflower, but it's a little too small for sunflower seeds. 
• The drill needs to stay lubricated with water so either have the bottle somehow submerged in water or have someone spray water at the bit during the drilling.
• Start drilling at a 45° angle (have the drill on and go toward the glass--don't put the drill bit on the glass and then start the drill).
• Slowly move the bit to a 90° angle. Avoid applying pressure (you're grinding or chipping away at the glass, not drilling).
• Continue to spray water on the bit and stop a few times and clean the area off and apply more water.
• It's a slow process... When you're close to the end, slow the speed of the drill down and mentally remember to go up with the drill and not push the drill through the bottle. ( I did that a few times and the bottle shatters). ~ Remember to wear protective eye glasses...

Carolina Chickadee

American Goldfinch ~ Cardinal waiting his turn...

Once the holes are drilled (one on each side), use epoxy to attach a plate or saucer to the bottom. To hang the bottle I wrapped a piece of 8 gauge copper wire around the top. A couple of the bottles had hinged stopper lids which made it even easier to add a wire to hang.


The blue bottle with the hinged top I found at the recycle center is Redstone Meadery Juniper Honey Wine. The clear bottle is a Lemonade bottle and The Winking Owl wine bottle was also from the recycle center - but I could have purchased it for less than $3.00 a bottle!

Cheers! ♥

American Goldfinch

Downy Woodpecker

Tufted Titmouse

Carolina Chickadee ~ Tufted Titmouse

I invite you to "like" my Facebook page to see all the Market happenings and my latest DIY projects! Click on this link:

Rebecca's Bird Gardens (Facebook)

Update! ~ Check out my new line of wine bottle bird-feeders in my Etsy shop! ♥ Click on this link:

Rebecca's Bird Gardens (Etsy)

Also, I'm moving most of my market updates, bird watching and DIY projects over to my Rebecca's Bird Gardens site...  Click on these links:

Rebecca's Bird Gardens (website)
Rebecca's Bird Gardens (blog)

Wine Bottle Bird-Feeder ~ "The Vineyard"

DIY Birdseed Wreaths

Here's an easy project that actually works...
For the market this Christmas, I put together these cute birdseed wreaths (that were a hit). You never know what will sell, but next year I'll definitely come prepared with more of these Christmas wreaths!

There are a lot of these DIY wreath recipes out there, but I tweaked a few and came up with one that holds together well and looks nice too. The original recipe used flour and water as a glue to hold the seed together, but after it dries the wreath has a white appearance. I tried cornstarch (which dries clear) and the wreaths looked great :)

Here are the steps to my popular birdseed wreath...

(makes 2 wreaths)

3/4 cup flour)
1 cup warm water
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 package unflavored gelatin (sometimes I use 3)
8 cups bird food (such as seeds, peanuts, berries, dried fruits)
2 bundt pans or other molds
Nonstick cooking spray

Stir the gelatin into the water and heat over medium heat until dissolved. Whisk in the corn syrup and flour. Stir well until there are no more lumps. It will make a thick gooey paste. Add the birdseed and stir until all the seeds are coated. Place the mixture equally divided into two greased Bundt pans. Using a greased metal spoon, press the seed mixture into the Bundt pans (be sure to press the mixture down firmly until it’s well packed and even). Place the pans in the refrigerator until set then carefully remove them from the molds by turning them upside down onto a cookie sheet. Let the wreaths dry over night (turning them occasionally so that they dry throughout).

Update! I've started adding a wire ring insert to the wreaths. It holds the wreaths together and keeps them from falling apart when the birds eat through one side. Add have the birdseed mixture to the pan - add the wire ring - then the remaining mixture. Continue as above...

Tip: Use the wreaths within a week or refrigerate them until ready to use. I've had them get moldy at times when I haven't done this..

Add a string or ribbon - Hang the wreath outside - Watch the action!

Tufted Titmouse

Tufted Titmouse and Downy Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker

Carolina Chickadee and Tufted Titmouse

White-breasted Nuthatch 

Nuthatch balancing act!

Camera Critters
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Community Chickens Post!

DIY: Chicken Feed Sack Tote

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DIY Beeswax Ornaments

About fifteen years ago I saw instructions on how to make beeswax ornaments in a magazine. I am still using those ornaments years later. They have been stored in the attic and an underground storage room, withstanding heat, freezing temperatures, dampness - and they still look great! I remember looking everywhere for the main ingredient, beeswax, and ended up finding it at the hardware store. In the past the wax was used for coating nails and screws in woodworking and used on window sills and drawers to allow them to slide more smoothly, but since then it must have been replaced by something in a spray can..   Next I went to the local mega store - the one that has everything - and I was directed to Burt's Bees... I should have looked at a craft/hobby store first because in the last several years, thanks to the popularity of candle making, there is plenty of beeswax to be found. However, I ended up purchasing a few blocks from our local beekeepers, Honey Heaven.  It just seemed right to support our local business and it feels good that my ornaments were made by local Missouri bees!

The only supplies you need in addition to the beeswax:
*A mold--soap or candy molds work well.  This year I used a cookie sheet  mold.
*Wire for hanging
*This year I added dried rosemary to the wax of some of the ornaments - it adds an aroma, texture and color..




I do remember that when you melt the wax it was a pain to clean it out of the pan.  I've revised my melting method - I now use a recycled tin can in a pan of boiling water, a double boiler method...

When the wax liquefies, you simply pour it into the molds.  I've read other instructions for making these ornaments that recommend using a candy thermometer and cooling the wax to 170 degrees prior to pouring it into the molds. I've never messed with using a thermometer and haven't had a problem - it's just that simple..

The wax begins cooling fast and when the edges start solidifying, insert the wire into the ornament. After the wax has completely cooled it will pull away from the mold easily. I added the crushed rosemary to a portion of the wax that I used for the Christmas tree molds. I'm not sure if I like it as well, but the smell is wonderful and it adds some interest to the ornament.

Pretty simple.. and they'll last a decade!


Merry Christmas!