Bird Feeders- Wooden Hanging Feeder

Do you ever find something on Pinterest that is exactly what you’re looking for, and you realize that all it is is a picture. And then you’re trying to find something else even close to it, because if you can just get an idea of how it was done, you’d be all set. But no, the only thing you have is a picture of something you know you want to make, but absolutely no instructions. That is what happened to me with today's project. I saw this picture, and nothing else looked as good, and I couldn’t find anything resembling instructions. Looking at the overall structure of it though, I could see that it could probably be made with scrap wood. The cans were easy enough, and assembly was probably just nails and some wood glue. Basically, I guessed my way through the whole thing.

Supplies:

-One 1"x6" plank of wood, cut into three pieces (see below)

-Six tin cans, various sizes

-Acrylic paint, for cans

-Paint for wood planks, optional

-Gorilla glue

-Bird seed

-Suet, from Monday's post

I was curious about what type of wood would work best for this, so I took a trip to my local hardware store and showed them the picture, and asked for their advice. I am glad I did because I learned about two important things relating to this project. First, they told me that it could all probably be made out of one fence post, and suggested cedar because of its resistance to insects and weathering. I was also informed that Gorilla Glue was strong enough to be able to hold my cans in place, but to be careful, because most types of Gorilla Glue expands when setting and can make a mess if you use too much.

So I had a little more information to work with, as well as my supplies so it was time to actually get this thing put together. I asked my husband to help me with the cutting because while I feel comfortable with a drill, the table saw is still a little out of my comfort zone. We cut three pieces, one 5”, one 6”, and the backboard I made 15”. I made one half of the roof smaller than the other because I plan to have the longer one overlap the other to make the roof, and I wanted to make it symmetrical. The wood was a little rough, so I sanded down the edges as much as I could.

I glued the two halves of the roof together and let it set before I nailed it together. I know I probably could have just done one or the other, but I didn’t have anyone to help me hold them in place while I nailed, and it made sense at the time to do both. I nailed the backboard to the roof, using an old coffee can to hold the backboard steady. Looking at the wood at this point, I decided that it needed a coat of paint. I used some extra interior paint I had set aside, applied two coats and set it aside to dry. I really did debate this, because I felt that it has a more rustic look without it, but I knew that the wood would last longer with the paint.

Time for the cans. I cleaned out six cans and had my daughter paint the sides of each of them with acrylic paint. I personally wasn’t concerned about the designs on the cans, so I figured I’d let her add her personal touch. She did a great job, too! One has rainbow stripes with polka dots, and one is all flowers. We let all of the paint dry, and then got out our glue to actually get this assembled.

Before I glued the cans, I had a thought. Where are the birds going to sit when they come to eat? The cans didn’t seem like a good spot for the birds to land, so I found some wooden dowels to glue to the inside of the cans, letting about 3-4” poke out from the cans. Two of my cans had an extra lip on the edge, which would have made the dowel crooked, so I glued a popsicle stick to the inside first, then the dowel. After the glue set, I applied a layer of glue to the bottom of the cans and placed them on the board where they stayed overnight to fully set.

The next morning I filled three of the cans with suet, and the other three about halfway with bird seed, just to see how they both look. Then I let it hang from a large nail I set up at the back of the house, making sure to keep it out of reach of the dog.

I am definitely going to have happy birds this winter, and I am so glad I was able to make this one happen. I almost wish that I had left it unpainted, but it still looks great. Very happy with how the cans came out, and once again my daughter was excited to help. Come check out my last bird feeder on Friday, and next week we start talking about my favorite holiday. Should be a blast!