Don't Throw Out That Chipped Coffee Mug, Turn It Into A Bird Feeder

We love eclectic outdoor spaces. We also love our coffee. What we do not love is when our favorite coffee mug gets chipped because we cannot bear to part with it. Luckily, TikToker cindiyang came up with a quick and easy solution to help us incorporate our favorite drinkware in our yard. Watching birds enjoying your old or sentimental coffee mug is almost as good as enjoying it yourself.

This simple process of making a birdfeeder is not limited to just coffee mugs. You can use teacups, pitchers, or anything with a handle. All you need are some basic supplies you probably already have: your chipped kitchen item, some string, bird seed, and a chopstick. To repair major cracks or to make the perch more solid, you may want to use some heavy-duty craft glue, like E-3000 to keep everything together. With this glue, you can salvage more heavily damaged pieces, like your favorite personalized mug. Although this glue won't make the item safe for you to use with food or drink, it can put it back together well enough that you can enjoy it in the garden.

The most basic version of this bird feeder only takes a few minutes to make. Tie your string around the handle of your mug and whatever you are attaching it to, like a tree branch or a shepherd's hook. Fill the mug with bird seed, and tuck in the chopstick for a simple perch. For a more permanent and sturdy spot for birds to sit and eat, glue the chopstick to the side of the mug. This will keep it from falling out every time the food gets low, which may be often if you have a lot of feathered visitors.

You can take this process one step further by using a thrifted teacup and saucer set. Simply use the craft glue to attach the saucer to the bottom of the overturned teacup. This arrangement will provide a surface for the food to spill out and a spot for your feathered friends to sit while they eat. The kind of birdfeeder you make is limited only by your creativity and what supplies you have on hand.