The Unexpected Reason Why You Should Place A Soup Ladle On Your Fence

Anytime you go through a home organization binge, it can be easy to toss or donate anything you haven't used in a while. You scatter unused items like the Tasmanian Devil, dedicated to decluttering with reckless abandon. Next time, however, consider stopping briefly every once in a while to brainstorm creative ways to repurpose old or unwanted items. 

When it comes to kitchen items that don't get enough love, the soup ladle is often one of the items to go. Especially if you have more than one, it seems silly to keep both taking up valuable real estate in the utensil drawer. After all, how many massive soup ladles does one really need? What if there was a better use for it outside the house besides in the garbage or thrift store?

There is! In fact, it can still be used for feeding purposes. Soup ladles make perfect little dishes for birds to snack from. After all, a ladle generally holds about 6 ounces of liquid, which equates to roughly ¾ of a cup of bird feed. Although your backyard birdies won't understand the sentiment of "soups on," they will understand a spoon full of birdseed or other yummy treats. You could even go one step further with your soup-themed birdie buffet and draw more birds to your yard with a simple soup can placed beside your ladle. 

Although this DIY from @our_upcycled_life illustrates making a tea candle holder out of a ladle, the instructions remain the same as they would for a souped-up bird feeder. For this project, all you need is your ladle, a block of wood to attach it to, and whatever material you will use to attach the ladle to the wood. From there, you just have to affix your ladle to a board and hang it on your fence. 

For hooked, metal-handled ladles you might need to straighten the hook first before trying to attach it. Otherwise, if the ladle has a hanging hole at the end of the handle, you could easily put a nail or screw in there to hold it on. Just be sure the nail or screw is snug in the handle to avoid the ladle taking a tumble. Also, be sure to check the ladle rim for any divots or sharp edges before putting it out for the birds.

You want to ensure the ladle rim is free from defects since it also provides a teeny-tiny perch for your bird friends to enjoy. Being able to perch safely is important for birds, like goldfinches and house finches and other birds you will want in your yard, who like to perch while they're eating. So, being able to do so will encourage them to use the ladle feeder. Plus, you get one more thing out of your house — win-win.