Reuse An Aluminum Pan To DIY A Simple Bird Feeder For Your Yard

The benefits of having a bird feeder in your yard are innumerable. Putting out bird seed helps wildlife through hard times, like the food-scarce winter months and nesting season, encourages biodiversity in your area, and, if you pop one in the right spot, you get to watch your feathered and sometimes furred visitors through your windows. If a fancy store-bought bird feeder isn't in the budget, crafting one on the cheap is as easy as pie! All you really need is an aluminum baking pan to pop on your deck railing or out in the garden. Drop a rock in the center to stop it from blowing away in the wind, then fill it with your preferred bird seed mix. If you want to make the plate more predator-proof, invest in some sturdy twine and craft a hanging bird feeder.

You should know some disclaimers before we move on to the how-to for this quick, budget-friendly DIY. Ideally, use a new pie plate. No matter how much you scrub, leftovers stick to the crevices in a disposable dish, and some human foods are toxic to birds. Old food can also harbor dangerous diseases like salmonella. Swinging pie pans catch the light and flash, which could scare hungry peckers away — in fact, savvy gardeners know birds won't touch their precious gardens with the help of an aluminum pie pan. If you're worried, consider painting the outside of the pan (not the part where you put the seeds) with a non-toxic, waterproof craft paint. Most birds, however, will eventually get used to the new object in their environment, especially once they discover it contains their dinner.

If you don't already have disposable pie plates on hand, head to Dollar Tree and pick up a set of three 7-inch round foil pans for $1.25. Walmart sells a 15-pack of 9-inch aluminum pie pans for about $15. For a hanging feeder, you'll want string that is able to withstand all weather conditions. A 121-foot-long roll of ¼-pound line weight Texas Bushcraft nylon cord goes for under $15 on Amazon. Any stone at least an inch across will do as a weight; carefully clean found rocks of debris. Tools-wise, all you need is an awl.

Trust us, this is one of the easiest ways to make a DIY bird feeder. Punch four holes in the pie plate at regular intervals using an awl and tie on the four strings. Head outside and loop the strings over a hook or tree branch. Make sure the plate is level, then place the stone in the center of the plate. This will stop it from blowing around in the wind or tipping every time a bird lands on it. Fill your new feeder with bird seed and wait for your feathered friends to visit.

Rectangular loaf pans also work well. Hang them with two clothes hangers rather than string. Remove the middle part of the bottom rung of the clothes hanger. Punch two sets of parallel holes in the sides of the pan, and thread the open hangers through the holes. Hang the feeder on a relatively straight branch, from a patio cover rafter, or anything else sturdy and off the ground.