13 Household Items You Can Repurpose Into Creative Bird Feeders

Well-placed bird feeders can be one of the best ways to lure local wildlife to your yard. While home retailers are full of options that birds will love, you may be looking for a bit more of a DIY approach to feed your feathered friends. Luckily, there are a multitude of easy upcycling projects that create beautiful and functional bird feeders. There are many ways to make DIY bird feeders using items you likely already have around your home, including organic and recyclable materials, old dishes, and random décor pieces you no longer use. 

Many of these approaches are not only eco-friendly and budget-conscious options, but they can also be more distinctive and creative than your average store-bought feeder. These projects are particularly great if you want to match you feeder to your outdoor décor or if you want to offer a lot of different feeding formats to the birds that visit your yard. 

Turn vintage dishes into stylish and whimsical bird feeders. Place a teacup on its side and use a strong adhesive to affix it to its saucer. Add rope or twine around the handle of the cup to hang it. You can also add a saucer to a garden stake or piece of rebar to make a feeder that sticks into the ground. 

Random, thrifted glassware can be upcycled into bespoke garden decor, including a cute standing bird feeder. Stack pieces together using a sturdy adhesive like E6000 or Gorilla Glue. Start with a base created from vertical pieces like pitchers, carafes, or vases with a plate or platter at the bottom. Top it with a large dish and center a smaller bowl above that. Fill the top with seed and place it in your garden for a beautiful, custom vintage look. Be sure and avoid hazardous thrifted glassware, like colored glass containing uranium, for the safety of your garden guests.

This adorable repurposing project requires only an old pair of rain boots or galoshes. Cut a segment of the top of the foot portion away and add some wire mesh to help contain the feed. Fill the top of the boot with birdseed. You can attach the boots to a fence with nails or add some rope though punched holes to hang the boots aloft. 

Wooden crates can be used for many DIY projects, including this cool bird feeder hack. Replace the sliding panel (if your box has one) on the top with a sheet of plexiglass cut slightly shorter than the original lid, leaving the bottom of the box open for the seed to spill out. Use glue to attach a small dish at the bottom to hold the seed. Drill holes in the sides and insert wooden dowels for perches. This is also a clever way to repurpose those Dollar Tree wood crates. 

Wall sconces designed to hold votives and tea lights can be easily repurposed to hold bird seed. Just fill the small glass cups with seed instead of a candle. That's it! These feeders are perfect for adding decorative interest to a boring stretch of exterior wall or fencing. Or turn a standing candelabra or single pedestal votive holder into a stunning outdoor tabletop piece with similar modifications. 

You can make a cute open bird feeder (or bird bath if you choose) with a saucer from a planter or shallow pie tin tucked inside a woven wreath. Drive two sticks or wooden dowels in an X through the wreath, then add the shallow container to the middle supported by the crossed sticks. Attach segments of chain to the wood perches to hang from above. You could also use a foam wreath and add faux flowers or greenery around the perimeter.

Old light fixtures can be easily converted into bird feeders. In fact, a chandelier feeder is one gorgeous idea for repurposing light fixtures for your yard, but many styles work well. Plug any holes in the bottom of the bowl or attach another container underneath or inside the bowl to prevent seed from spilling out. Hang from any existing hanging hardware or add some chains through drilled holes in the perimeter. You can also turn a standing lamp into a bird feeder by removing any wiring and placing a shallow container inside for the feed.

Turn a plain terracotta pot and two planter saucers into a bird feeder that looks like an expensive retailer piece. You will need an orchid pot that has small oblong holes on each side and a metal rod to hold everything together. Drill a hole through the center of each piece, screw them together, and hang the feeder outside. You can leave it in its original color or paint the pots beforehand to match your outdoor decor.

Any hanging lantern without glass can be transformed into a stylish or rustic bird feeder just by adding a small dish or container inside the lantern. This upcycling project is especially great for lanterns where the glass has broken. You can use an old or thrifted lantern for a feeder or repurpose an inexpensive new one from Dollar Tree. Leave it as-is or paint the lantern and feed container the same shade for a coordinated look. 

If you have some pretty plates that you no longer use, turn them into adorable hanging bird feeders. Drill holes around the perimeter to add wire to string a single plate on a hanger. Add some glass or wooden beads to the length of the wire for added decoration. You could use multiple plates to create several tiers of feeder plates with the largest at the bottom.

Gumball machines are fun novelty items that tend to see less use as kids get older and outgrow them. But you can turn a forgotten machine into a whimsical bird feeder. Remove the coin-operated dispenser and add a metal tray below that allows the seed to spill out of the front of the machine. The original bright red shade will help attract certain birds, or you could paint it green to blend in among the foliage. 

Segmented serving dishes make beautiful bird feeders. Drill holes along the perimeter and hang with chains or twine, or glue the bottom of the dish onto a piece of a rebar or garden stake for a pretty ground feeder. You can fill each section with the same seed or different varieties. You can also build towers or tiered feeders by stacking platters in descending size with slender pieces of glassware or candle pedestals in between. 

The shallow profile of most soap dishes make them perfect to serve as small bird feeders that you can just set on a table or porch rail. Look for pieces that have beautiful designs and elevated pedestals for a more luxe look. They often have decorative details that make perfect perches for birds who are visiting the feeding station.