DIY Bird Feeders to Celebrate Earth Day

We are making our way to the end of April and the weather up here in Vermont is currently blissful! It almost feels like summer lately and we can’t complain. Earth Day is right around the corner and to celebrate our beautiful earth, we wanted to share a quick, yet fun and helpful activity that’s for the birds–literally! To prepare for this fun craft, here is a list of what you will need and instructions!

YOU WILL NEED:

*Empty, clean tin cans (as many as you’d like to use and in any size)

*Acrylic paint

*Sticks (sturdy)

*Yarn or twine

*Glue gun

*Paint brushes

*Buttons/Beads (optional)

*Bird seed

First off, break out the acrylic paint and paint those tin cans! Feel free to paint whatever you desire, this is your project, make a mess, have some fun.

Let the cans dry on their own or speed the process with a blow dryer. Once dry, it’s time to take the twine or yarn and string it around the can. First, make sure you have an extra long piece of twine (length varies, you can always cut it down if you take too much). Wrap the string around the can once and tie a double knot to secure it in place, as seen below, then wrap both ends of the string around the can multiple times so you form a thick band around the middle of the can (as you do this, make sure you leave long enough string on both ends to add beads or buttons later and to be able to tie it around a tree branch when it’s done).

Next step is to tie another double knot, making sure both ends of the string are long and the same length. If you want to add some decoration to your bird feeder, add some buttons or beads. We love bright colors here at Zutano so we painted our wooden beads to make it more fun!

Before adding the bird seed, take your glue gun and glue one stick in place (leave this to the grownups) at the bottom of the feeder so birds have something to perch on when feeding–we found good sized sticks from outside but you can also purchase some from your local craft store. When the glue is dry and the stick nice and sturdy, go ahead and add some bird seed! Find a great place to hang your new feeder(s) and watch the birds enjoy your new craft!

We hope you have a wonderful Earth Day!