My kids love bird watching, and we have been on a quest to make our yard more bird-friendly. We’ve planted sunflowers, nurtured our little dogwood tree, and worked on clearing out decorative plants to make way for beneficial natives. We’ve also been regularly feeding our resident birds by scattering seed on the ground. This week, we included a new project: a simple DIY bird feeder made from craft sticks.
Both of my boys, ages six and four, were able to do this simple build with very little oversight from me. We opted to use natural wooden craft sticks instead of the pre-colored ones, but either works great. If you only have natural wood sticks on hand but want a colored feeder, I’d recommend painting them before assembling it. We used good old fashioned Elmer’s, but any craft glue or wood glue will work.
How to Hang Your DIY Bird Feeder
The most challenging part of this project is hanging it! Little ones can easily get frustrated when trying to get the tray to hang flat. I knotted up a quick macrame net for each of ours. They hang evenly without any fuss or frustration for the kiddos! If you’re not familiar with how to do macrame, you can check out the tutorial below. You do not need official macrame cord to hold up your bird feeder. It’s so small and lightweight that you can use cooking twine, yarn, or any cord a similar weight.
When your feeder is finished, add some good quality bird seed. We use sunflower seeds for our backyard birds. If you’d like to attract a wider variety of birds, try a blend that includes nuts, dried fruits, or meal worms. Take a little time to research the nutritional needs of birds that frequent your yard or the birds you want to attract. When buying seed, choose a quality brand that doesn’t use fillers.