Hello everyone.
Well the sun is shining today, and I am feeling far more positive than I have on recent days. The garden is just about to explode into life, the birds are singing their hearts out and colour is springing from all corners of the garden, which I am incredibly grateful for.
I was inspired to make this bird feeder by a combination of people and companies I follow on Social Media. I used to be terrified of Social Media, I literally used to feel sick whenever I had to go on it. But now I look forward to what other like-minded people have photographed or done to help nature, help people connect to nature and improve their wellbeing in any way. Far more positive and inspiring content than I was used to.
Anyway, I was ultimately inspired by The Woodland Trust and Jordans Cereals on Instagram who showed how you can create a feeder that the birds will adore you for, and reduce your waste in the process! Sounds BRILLIANT doesn’t it? Well it is! So I thought I would give it a go. What’s to lose?
It is so easy to do, and you only need very basic items to create it. This would also be a great opportunity to get and children who are being home schooled to teach them about food chains, biology and recycling.
So without further ado, here’s how you make your very own, cheap and easy biodegradable bird feeder!
Things you will need:
- A toilet or kitchen roll tube, will biodegrade.
- Unsweetened peanut butter.
- Garden twine, will biodegrade/can be reused.
- *Bird food – sunflower hearts, kibbled peanuts and mealworms are good, but feel free to use what food stuffs you have as long as they’re suitable.
- Knife/Spatula.
- Scissors.
*Check the RSPB website to research suitable food for birds. I will leave a link here.
Step 1.
- Take your toilet/kitchen roll tube and garden twine.
- Measure out a suitable length of twine for wherever you want to hang it from. Don’t make it too long, and make sure it is secure. I would recommend double knotting it.
Step 2.
- Using a knife or spatula, spread an even amount of peanut butter all over the circumference of the tube.
- It doesn’t have to be too thick, just make sure that there is enough peanut butter to allow the seeds/mealworms etc to adhere to it.
Step 3.
- Place your chosen bird food on a plate.
- Roll the tube over the seed etc. and make sure all gaps are filled (you can fill some up by adding a little more peanut butter.)
- Press down lightly to make sure the food is well adhered to the tube.
Step 4.
- Finally, place the feeder for the birds to enjoy.
- The ideal place is near some hedges/trees/shrubs as this will provide some cover and make them feel safe.
- See what dines on your feeder! Enjoy!
So there you go. A cheap, easy and rewarding task to do during lockdown, that will benefit you and the birds.
Why not experiment with other waste you may have such as milk bottles and juice cartons etc?
Let me know what you get up to on Instagram @miss_charlotte_d.
Love Charlotte xx
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