Make Upcycled Bird Feeders + Backyard Bird Watching Tips

By Angela Sellari

Summer is the perfect time to make memories with your kids. My family loves to make crafts together, but a quick Pinterest search for crafting ideas can leave parents overwhelmed! Just remember it’s not about making everything picture perfect. It’s about making time to be together. Your kids won’t remember a crafting “fail”; they’ll remember the laughs and messes they made with you.

With that in mind, here’s an easy idea for a craft you can enjoy all season!

Want to attract more birds to your backyard? Make upcycled bird feeders from juice containers. Backyard bird watching can be a fun and educational activity for the whole family. It’s an opportunity to spend some quality time together.

You don’t need any fancy supplies to make these bird feeders. Juice cartons, such as Minute Maid cartons and juice from concentrate tubes are perfect for making bird feeders. An upcycle project like this is great, not only because it is free but you are teaching your kids to be a little kinder to our world.

These aren’t fancy bird feeders, but they are functional and simple to make. There are plenty of great ideas out there for elaborate bird feeders, but they aren’t right for everyone. Simple is good. And that’s okay, because the time spent learning about birds and engaging with your children is what they’ll remember the most.

To make the carton bird feeder you will need the following:

An empty juice carton that has been washed and dried
A permanent marker
Scissors or an x-acto knife
18-inch or longer piece of string or twine
Bird seed

The first thing you need to do is draw two rectangles on opposite sides of the carton, leaving about a one-inch clearance around it.

Use scissors or an x-acto knife to cut out the rectangle you just drew.

On one of the uncut sides, you’ll need to poke 2 holes. Each about 1-inch from the end of the carton. Thread your string through each hole, and tie in a double knot. Trim off any excess.

At this point you’re pretty much finished. Fill with seed, and hang from a tree limb outside and watch for birds.

To make the tube style bird feeder you will need the following:

Minute Maid juice from concentrate tube that has been washed and dried
Peanut butter
Bird seed
18-inch or longer piece of string or twine
Butter knife or spoon
Shallow dish or paper plate
Paper towel

Use a can opener to remove the fixed end of the tube.

Using a spoon or butter knife, spread peanut butter over the outside of the cardboard tube, as if you were icing a cake. You will need to apply just enough for the seed to stick.

Pour bird seed into a shallow dish or paper plate. Roll the tube around in the seed, gently pressing down to help it stick.

Set the tube upright on a paper towel. Allow to sit a few minutes, and repeat the step above, covering as much peanut butter with seed as possible. Thread string or twine through the tube, and tie off in a knot or bow. Hang outside from a tree limb and watch the birds flock.

Here are some tips for backyard bird watching with kids:

To create a bird friendly backyard, hang bird feeders and provide a birdbath. Here’s a simple DIY bird bath you can make yourself. Be sure to fill your birdbath regularly. Consider planting some native, bird-friendly plants.

Visit the local library or bookstore and gather some regional bird identification books.

It is important to teach kids bird watching etiquette, so that there is no negative impact on the birds. Do your bird watching from a distance, not to encroach on the bird’s territory or habitat.

Birds are shy around people, so an inexpensive pair of binoculars will help you get a better look at the birds.

Create your own bird book. Use some colored pencils and notebook to draw pictures and write down the names of the birds you have identified.

Listen to the different sounds of each bird, and try to mimic them.

With these easy bird feeder crafts, you’ve created a full season of bird watching your family will remember for years to come.