Living in Florida has many advantages, one of which is that there is an abundance of wildlife right outside your door, like lizards, squirrels, deer and a variety of birds. You can get an even closer look at the house finches, eastern towhees and common starlings flying around your neighborhood by making a DIY milk carton bird feeder with your own little chicks!
MILK CARTON BIRD FEEDER
Materials:
- Paper milk carton
- Marker
- Box cutter
- Acrylic craft paint that is lead-free and non-toxic
- Popsicle stick
- Birdseed
- String
- Extra decorations
Directions:
To make this bird feeder, you first need to wash out the milk carton to make sure there is no milk left at the bottom. Then, use the marker to draw where you want the cutouts in your bird feeder to be. Though the final design is up to you, the cutouts should be high enough on the carton that the finished birdhouse can hold a significant amount of birdseed, and the opening should be big enough that birds can reach the seeds.
Using a box cutter carefully, an adult should cut along the marker lines. Once you have the desired cutouts, paint over the milk carton to create a nice blank canvas.
After painting, the fun part begins: decorating the bird feeder! You can use buttons, pom poms, glitter, stickers or paint to create your own designs.
Once you are finished decorating, leave the feeder to dry overnight. The following day, cut a small slit in the bottom of the carton for the popsicle stick to fit through. The popsicle stick will act as the bird’s perch to sit and eat from the feeder.
If you want the bird feeder to be able to hang, cut two holes into the top piece of the carton and loop the string through it.
Finally, add in your birdseed and hang your bird feeder in a tree for your feathered friends to enjoy!