How To Turn a Take-Out Container Into a Bird Feeder

Animal images are everywhere–notebooks, tote bags, T-shirts, jewelry. We pay constant homage to their cuteness with fabric, ink, and words, but how about a craft to actually serve them?

You Will Need

Quart-sized Chinese take-out container
Pencil
Razor blade
Scissors
Card stock
12 in. Strong string or twine
Bird seed

Step 1: Get the container–an excellent excuse to order out

Ask your favorite take-out joint for some extra containers, or just use one with your order in it.

Stick with a container holding rice; it’s less messy. Dump out the rice as soon as you get home. Wipe down and dry out, and the container will look brand new. Plus, flip carefully when you decant the rice, and you’ll make cool rice castles too.

Step 2: Turn the handle into the hanger

Close up the container and pull the silver handle upright. Hold the container tightly, and rest the pencil under the handle in the center. Pull up gently on the pencil. The handle will easily bend to form a peak you can rest the string in later when you’re ready to hang.

Hang your feeder in winter when food is scarce and you’ll have chirping visitors all year round. But don’t be discouraged if you hang it in warmer weather; it may take a while before the birds seek out your pit stop. Take advantage of a nearby tree; the safety of its branches may also encourage hungry customers.

Step 3: Prevent the bird food from getting icky

Using the pointy part of the razor, “drill” about 10 small holes in the bottom, so moisture can escape.

Step 4: Knock, knock–design the doors

Draw a doorway on the card stock. Make it about 2 1/2 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Arches are traditional, but you could even do circles, upside-down trapezoids, or any shape you fancy. Now cut it out using the scissors.

Step 5: Begin construction

Hold or tape the doorway to one of the plain (unfolded and handle-less) sides of the container. Place it 1 1/2 inches up from the bottom. Trace it. Repeat on the other plain side.

Step 6: Cut it up

Using the razor, saw out the doorways.

It’s best to work with the container closed, and go slowly, so it doesn’t tear.

Step 7: Almost there

Tie a knot around the bend in the handle with about 12 inches of string. When you’re ready to hang, make a loop at the top and trim the excess.

Step 8: Soups on

Don’t forget to fill it with treats–homemade or store bought–before you hang.

Birds have different tastes–some like fruit, some like popcorn, and some like seeds. A lot of birds like black-oil sunflower seeds; a big bag is only about $3. Check out the bird links to read up on the kinds of birds in your area and what foods make them happy.

February is National Wild Bird Feeding Month. February is a particularly hard month for the wild birds of the United States and Canada to survive.