Don't Skip Thrift Store Plates. Use Them To DIY A Vintage Bird Feeder

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Are you still looking for some innovative ways to add more bird feeders to your yard? If you find watching the birds at the feeder totally enthralling, you probably love discovering unique and whimsical DIYs that allow you to repurpose common items into something completely different. That can include using vintage plates for DIY bird feeders.

For this clever and easy project, a trip to the thrift store is required. You want to look for some pretty, colorful plates, but while you're there, don't forget to look for a few other finds that you can turn into features birds will love, like interesting glass bottles and ceramic lamp bases. Or you might even find that you have a couple of pretty plates hidden away at the back of a cupboard. Either way, these can make delightful vintage bird feeders, as shown by TikTok user brookmay, who displays a couple of different vintage plates that she's turned into gorgeous bird feeders.

Before we explore the type of hanging chain you're going to need, if you find a vintage plate that already has holes around the edges, like those plates that have a basketweave pattern around the rim, it will make the whole DIY extremely easy. All you'll need is to add a standard hanging chain with clips on the ends of the four chains, much like these Sankoly 23-inch hanging chains. 

For plates without holes, there are several ways that you can attach the hanging chains to turn your find into a vintage bird feeder. Of course, you can always drill four holes around the edge, but you'll want to take care when doing that, so you don't accidentally crack the plate and ruin it. You might want to practice first on some plates you don't mind breaking — you can always upcycle them into garden pavers. Use a diamond drill bit because those are designed for drilling through ceramic. It's also important to keep the drill bit cool while it's making the holes, so keep a spray bottle filled with water handy to spray the plate during the drilling process. Another tip is to put a small piece of painter's tape on where you want the holes, as this will prevent slipping as you start drilling.

As an alternative, you could get some Benbo jewelry bails, which you can glue onto the rim using a strong adhesive, like E6000 craft glue. Wait for the glue to dry completely before attaching the hanging chains to the slots in the bails. You could even use chains that just have hooks on the end. Another thing you could do is get one of these Hillman brass plate hangers in the right size for your plate. They're designed for hanging plates on the wall, but with a little ingenuity, you should be able to attach a hanging chain to this securely. You could even use two of them in a cross pattern and then attach your chain clips or hooks to the V-point. Finally, you might also be interested in thrifting some plates to give your garden a unique transformation.