13 Kitchen Items You Can Turn Into DIY Bird Feeders

Deep inside kitchens across the U.S., a plethora of unused items lie dormant, waiting to be tossed in the trash or moved from one storage place to the next. If you're looking to attract more feathered friends to your yard, you should be pleased to know that many of these items can be repurposed into a bird feeder — if you don't mind a little DIY, that is.

While attracting more birds is great on the eyes and ears, there are other benefits to having a bird feeder in your yard. Birds offer natural pest control in your garden, helping to manage mosquitoes and aphids, and they help pollinate flowers and spread seeds. So, if you prefer to work with your hands instead of stopping by your local garden center for a generic bird feeder, it may be time to see what you have hidden in those kitchen cupboards.

Making your own bird feeder with kitchen items you already have is surprisingly simple. For some items, such as egg cartons, all you need to do is set them in place. For others, you just need a few simple tools and basic DIY skills. To get you started, we've created this handy guide that includes 13 kitchen items you can repurpose into bird magnets for your garden. From kitchen whisks and egg trays to butter dishes and mesh strainers, here's everything you need to know.

An old kitchen whisk is a great tool to create a DIY budget bird feeder that holds suet balls or fruit. It takes very little effort, with the only bit of DIY really required being to hang it in a tree. Once it's hanging, simply put some food inside the whisk and you should attract birds in no time. The whisk gives the birds purchase while also allowing them access to the food inside. Make sure to use a sturdy wire instead of string; this should keep the whisk bird feeder in place for a far longer period.

If you have an old plastic or glass deviled egg tray that no longer serves a purpose in your kitchen, give it a new lease on life outside. Simply mount this to a platform, such as a tree branch or a log, or go a more stylish route and combine a glass deviled egg dish with an upside-down wine bottle to create a glass feature in your yard. For the feeding, you can either place seeds and pieces of fruit in each of the tray sections, or you can use it as a base for a seed suet.

Another way to attract birds to your garden is with a muffin pan. You can use each of the cups in the pan to house seeds and other bird food, which you can then secure to a tree with wire. If you're lacking the right tree for the job, you can also create a platform on which to secure the pan. Another handy use for a muffin pan is to create bird food suet in the shape of the cavity. All you need to do is include twine, which you can then mount to a tree.

There are a few uses for an old cake pan to attract birds to your garden. First, you can use the shape of a bundt pan to create an oversized birdseed suet cookie and hang it on a tree with twine. You could also use it as a holder, mounting it on a platform or hanging it from a tree; all that's left to do is add the birdseed or food. Another option is to create a birdbath in your yard, mounting the cake tin on a sturdy support and adding water.

A great way to incorporate a bit of art into your yard is with a butter dish bird feeder. By repurposing an old or thrifted butter dish, you can create a unique feature that attracts more birdlife and looks good. Form and function! All you need is the dish, glue, a hook, and a wine glass. If you don't have the right glue, a silicone adhesive also does the trick. Once you put it all together, all that's left to do is hang it from a tree and add the seed.

Another easy way to add style to your garden is to create a DIY bird feeder using crystal or standard glassware. You could go as simple as hanging the dish or glassware from a tree with wire, or use it as a platform. For the more creative DIYer, glue the item to an upside-down wine bottle or vase and add a splash of paint to create a unique piece for your garden. For the latter, all you need to do is place a stake in the garden and set it in place.

An old charcuterie board is another handy kitchen item to repurpose in your garden as a bird feeder. Because not all birds eat the same food, you can create a spread of different nibbly bits that attract a wider range of Aves into your garden space. If you go for a wooden board as the feeder, you can secure it to a tree or place it on a stand in the garden. If you're looking to attract more than just American robins to your yard, the charcuterie board bird feeder is a great option.

If you have a large empty snack container left over after your last feast, don't throw it out. They can easily be transformed into a bird feeder that is far more functional than you may think. A simple, but smart, use of the container is to use used the lid to keep the winter snow out of the seed. This feeder is simply mounted to a tree and filled with the food. Adding a plastic strip on the front keeps all the seeds inside and gives the birds purchase while they nibble down. Basic, but again, smart.

While a bird feeder with a roof is best for keeping the food dry, there are other items around your kitchen that can work. A mesh strainer is one option. There's no cutting or drilling required — simply fix the strainer to a tree or a stand in your yard and add the seed. When it does rain, the holes in the mesh strainer let the water drain. This also helps get rid of old seed that has been eaten and dropped, which eventually falls through the strainer.

You may remember how useful paper towel rolls were as a child as you set about creating all sorts of magical creations. You can do the same for a bird feeder using the leftover tube, some bird seed, a paper bowl, and, most importantly, peanut butter. All you need to do is use the peanut butter as a spread on the tube, roll it over seeds placed in the paper bowl, then hang it outside. If you add some bamboo cocktail skewers, you create a place for the birds to sit while they enjoy the snack. Best of all, it's eco-friendly.

While Mason jars provide a great budget-friendly way to organize your kitchen, they also work wonders as DIY bird feeders. For this homemade bird feeder hack, Mason jars with handles work best since you can use the handle as a secure point to connect the wire. For an added DIY touch, you could make a bird food suet and then wedge a dowel rod in to give the birds purchase, or simply attach the rod to the jar and use normal bird seed. As Mason jars are fairly robust, you can expect this feeder to last a while in the elements.

This one is about as simple as it gets. What we really like about this DIY bird feeder is that it's an uncomplicated and eco-friendly DIY project that takes no prep work. All you need is a leftover egg carton, which you can place wherever it is in your garden that you'd like to attract birds. The individual sections in the carton can then be used to separate the type of food you're offering, or you can simply scatter bird seed throughout. For an added creative touch, you could fix the carton to a wooden board and add a few decorative elements around it.

We all have that one cabinet drawer that houses a mix of unused utensils and other kitchen paraphernalia. A soup ladle is often in the mix. You can put it to good use outside by mounting it to a wooden board with a small roof as a bird feeder. The bowl of the ladle is the perfect place to hold the birdseed or other food you're putting on offer. Make sure to drill a small hole at the bottom of the bowl so water can drain out. It's a soup-er DIY bird feeder that can add a bit of aesthetic to your yard.