Use Old Scrap Wood To Transform A Dollar Tree Pizza Pan Into A Cheaper DIY Bird Feeder

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You know the saying "Measure twice, cut once"? If you tend not to adhere to that advice, you likely have a small collection of scrap wood piling up in your backyard, either waiting for that next campfire or "just in case." The next time you feel creative, dig out a small block of wood, combine it with a Dollar Tree pizza pan, and turn it into a budget-friendly bird feeder (just one of many creative ways to repurpose inexpensive pizza pans). The best part? You might be able to pull it off without any measuring or cutting.

If you've never hosted birds on your property, consider the benefits of having a bird feeder in your yard. Offering a stable food source gives migrating birds sustenance along their journey or during winters when food may be hard to find. Our winged friends aren't the only ones benefiting, either. Watching birds can spark a positive uptick in mental health for humans and strengthen the connection between people and nature. 

The first step in building a DIY bird feeder out of scrap wood and a piece of cookware, as inspired by a TikTok video from @farmhousestencilshoppe, is to sand your piece of wood. You will also want to drill a hole in it, so you can later glue in a small wooden dowel for birds to perch on. Then, paint and decorate the wood that will serve as the tower of the bird feeder. Acrylic is a top choice for wood projects, because it dries quickly, is easy to clean up, and is quite affordable. However, make sure you use an acrylic paint formulated for outdoor use, like Magicfly Outdoor Acrylic Paint. This ensures that the paint is resistant to fading and moisture. 

This part of the project allows for creative freedom that fits your personal aesthetic. Paint it a color that matches your house, or go wild and use every single color in your palette. Add embellishments like flourishes or letters either with stencils or freehand. You can even paint the pizza pan if you'd like an extra pop of color. If you have more wood scraps, use wood glue or nails to form a roof on top of the block to give it the quintessential birdhouse look. Then glue in the dowel, if you haven't already.

@farmhousestencilshoppe

This bird feeder was made out of a scrap landscape timber and a Dollar Tree pie pan. Too easy and I love how it turned out. 🩵 #birdfeeder #dollartreecrafts #stenciling #craftideas

♬ Sunlight On The Sill – Kenta Yamaguchi

Once everything is dry, glue the block onto the rimmed pizza tin, which will serve as the tray for the bird food. Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane-based adhesive that can bond wood and metal. Avoid using wood-specific glue, which is designed more for porous materials and will not work well with the pan. Lastly, screw a hook into the top of the feeder and hang it up.

Remember that putting up a feeder isn't a "hang it and forget it" situation. Avoid these mistakes with your bird feeder, like not cleaning up seeds that drop or placing it in a location that can actually harm birds. Be diligent about properly cleaning your backyard feeder every one to two weeks with hot water and soap or a diluted bleach solution of 9 parts water to 1 part bleach (via All About Birds). Be sure to clean the rim of the tin too, since birds may likely use it as a perch as well. Keeping your feeder clean will help reduce the spread of diseases among birds.