Turn Old Glass Jars Into Rustic Bird Feeders With A DIY Kit From Amazon

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Whoever coined the phrase "eats like a bird" obviously never tried to keep backyard feeders full. Cleaning and refilling the feeders for your backyard birds can be a regular chore. And when you only have one feeder, that means it could frequently end up sitting empty. When your bird feeders go dry, the birds often go somewhere else, and whether they return to your yard after a feeder goes empty is another question. One affordable solution is a DIY kit that makes it easy to turn old glass jars into rustic bird feeders. The NICERINC PET Birds Feeder for Outside Hanging is a red plastic tray with drainage holes and a hanger, and it's designed to work with regular-mouth Mason jars.

All you have to do is fill a canning jar with birdseed, screw the red polypropylene tray onto it, and flip the whole thing upside down. Thin wire cables hook to the tray at three points and surround the jar to keep it in place. The wires come together at the top, where a wing nut makes the hanger adjustable so you can use different sizes of compatible canning jars without the feeder tipping over.

Gravity keeps seed flowing into the tray as long as the jar is full, while drainage holes help prevent water from pooling in the tray. You can pick one of these kits up from Amazon for $9.99 at the time of writing, or get a discount on a 3-pack for $22.99. Keep in mind that the kit only includes the feeder tray and hanger, so you'll need to supply your own jar. Several negative reviews come from buyers who say they expected a jar to be included.

The simple design of the NICERINC PET Birds Feeder for Outside Hanging turns old Mason jars into a bird feeder. This budget-friendly bird feeder isn't necessarily limited to Ball or Mason canning jars. You may be able to use other jars that are compatible with a standard canning jar ring, which means even some old mayo jars could potentially work, including plastic ones with a compatible 2.75-inch opening. Other jars that may work include peanut butter, pasta sauce, relish, and pickle jars, depending on the brand and the size and threading of the opening.

A clear jar allows you to see the contents inside to know when it's almost empty, but if you decide to decorate the jar, keep in mind that not all paints and glues are safe for birds. One way to give the feeder a different look is to use a blue vintage Mason jar, which can add to its rustic appearance.

Some store-bought jelly jars won't work with this bird feeder because their openings aren't compatible with the tray. The product has a mixed 3.6-star rating, with some customers praising its simple, inexpensive design while others report compatibility problems with certain jars. Before ordering, measure the jar opening and confirm that its diameter and threading are compatible with the feeder. If you have extra glass jars you've been saving to reuse, you could even fill up several at once so that all you have to do is pop a new one in when the old one is empty.