Turn Wood Pallets Into A Rustic Bird Feeder For Your Backyard

If you love your backyard birds, you know they can never have too many feeders. Particularly during migration season, hungry avians are more than happy to eat as much birdseed as you're willing to put out. Not only are there practical benefits to having a bird feeder in your yard, but both birds and their feeders make your yard more enjoyable. To make one particularly charming and eco-friendly bird feeder, YouTuber woodworkingtv8714 repurposed scrap wood into an airy house-shaped feeder that incorporates contrasting stain colors.

You can recreate a feeder like this using old pallet wood. To get started, saw the pallet planks in half lengthwise to form narrower slats. In the video, the builder cuts four of those slats with half-lap joints to create X-shaped cross braces, which will become the sides of the bird feeder. These pieces, along with half of the pieces that will form the rustic slatted roof, are stained for color contrast. For the final cuts, trim the ends off four more slats at 45-degree angles to create the rafters.

To assemble the bird feeder, the builder attaches four slats to a solid wood base to create the feeder's seed tray. Next, he glues in the crosspiece walls and the rafters. You can attach the roof slats in alternating colors and add a dowel at the top. Add a decorative wood hanger, and your feeder is ready for the flock.

As with any wood pallet project, only use pallets that are marked HT or DH. If the pallet is stamped MB or SF, that means the wood was treated with chemical pesticides that are harmful to birds. Wear personal protective equipment while you're breaking down the pallet to defend against protruding nails or splinters.

If you don't have a way to cut half-lap joints for the sides, make additional 45-degree cuts, as you did for the rafters. Instead of an X-shape, use these pieces to give your birdhouse simple vertical sides. If your heart is set on the cross-brace shape, attach one of the cross braces to the interior of the tray and the other on the exterior. The cross pieces won't touch in the middle, but you'll have the X-shape, and if you find you want more stability, you can glue a shim into the gap.

To make this feeder safer for birds, consider swapping the solid wood base for mesh. The flat, solid surface can trap moisture and create conditions that spread diseases. Also, consider the birds' health when you choose a wood stain. The video doesn't mention what type of stain he uses for color contrast, but for yours, choose a water-based exterior stain. Only apply it to the outside of the feeder, avoiding getting stain on any part of the feeder where the food will make contact. Similarly, if you want to paint your bird feeder safely instead, use non-toxic acrylic or latex paint and avoid painting any surfaces birds or the food will touch.