Home - Garden
Try This DIY Terracotta Feeder To Attract More Birds To Your Yard
By JESSICA DANIELS
You can always buy a bird feeder, so instead save money and create something unique by making your own feeder out of a terracotta pot, two saucers, and some simple hardware.
You’ll need three washers, one threaded steel rod that's double the length of the terracotta pot, a lock nut, a decorative finial, a wing nut, a coupling nut, and an eye bolt.
Use an orchid pot with side and bottom holes, or drill holes in any pot you prefer. Find a terracotta saucer that fits upside down on top of the pot like a lid, plus a bigger one.
Soak the saucers (and the pot if it needs drilling) overnight in water. Mark each saucer’s center, cover it with masking tape, then use a diamond bit to drill holes for the rod.
If your pot has no holes, drill side holes 1-inch wide and long for the birds to feed from. You can now decorate your pot with non-toxic paint or decoupage or leave it as is.
Next, align the center holes and glue the pot to the middle of the bottom saucer using a strong epoxy. Put the small saucer on the bottom and the large one on top as a rain shield.
Now, put a lock nut and washer onto the steel rod and push the rod through both center holes. Slide another washer onto the underside of the saucer and add a decorative finial.
Tighten the internal lock nut with a wrench to hold everything in place, slide the other saucer upside down onto the rod on top of the pot, and add a washer and wing nut.
Finally, add a coupling nut onto the rod, with an eye bolt to hang the feeder on a hook or bracket. Alternatively, you can tie twine to the eye bolt and hang it from a branch.
To fill your feeder, loosen the wing nut enough to be able to lift the top saucer off the pot and pour in your seed. Afterward, screw the lid back on tightly to keep squirrels out.