DIY TERERÉ Bottle Bird Feeders

Birding, anyone?

Words & photos by Kenna Allison

Whether you’re a birding enthusiast like I am, or just want to bring some more life into your outdoor space, bird feeders make for a great way to bring a variety of beautiful animals to your space. Keep reading to learn how to create these fun upcycled bird feeders using Guayakí’s glass bottles. There are two variations of the feeder to give you the option of creating multiple or whichever one is easiest for you!

 

SUPPLIES:

STANDING PLATE FEEDER

  • 1 empty + cleaned Guayakí Tereré glass bottle with cap
  • 1 small saucer plate (these are great to find at your local thrift shop!)
  • Epoxy
  • Drill + 1/2” diamond drill bit (find this at your local hardware store)
  • Wild bird seed

 

WOOD HANGING FEEDER

  • 1 empty + cleaned Guayakí tereré glass bottle with cap
  • 2 small pieces of flat wood boards approximately 9×5.25” for the backboard and 5.5×5.25” for the base
  • Nails, wood glue, or a drill and screws (use what you have access to!)
  • Twine
  • Natural decoration pieces like sticks moss, etc
  • Cup screw hooks (optional)
  • Wild bird seed

DIRECTIONS:

STANDING PLATE FEEDER:

1. Start with one clean glass bottle and cap

2. The hardest part of making this feeder is drilling 2-4 holes at the base of the glass bottle to let the seeds out. This can be accomplished easily with a drill and a 1/2” diamond drill bit (find at your local hardware store). If you don’t have access to these items, see if anyone you know does that would be open to helping you drill the holes, or opt for the wood hanging feeder.

How to drill the holes:

  • The drill bit must stay lubricated while drilling, so either use a container to submerge the part of the bottle that will be drilled or in the sink with running water like I did.
  • In a sink under a stream of running water place your bit where you want to drill the hole and gently start drilling at a 45 degree angle with a steady stream of water over the area until you can straighten to a 90 degree angle. Avoid applying pressure and let the bit do the work. Repeat as many holes as desired (Youtube has some great tutorials on this is you need a visual reference). Wear protective eyewear please!

 

3. Once your holes are drilled, take your epoxy and put a generous amount around the bottom of the glass bottle and press firmly into the center of your plate. Wait the proper drying time for you material your using.

 

4. Using a large funnel fill the bottle up with wild bird seed and cap it.

 

WOOD HANGING FEEDER:

1. Start with one clean glass bottle and cap

2. Aquire all materials and start by assembling the backboard and table. If needed cut your boards to size and then put together with wood glue, screws, or nails- whatever you have access to.

3. Take your twine and cut a piece approximately 1.5 feet. You want to secure the base of the bottle and the neck to the backboard with the opening about 1-3 inches above the baseboard. Place your bottle where you want it and with a pencil, mark one hole on each side of the bottle at neck and base where you will want to pull the twine through.

To attach the twine you can either drill through to create the four holes and wrap the twine around the bottle, through the holes, and tie it tight in the back of the baseboard- or you could use four small cup screw hooks to hand twist into the marked holes and tie the twine to each around the bottle.

4. To create an edge at the baseboard to prevent the seed from spilling out, I took some small twigs and cut them to size and used my wood glue to attach them to the two sides and front of the baseboard. Get creative, and decorate the feeder with other natural items like moss or rocks.

 

5. Once the feeder is all prepped, you’ll want to take the lid to your glass bottle and puncture a large hole through the center. This can be achieved many ways- I used a large drill bit.

 

6. Using a large funnel fill your glass bottle up with the wild bird seed and screw on the lid.

 

7. Place the feeder upside down and secure the bottle with twine. When ready, flip the feeder so the top faces down and the seeds can flow out.

 

8. To hang your feeder, you can either drill a small hole in the top of the backboard, or do what I did and use a small cup screw hook at the top to hang.

 

FEEDER TIPS:

  • Keep your feeder clean and the seed as dry as possible. Change the seed out whenever you think it has been sitting too long.
  • Place in a safe location like up in a tree or near shrubs so the birds can feel safe.
  • Be patient! Getting the local birds to use your feeder isn’t always a right away thing. It could take weeks. Experiment with different locations and spread some seed around the area where you are placing your feeder.

 

Make sure to share your Guayakí DIY Tereré Bottle Bird Feeders with us by tagging @guayaki and @kennaallison on social media so we can be sure to check them out!

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