I saw a bird feeder kit in some fancy toy or gardening magazine last week... and upon looking closely the tube looked like a toilet paper roll! What a scam! So I thought we would replicate the craft ourselves, save a few pennies and use items already lying around. I had to buy a bag of backyard bird feed that cost $3 at most!

We used two paper towel rolls and I think they came out really well!






Anyone can make these bird feeders. All you need is a paper towel or toilet paper roll, a few thin sticks from the back yard, some peanut butter (soy bean butter can be substituted for those with nut allergies) and some bird seed.

You'll need to make 4 holes in your tube. 2 at the top through which you will thread something to tie the bird feeder on to the tree, and 2 in the middle through which you can thread your stick to serve as a perch for your little birdies!



Then all you will have to do is apply the peanut butter with a knife. This is very easy to do. And gently apply the birdseed to the peanut butter. Believe it or not peanut butter is very nutritious and there are quite a few birds that do eat it.


I think there is more peanut butter on Alexander's sweater than on the feeder!


Christopher is my bird guy... he'll watch with binoculars from his bedroom for hours. I bought him a New England bird reference book recently and was amazed by the fact that he sat right down to read it cover to cover.

We do have the most amazing birds on our property. Hopefully he'll be able to capture some for Christmas after he gets his digital camera! (Shhhhhh!!!)


We placed all the feeders on the back of the house so that we will be able to watch when we are in the family room or kitchen.