How to Make a Bird Feeder from Recycled Materials

Learn how to turn a clean plastic bottle into a handy bird feeder for your backyard visitors. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Mark your spots. Use your marker to draw two small circles on opposite sides of the bottle, about three inches from the bottom. Repeat this a few inches higher up, rotating the bottle so the new holes are on different sides.
2. Create the perches. Ask a grown-up to carefully cut out the circles you drew. Slide your wooden spoons or sticks through the holes so they poke out on both sides, creating a perch for the birds to sit on.
3. Fill it up. Use your funnel to pour the birdseed into the top of the bottle until it is about three-quarters full. Screw the cap back on tightly.
4. Hang it high. Tie a piece of string around the neck of the bottle and find a sturdy tree branch outside. Ask a grown-up to help you hang the feeder in a place where you can see it from inside.