How to Make a Bird Feeder with an Upcycled Saucepan

When I buy new cookware, I always save the old pots and pans, just in case I might want to upcycle them for a DIY project. As I was deciding how to make my bird feeder, it dawned on me that a saucepan would work great because the handle could hang from a tree branch. I paired the saucepan with a lid that was made for a smaller pot, so it would nestle comfortably in the pan as a feeding dish.

Holding the saucepan upright by its handle, I positioned the lid so that it was resting at the bottom. Then I glued the knob of the lid to the pot with some E6000 glue. Something like Liquid Nails would also work.

I wanted to give this bird feeder a "roof line," and two wooden spoons did the trick. I tied them together with some twine at the top of the spoon handle.

Then I tied the two wooden spoons to the handle of the saucepan. And just like that, we have a bird feeder. The ends of the wooden spoon can even double as perches for the birds.

To add a decorative element to the bird feeder, I also tied a burlap flower to the handle. I realize the birds will probably pick it apart to use as nest material, but at least I'm providing that for them as well.

To hang the bird feeder on a tree branch, I attached some twine to the loop of the saucepan handle.

In deciding what kind of bird seed to place in the feeder, I did a little research. The most popular variety is black oil sunflower, pictured to the right. It's a small, black seed with a high fat content, and attracts most species of wild birds. You can also buy seed mixes (as seen on the left), which contain black oil sunflower seeds along with milo, millet and cracked corn. They both attract the widest range of wild birds, so in the end, I picked the bird seed mix. It looked the most appetizing. If, like me, you're going to do some bird watching, see if certain birds go for the sunflower seeds, and if others go for the millet.

Instead of putting the bird seed directly on the lid/tray in the feeder, I filled a separate bowl with it and then placed the bowl in the tray. This way, it's easier to refill the bird feeder.