How to Make a Medicine Cup Bird Feeder Ornament

This ornament recycles clear plastic medicine cups into cute, creative Christmas ornaments. They are great for craft sales, teacher gifts, nursing homes, tray favors and party favors. They are very inexpensive to make and can be created with different materials each time. My daughter and I created this particular ornament with supplies from a local S.C.R.A.P. store that has now closed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Clean, clear pastic medicine cups
• Red felt
• Red thin string and needle appropriate for string thickness
• Miniature birds
• Various beads from broken jewerlry or leftover from a previous craft
• 2 Western Accents from broken belts, clothes, or they can also be purchased (see resources).
• E6000 Industrial strength glue
• scissors
• pen or pencil to trace

1. Wash and dry your medicine cup.
2. With a cup or other template made from leftover cereal box cardboard, trace a large circle on the red felt (approximately 2 3/4 inches round). Cut circle out.
3. Spread a bit of glue on bottom of medicine cup to one concho nickel and turn upside down to let glue set.
4. Spread glue on bottom side of second concho nickel and glue in the center of cut out circle of felt.
5. With about 20 inches of red string, thread down into one hole on concho nickel that is glued to felt, and thread back up the other side so both pieces of string on top. Strip on a bead and tie string.
6. Dab glue on top edge of medicine cup and glue to the center of the underside of the red felt.
7. Dab a bit of glue to the underside of your miniature bird and glue to the edge of the bottom round concho nickel. Let dry completely before hanging.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use anything in place of the round concho nickels. I used these because I found them at a large crafts store, 4 in a packet, for only $.50.
• Shop at thrift stores for beaded necklaces, for shop clearance.
• You can eliminate the felt, if you can find a top piece that is larger than the bottom to create the bird feeder look.
• For the top of the bird feeder you could also make a cone shaped top with cardstock or thin cardboard. Cut a circle 3 inches or larger, then make a cut from edge to center only. Overlap edges to create cone shape and glue edge. Then follow directions to add a bead, and glue to medicine cup.
• Tacky glue may also work for this, but the E6000 will hold longer.
• E6000 Industrial strength glue can drip down into the cup if you put too much on the top edge of it.
• Use glue in ventilated room.
• Miniature birds can be found in most craft stores.
• Shop for needed supplies during sales.