How to Make a Birdhouse Feeder Out of a Gourd
When decorative autumn gourds dry out, they lose color and turn an unattractive brown. As an alternative to throwing your gourds away, you can recycle them into homemade hanging bird feeders. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Medium-sized dried gourd
- Bleach
- Sandpaper
- Wire brush
- Serrated knife
- Keyhole saw
- Drill
- Ice cream scoop
- Twigs
- Wire
- Wire cutters
- Oil-based primer
- Enamel paint
- Screen
Instructions
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1
Scrub the outside of your gourd with sandpaper and a wire brush to remove dirt and mold.
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2
Submerge your gourd in a 10 percent solution of warm water and bleach to prevent future mold growth.
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3
Drill two holes on either side of your gourd. Use your keyhole saw to expand these holes into larger openings.
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4
Saw two large, tombstone-shaped holes in the sides of your gourd, large enough to allow a couple of birds to enter your feeder.
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5
Remove the seeds and dried matter inside your gourd with an ice cream scoop. Sand the inside of your gourd to remove any additional debris, and to make it smooth.
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6
Paint the inside and outside of your gourd with oil-based primer, followed by enamel paint. This will protect your bird feeder from the elements, and will make it more attractive. Allow the paint to dry before proceeding.
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7
Drill some holes in the bottom of your gourd for draining purposes.
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Lay a piece of screen on top of these holes to prevent seeds from falling through.
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9
Drill small holes below your large bird feeder openings, and use wire to attach twigs. These twigs will act as perches for your birds.
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Drill two holes on either side of your gourd, near the top. Thread wire through these holes, and hang the bird feeder on a tree branch.
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11
Fill your bird feeder with birdseed.
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References
- Photo Credit Henry Gan/Photodisc/Getty Images
