If you love the chirping of birds in your garden, you can enjoy watching them around you by attracting them to you. The best way of doing this is to have strategically located bird feeders that will help you view them from close quarters. For this, you don’t need to make a heavy investment in a birdfeeder, but can make one yourself. Now there are plenty of bird feeder plans online. But you must choose a plan that is easy.
Just one well-made bird feeder is nice to hang on your porch and makes an equally nice gift for friends. With the holiday season coming up, why not make a few for close friends? Here are a list of 10 free bird feeder plans that you can use to make attractive ones.
1. Free Hopper Style Feeder Plan: This plan of birdfeeder is for a large one that holds about a gallon of bird seed. It has a sealed overhanging roof but no hinges so that the bird seed remains dry. There’s a mesh tray at the base of the birdfeeder for air to circulate and keep bird seeds dry. This birdfeeder can be made economically with wood scraps or even cedar fence pickets measuring 6 feet in length X 5½ inches in width and 5/8th inch in thickness. You can have large and small birds with perching areas inside and outside. Check it over here.
2. One Board DIY Birdfeeder Plan: With a pine board measuring 5 feet 1/6 inches and a few tools, you can create a nest box design of bird feeder. You can find it here.
3. Ana White’s Modern Birdhouse Plan: This birdfeeder can be made out of a single sheet of cedar fence picket, measuring 5.5″ wide and 0.5″ thick. Drill a hole on the front of the birdfeeder so that you can nail it into a wall. With a large hole in its main box part, birds can perch there very easily. Here it is for you!
4. Green roof Birdhouse Plans: Yet another birdhouse made of cedar fence board, 6 feet long x 53/8” wide x 5/8″ deep. These dimensions, the birdhouse’s size of hole and absence of a perch make it ideal for inviting chickadees and wrens. This birdhouse should face east or southeast, way from the wind and receive good sunlight. Set it in on a pipe or pole or hang it on your porch. Here’s the link for this bird feeder plan.
5. The Tall Texan Birdhouse Plan: This free birdhouse plan is called the Tall Texan because of its huge height and also because its roof is painted just like the Texan flag. You can use a 6.25 feet fence board. The two side pieces are eight inches long, the two end pieces are 10″ long. Follow the diagrams to create this birdhouse. You can find this plan here.
6. License Plate Birdhouse Plan: To make this unique birdhouse, you obviously need an old license plate, wood and other woodworking tools. Use a sheet of cedar wood 1″ X 8″ X 4′ to create the basic birdhouse. Create a bend in the license plate in the centre so that it fits the roof. Turn a few nails into the license at the top and your birdhouse is ready. See this plan here.
7. American Kestrel Nest Box Plans: Build a nest box about 8 feet 10″ in length, 18″ in height and and hole size not more than 3″. The back panel should be 25″. You can choose to have a sloping or overhanging roof. You can make this nest box with solid stock or exterior grade plywood. Click here to check it out.
8. Eco-Friendly Wren House: This wren house can last forever if you use recycled plastic. Not only is it more hygienic than wood but it also doesn’t fade, warp or crack. Plus, it is built to be tough with equally tough nails to build it. It has a side cleanout made of recycled plastic with a 10″ vinyl coated steel hanger. Its entry hole is 11/8 inches, while the house itself is 6.75″ x 6″ x 8″high. You can find this bird feeder plan here.
9. Platform Birdfeeder Plans: For the base of this birdfeeder, you will need a 16×16″ long plank of wood and lumber for the supports, trims, rafters and roof. Protect the wood by giving it a few coats of paint, besides making it look more cheerful than plain wood. Here it is.
10. Whimsical Birdhouse Plan: Use pine wood for the front and back of this birdhouse plan and plywood for the sides and bottom. The depth of the birdhouse should be 6″ or more if you wish. Use bits of cherry wood for the roof. Glue, nails and other tools will help nicely to make this birdhouse. You can see it here.
All these bird feeder plans are suitable for beginner level skills also.
