Make Your Own Birdfeeders
We know you love our easy-to-pour Florida's Natural® Brand orange juice cartons. But what can you do with the empty cartons? Why not make birdfeeders from them?
Here are three simple birdfeeders you can make with the help of your kids. Best of all, you'll be able to use your empty orange juice cartons to make them!
Once you’re done constructing the feeder, give your kids the opportunity to decorate it! They can paint them with their favorite colors. Or they could make a cut-paper collage to design them. Either way, you’ll be spending some quality time with your children.
The Hanging Feeder
This feeder works well for smaller birds like finches, sparrows and chickadees. Start by rinsing out your empty juice carton. Then, on two opposite sides of the carton, cut out large rectanglular windows, with the lower edges at least two inches from the carton's bottom.
At the top of the carton, carefully poke a small, centered hole. Thread some yarn, an old shoelace, or some twine through the hole. Fill the bottom of the carton with bird food, and hang the feeder in your yard.
The Ground Feeder
Here's a ground feeder that doves, robins, jays, and squirrels, among others, will enjoy using. Rinse your empty juice carton and turn it on its side. Then cut the carton completely around about two inches from the bottom edge.
You'll end up with an edged rectangle with a little handle where you cut through the carton's top. Fill the feeder with sunflower seeds, peanuts, orange pieces, or even pieces of stale bread. Put it on the ground in a quiet area of your yard and watch as the neighborhood critters come by for a snack.
The Double Tray Feeder
A double tray feeder can be fun because you can fill each side with a different type of food and see what species are attracted to each tray. For this feeder, you'll need two empty and rinsed cartons. On both cartons, make a mark that is two inches up from the bottom. Use your mark to cut out both carton bottoms. These will become your trays.
Poke a hole through one side of each tray, centered and about a quarter-inch from the top. Slip some twine or yarn through the two holes and tie the two trays together so they are side by side. Fill each with different bird food and place the double tray feeder on top of an outdoor table, on a deck railing, or any perch that's at least a few feet off the ground.
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