Easily DIY An Irresistible Bird Feeder Out Of A Repurposed Coffee Mug

Luring attractive birds into the garden is something that many aspire to, and for good reason! Inviting these feathered friends in your garden can provide you with pest control, increased pollination, and a healthier local ecosystem. Unfortunately, a lot of solutions require either a variety of purchases such as feeders and stands or an extensive amount of DIY involving cutting wood or drilling holes.  But what if there was an easy way to make your own irresistible bird feeder without the need to buy one?

For this quick and inexpensive garden hack on TikTok from cindiyang, you'll simply need a coffee mug, a chopstick, a piece of string or twine, hot glue, and some birdseed. The mug can be any shape or size that you have available as long as it is able to hold a reasonable amount of feed when placed on its side. However, remember not to overfill the feeder as the food may begin to rot or go bad. With this hack, your local birds will be provided not only with sustenance but also a safe and easy place to rest their wings. So in the right conditions, they should be flocking to your bird-friendly garden in no time! But how do you go about crafting your own homemade bird feeder?

First, plan out where you'd like to place the feeder so that it will be located in an area that is safe for birds. The National Audubon Society recommends keeping feeders at least five feet off the ground to protect them from squirrels and potential predators. Then, measure out your twine, cut it, and loop it through the handle of the mug. You may want to double up the string depending on the type you are using to ensure it is extra sturdy and will not snap when the birds rest their weight on the feeder.

After that, glue the wooden rest into the bottom of the mug and allow it to dry. While the original hack suggests using a chopstick for this, any straight dowel, such as these bamboo ones from Walmart should work fine as long as you are able to safely secure it to the bottom of the mug. Once the glue has dried, you can fill your cup with birdseed and hang the feeder out in your garden. Voila! An instant and affordable pit stop for your new feathery friends. This hack can also be upgraded with a variety of different feeds, such as oats, which help attract more birds to your feeder. You can even clean out the existing birdseed and fill the mug with suet — a fat-rich food source — to give the birds a heartier meal in the sparse winter months. Keep in mind, however, that while suet is great for sustaining birds in winter, it shouldn't be used in hotter temperatures because it can melt and rot in the heat, risking the health of your winged visitors.