Glass Bottle Homemade Hummingbird Feeder : DIY hummingbird feeders from glass bottles and copper wire save money and attract hummingbirds.
Glass Bottle Homemade Hummingbird Feeder
Avoid pricey, ornamental sugar-water feeders. You can construct a decorative backyard hummingbird feeder for a few dollars using a repurposed bottle and copper accents. You’ll be surprised how easy and fun this unique project is. You’ll soon see hummingbirds at this feeder!
Materials:
- 5 feet of 4-gauge untreated copper wire
- 3 to 5 feet of 12-gauge untreated copper wire
- Beads or other decorations
- D ring or carabiner
- Screw eye
- File
- Needle-nose pliers
- Wire cutter
- Hummingbird feeding tube – Find these at bird supply stores and online. If you can’t find a local supplier, try doing a web search for “hummingbird feeding tubes” to find a source.
- Glass Bottle (Note: Glass bottles larger than 375 ml are heavy and more prone to leakage. Thus, they are not recommended for this project. Above all, the bottle must provide a tight fit for the stopper portion of the feeding tube you buy. Anything less than an airtight fit will allow the nectar to drip from the feeding tube. Many soda and water bottles are a good fit for a commercial tube feeder assembly. Be sure to test the seal before you complete your design and add sugar water.)
Step-By-Step Instructions:
Step 1
To remove any sharp edges, file the ends of the copper wires.
To create a tiny circle, take the 4-gauge wire and bend one of the ends. This should slide over the bottle’s opening rather loosely.
Once the bottle is inserted into the circle, secure it in place by looping the neck one more time.
Step 2
Wind the remaining wire around the bottle, making sure the neck is safely enclosed in the two loops. Here’s where you can get a little creative licence to make your own design. The wire should be just tight enough to keep the feeder in place while still allowing for easy removal of the bottle to replenish the sugar water.
To create a hanging hook, bend the remaining 18 inches or so of wire upward. Then, create a loop at the very end to secure it, as demonstrated.
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Step 3
Next, use the 12-gauge copper wire to adorn your feeder. To shape the wire as needed, use wire cutters and needle-nose pliers. A word about design: Wrap the wire around a pencil before attaching it in parts to give the appearance of curling vines.
Utilise vibrant beads or additional embellishments to finalise your design. Keep in mind that red is an excellent accent colour because hummingbirds adore it.
Step 4
Take out the bottle and put sugar water inside. Next, using the feeding tube you purchased from the store, carefully insert the stopper into the bottle’s aperture. Snug fit is the key to not leaking.
Return the bottle to the copper holder after adding sugar water to it. To get rid of any air bubbles, you might need to give the bottle a small shake. In case of leakage, take out the feeding tube and adjust the stopper to ensure a tighter fit.
Are you prepared to use your feeder? Make sure the feeder is securely hanging by fastening it to a carabiner or snap ring. After that, hang the entire feeder in the preferred spot by threading the ring through a screw eye.
