Build a Low-Cost Bird Feeder

With populations of once-common birds in dangerous decline, as a result of loss of their habitats, our feathered friends need all the help they can get.

You can put together a sturdy, modern bird feeder for less than a dollar. Perfect for apartment dwellers living in urban enclaves, this low-cost buffet server will fatten those finches up with finesse.

Cheep Eats Bird Feeder

3-inch vent cap
7-inch adjustable elbow
4x 3/8-inch eye bolts
4x 3/8-inch nuts
Hanging wire
Bird seed
Drill
Epoxy

1. Drill a centered hole 3/4 inches down from the top edge of each of the four rectangular vent cap openings.
2. Screw in the eye bolts and secure with nuts.
3. Drill a hole into each side of the female (wider) end of the elbow 3/4 inches down from the top. 4. Run a length of hanging wire through the holes.
5. Epoxy the inside perimeter of the circular vent cap opening and slide in the elbow, female end up. When the epoxy dries, test the seal to make sure it's secure.
6. Pour seed through the top until the vent holes are full, then hang the feeder from a tree branch or outside a window.
7. And lastly, blindfold the cat.