What you need
One coconut
6 feet of common household twine (twine that is made from synthetic materials will last longer out in the elements)
Drill with a small bit, or a sharp awl
Scissors
Small hand saw, cleaver, or other tools to split the coconut open
Small S-hook or a shower curtain ring
Instructions
Feeding the birds is always a pleasant activity that you’ll enjoy almost as much as the birds themselves. There are many pre-made bird feeders that you can buy at the store, but it can be fun to make your own. The species of birds you attract with this feeder will depend on the kind of food you put in it. Since you can make one of these bird feeders from half of a coconut, you might as well just make two!
1. The trickiest part of this entire craft is getting the coconut open. Make sure to open the coconut over a protected surface and practice good safety methods. Start by using the awl or drill to pierce the coconut on each of the three dark spots.
Then drain out the coconut milk. Use whatever method you are most comfortable with to split the coconut into two halves. You can use a small hand saw, or use a cleaver to tap your way around the coconut until it opens. There are sites on the Internet that feature videos of how to open a coconut if you need help with this step.
2. Once the coconut has been separated into two halves, you’ll need to decide whether you want to save the coconut meat for your own use. It’s delicious if you do decide to remove and save it.
Try to leave at least a little bit for the birds, since they will think it’s delicious, too.
3. Use the drill to make three evenly spaced holes around the top open rim of one of the coconut halves. Try to get them spaced as evenly as possible, since this will allow it to hang better and be more stable when the birds land on the feeder.
4. Cut three pieces of twine, each 2 feet long. Thread one piece through each of the holes. Pull the ends of each piece up evenly, so that the bird feeder will be suspended by about 12 inches of double-thick twine on each of the three sides.
Gather the loose ends of all the twine pieces together and tie a loose knot. Then, pick up the feeder and hold it by the twine. If it doesn’t hang evenly, adjust the knot until it does. Once the feeder is hanging straight, tighten the knot.
5. If you are using an S-hook to hang the feeder, simply slip one part of the S-hook through the knot. If using a shower curtain ring, open it up and slip it through the knotted area of the twine.
6. Fill the feeder with mixed bird seed, sunflower seeds, fresh fruit chunks, or pieces of suet.
7. Hang in a nearby tree and enjoy watching the birds have lunch.
Targeting “do-it-yourselfers”, Jessica Ackerman writes regularly for WallDecorandHomeAccents.com, offering simple illustrations of iron wall cross and metal tree art.
What do you think of this project? Let us know!