How To: Gourd Bird Shelter/Feeder

Sure, it may seem a little weird at first to be making bird feeders just in time for the end of fall and the beginning of winter, but it’s right around this time of year where birds’ food supplies dry up. Why not made a decorative, fun and practical bird feeder from gourds that you’re done using? It’s sure to be a huge help to the birds in your community and it will also provide smaller birds protection from other predators.

Dried gourds can be purchased from gourd farms, or any other type of farm may also carry them. Your local supermarkets will also carry them, but hurry, because they tend to disappear right after Thanksgiving!

You will need:

• 9-to-15-inch bottle gourd, dried
• Pencil
• Paper
• Craft saw
• Drill and 3/8-inch bit
• 4 sturdy twigs
• Waxed twine
• Upholstery needle

How To:

1. Loosen dried gourd seeds by slapping the gourd with your palm. Draw the shape of a window opening on paper, and cut it out, trace it onto the gourd’s surface four times.

2. Use a craft saw to cut along tracings. Shake out gourd seeds. Drill a hole beneath each opening, and find twigs that will fit snugly inside them; insert twigs. Drill two holes, one on either side of the gourd’s neck. Thread twine through holes with an upholstery needle; loop over tree branch.

3. Hang feeder under some sort of shelter, so that the seeds stay dry and don’t become moldy. You may also like to drill two holes on the base of the gourd to encourage water drainage.

When you’re done, just fill the gourd with different bird foods like black-oil sunflower seeds, suet, peanuts, cracked corn, peanut butter, thistle, fruit and shelled sunflower seeds.