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kudzukween

Bird Feeders From Old Tins And Lids

kudzukween
14 years ago

i was stumped yesterday about how to punch in holes for the bird seed to spill out. This morning I just used whatever I could find that worked :D One tool was a welder's pick :D Another was a round wooden dowel table leg.

I used reproduction tins collected from yard sales and old enamel lids, and aluminum pie plates.

Go make some!

kudzu

{{gwi:137729}}

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Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu's Blog

Comments (18)

  • grandmathyme
    14 years ago

    How absolutely clever! And adorable! Sheesh! You guys keep coming up with all these wonderful ideas making me want to have 48 hours in a day!!!

  • sunnyca_gw
    14 years ago

    Great use for the tins! The bright colors should bring the birds to munch!! Jan

  • sunnyca_gw
    14 years ago

    I think I need instructions on the 1st 1. If chain keeps lid on how does the bottom stay on & the lid?? Doesn't look like chain goes all the way through both lids so something is keeping it all together!! Jan Maybe you explain it on your blog, didn't go there yet!

  • aka_strawberrygoat
    14 years ago

    a tip I learned from cub scouts, for making holes in tins...
    fill the tin with water and put it in the freezer.
    when the water is totally frozen, take the can out and punch where you want.
    the walls of the tin will stay in place, from ice.

    I think we did the bottoms of coffee cans, with cap dodads, that made a 'V' around the bottom, for ventilation on little
    'buddy burners'..
    used for cooking pancakes, while camping..
    only one pancake per can but what the heck...lol

    it also makes it possible to punch holes all around the can, for making luminaries, for walkways or halloween.

  • Marlene Kindred
    14 years ago

    What a great idea!! Love the way they turned out!

  • Calamity_J
    14 years ago

    Thanks for the excellent tip Strawberry! I love these little feeders!!!

  • tasymo
    14 years ago

    Very Cute!! Why not use an old school can opener- the type that makes a trigangular hole (like we used for evaoprated milk cans, back in the day...) I love seeing a good use for the enamaled pan lids. I've got a few kicking around, left over after using the pots for planters.

  • aka_strawberrygoat
    14 years ago

    that's what I meant..the kind the makes the "V" but didn't know what to call it.
    it just used to be a can opener.
    now, there are too many different kinds.

    heck, I come from the days of watching
    "Queen for a Day" on tv, while ironing, with a 7-up bottle, with itty bitty holes in the cap, for sprinkling.

    I remember us getting a new freezer...
    we had more clothes washed, sprinkled, rolled up and put in the freezer, than we ever had frozen food.

  • toomuchglass
    14 years ago

    Strawberry goat - we must have been raised in the same house ! What you described is EXACTLY what I grew up with !!!

    Kudzu ........ I'm giving all my 'backyard eaters' your address - it's like the ultimate buffet in your yard ! LOL

  • kudzukween
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    lol ya'll:D

    i looked all over for a church key type can opener...Hoss even went shopping for one for me. finally.....one of his buddy's said he had something.....omg i need one of these...it's a larger type church key, on the end of a BBQ fork. so i borrowed it and commenced punching holes in all the ones i'm making feeders out of....and i even took apart the ones i already made, and redid them if i could.

    oh i remember the aluminum sprinkler cap on the soda bottle. and...we had this huge piece of child-eating machinery called an "ironer"..about as big as a chest freezer. i can remember ironing my dads dress shirts in it when i was so young i had to stand on the kitchen step-stool! and the wringer washer.......my twin and i had to hold each other up to run the clothes through the wringer on the back porch, then carry the basket out to the line to hang them :D what an ordeal! and i don't know if it was just my household, but how did we manage to survive childhood with so many things that shocked the #*@! out of us:D plugging the iron in, our metal play oven..with sharp edges :D...touching the handle of the freezer .....lol

    kudzu

    i'll probably make a tutorial for these for next week.

    happy yard sales!
    kudzu

  • luna_llena_feliz
    14 years ago

    Wonderful use of old tins! And it makes it easy to fill the birdfeeders too. You will definitely have to add instructions to your blog. TFS!

    P.S. My dad used to work for Pabst and we used to have all kinds of church keys all over the house. I still wish I had the combo can opener/bottle opener on a key chain. Does it show my age when I say I remember beer/soda cans that you needed a church key to open? And did anyone ever make the chains from the can pull tabs? he-he

  • concretenprimroses
    14 years ago

    The can feeders are great!
    Someone asked about using old tins outside, I hope she sees this post.

    I buy those can and bottle openers when ever I see them at yard sales. I keep one in each car and a magnetic one on the fridge, one in the paint tool box etc etc.

    When my mil downsized I was tempted to take her old "mangler" ironer home. Not that I ever iron, but I thought it might have some craft use. I've thought of it a few times with regret but its good didn't take it I guess.
    Kathy

  • katie_in
    14 years ago

    OMG...this is just what I wanted...something to do with all those tins that are to pretty to throw away but didn't know what to do with them all.

    But how did you keep the lid on?

  • phyllis__mn
    14 years ago

    I'm just in a tizzy tarying to figure out how you rigged up the bottom with the top.....I love these feeders.

  • herself
    13 years ago

    I had printed the photo of the feeder & now that I finally found a tin I can't find my photo,or directions on the forum when searching. Could someone direct me to the photo & directions for the feeder? I thought it was so cute!

    Herself

  • kudzukween
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    oh, i'm so sorry...i rearranged some albums. i have photos and step by step directions on my blog :D

    Here is a link that might be useful: Kudzu-Birdfeeder tutorial

  • Deb Kozuszek
    13 years ago

    Thanks for the instructions! This is my version---the birds love it!!
    {{gwi:137731}}

  • jeannespines
    13 years ago

    Lovely, gmadeb! And why wouldn't our winged friends just LOVE Biscottoi, too! Thanks for reposting your pics, kudzu! Jeanne S.

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