Make Your Own Hummingbird Feeder

There are plenty of flowers in my yard to attract hummingbirds, but I attract even more when I add these great feeders. They are easy to make and very inexpensive.

Here's how you can make your own...

Supplies:

Bottle: I used a blue wine bottle so I could have a patriotic theme for the 4th of July.

Enamel Paint: I used Folk Art. 

Paint Brushes

Copper wire

Hummingbird Stopper: I got mine through a company called AFTOSA

Now, you could skip the whole painting part if you want and just wrap the copper around the bottle and be done with it. It would look fine that way but I like to paint the bottles to make them more colorful.

Your bottle will hang upside down, so keep that in mind when you paint your design.

I painted white even where my red is going to be to act as a primer. It takes a lot of coats to get good coverage! You have to wait an hour between coats, which is very hard for me! The waiting drives me crazy!

In the picture above, I think I'm on my 4th coat. I decided that was enough!

Next, it's time to add the red. And since I primed with the white, I only had to do one coat.

Once again, the waiting part! Read the label on the paint bottle for curing times. Most enamel paints will cure in 10 days or you can bake the bottle in the oven. I prefer the baking method so it will be finished faster. I just place the bottle in a cold oven then turn it to the desired temperature (again, read the label). I let it bake for 30 minutes once it reaches the right temperature. After the 30 minutes, turn the oven off and let it cool completely. I usually do this at night and let it cool in the oven overnight.

Once your bottle is ready, start wrapping it with the copper starting at the neck of the bottle. I used a 3 foot length for this bottle. They will cut it for you at the hardware store.

When you get to the top of the bottle (actually it is the bottom of the bottle but it is the top of the feeder), make a loop with the wire to hang it with.

Now it's time to add the food! Add the stopper and your feeder is ready to hang.

NOTE: Overfill the bottle to prevent leaks. This creates a vacuum so your feeder won't drip.

Hang the feeder and enjoy watching your hummingbirds! They certainly will enjoy your feeder!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

Here are a couple of other examples...

Cost for this project...

Bottle- free

Paint- I think I paid $1.99 a bottle. I've had them a long time. A little paint goes a long way!

Copper- $1.98 (66 cents per foot)

Stopper- 83cents (plus shipping)

Since I had everything I needed except for the copper, this feeder cost me under $2 to make.