Make brilliant bird feeders

You’ll need:

• One apple
• Sunflower seeds (shelled or unshelled)
• String or twine
• A knife or corer

Instructions:

1. Pour the seeds into a bowl.
2. Carefully, with adult supervision or help, use a knife or apple corer to remove the core from the apple, leaving a hole through the middle of the apple.
3. Push sunflower seeds directly into the flesh of the apple.
4. Cover the surface with seeds, pressing them in firmly so they stick.
5. Thread a piece of string or twine through the hole in the apple and tie a knot to secure it.
6. Leave enough string to create a loop for hanging.

You’ll need:

• Yogurt pot (washed and dried)
• String or twine
• Birdseed
• Lard or peanut butter 
• Bowl

Instructions:

1. First, eat the yogurt, then clean and dry the yogurt pot if you haven’t already. 
2. Next, mix the birdseed with lard, peanut butter or coconut cooking fat to help it stick together.
3. Fill the yogurt pot with birdseed. You can mix the seed with melted lard or peanut butter 
4. Next, cut a length of string and wrap it around the pot, tying it tightly.
5. Tie the ends of the string together above the pot to create a loop for hanging. The yogurt pot should dangle securely with the string wrapped around its top edge.
6. Once the mixture has set, you can hang the feeder from a tree branch or hook. Birds will cling to the edge of the pot and feed from the seed mixture inside.

You’ll need:

• Toilet tube
• Peanut butter or lard
• Birdseed
• Twine or string
• Bowl

Instructions:

1. Cut a length or twine or string, then thread it through the toilet tube. Tie the two ends together. 
2. Using your hands or a knife, spread peanut butter or lard on the outside of the toilet tube. You may want to wash your hands afterwards.
3. Pour the bird seed into a large bowl.
4. Roll the sticky toilet tube in birdseed until it’s fully coated.
5. Place the bird feeder into a bowl, on a plate or onto a piece of kitchen roll to dry. 
6. When it’s dry, hang it outside.

You’ll need:

• Yogurt pot (washed and dried)
• String or twine
• Birdseed
• Lard or peanut butter 
• Pencil or push pin
• Plasticine or sticky tack
• Bowl

Instructions:

1. First, eat the yogurt, then clean and dry the yogurt pot if you haven’t already. 
2. Carefully and with adult supervision, make a hole in the bottom of the yogurt pot with a sharp pencil or a push pin. Make sure to keep your fingers out the way and push the pencil into something soft, such as plasticine or sticky tack.
3. Double up a length of string and feed through the hole in the pot. Be sure to have the loop at the top.
4. Next, mix the birdseed with lard in a bowl.
5. Squash the seed mixture into the pot. Keep pulling the sting tight so it remains in the centre.
6. Tie a lollipop stick at the base of the mixture using the two free ends of the string.
7. Put the yogurt pot in the fridge until the mixture sets.
8. Once it’s set, carefully remove the yogurt pot, then hang your bird feeder from your chosen place. 
9. You can reuse the yogurt pot to make more bird feeders too!

You’ll need:

• Plastic bottle
• Wooden sticks, wooden spoons or pencils for perches
• String or twine
• Birdseed

Instructions:

1. Carefully, with adult supervision or help, cut or poke holes (big enough for bird beaks) near the bottom of the plastic bottle. Make sure to keep your fingers out the way and push the pencil into something soft, such as plasticine or sticky tack.
2. Poke two small holes, one directly beneath and one opposite, each larger hole. Again, do this carefully, with adult supervision or help. 
3. Insert wooden spoons, sticks or pencils through each pair of smaller holes.
4. Push them all the way, so they stick out of each side of the bottle. These will act as perches. 
5. Tie string around the top of the bottle to hang it up. You can also carefully make two small holes in the top of the bottle and thread string through for hanging.
6. Take the lid off the bottle, fill the bottle with birdseed, then hang it outside.

You’ll need:

• Empty juice carton (clean and dry)
• Scissors
• String
• Birdseed
• Pin
• Sticky tack or plasticine
• Ruler
• Pen

Instructions:

1. Take a juice carton and draw a rectangle on one of the wider sides of the carton. 
2. Carefully, with adult help or supervision, cut the rectangle out.
3. You may wish to paint, glue things onto or decorate the carton. 
4. Carefully poke two holes at the top of the carton and thread string through for hanging. Make sure to keep your fingers out the way, have adult help or supervision, and push the pin into something soft, such as plasticine or sticky tack.
5. Fill the bottom of the carton with birdseed, then hang it from a tree or balcony.

You’ll need:

• Half an orange (keep the peel intact)
• String or twine
• Birdseed
• Bowl
• Lard
• Two lollipop sticks
• Knife 
• Chopping board
• Spoon

Instructions:

1. Carefully cut an orange in half on a chopping board.
2. Scoop out the inside of the orange half to leave just the peel. You can put this to one side to eat later.
3. Take two lollipop sticks and push them through the orange peel at right angles, forming a cross shape. Insert them through the sides, near the middle of the orange half. This cross will act as a perch for the birds and provide stability for hanging.
4. Mix it the lard and birdseed together in a bowl.
5. Fill the orange peel with the birdseed mixture.
6. Tie a length of twine or string to each of the lollipop sticks, then tie them together at the top for hanging. Make sure the twine is securely knotted around the sticks.

You'll need:

• One pinecone
• Lard or suet
• Birdseed
• String or twine
• Bowl

Instructions:

1. Tie a piece of string or twine around the top of the pinecone to create a loop for hanging.
2. In a bowl, mix together the lard or suet and the birdseed. 
3. Using a spoon or your hands, push the mixture in to the gaps of the pine cones, coating it thoroughly.
4. You may wish to place it in the fridge to set for a bit.
5. Once the pinecone is covered in seeds, hang it up using the string. 

You'll need:

• 175g birdseed 
• 65g flour 
• 40g honey 
• 60ml water
• Cookie cutters
• Greaseproof paper
• Twine or string 
• Fork
• Mixing bowl and spoon

Instructions:

1. Pour the flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the water and honey into the bowl and stir to create a sticky paste.
3. Gradually add the birdseed to the mixture, stirring until all the seeds are fully coated.
4. Place cookie cutters on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
5. Spoon the birdseed mixture into the cookie cutters, pressing it down firmly to fill the shapes completely.
6. Use a fork to poke a hole near the top of each shape for hanging.
7. Allow the shapes to dry for several hours or overnight until they become firm.
8. Once dry, gently remove the birdseed shapes from the cookie cutters.
9. Thread a piece of twine or string through the hole, tie a knot, and hang the bird feeders from a tree branch.

You’ll need: 

• Apple
• Bowl
• Spoon
• Peanut butter
• Bird seed
• String
• Kitchen roll

Instructions

1. Take an apple and wash it. 
2. Carefully, cut off one third of the apple from one side. 
3. Using a spoon, hollow out the larger part of the apple. 
4. In a bowl, mix half a cup of peanut butter with a cup of bird seed. 
5. Pack the hollowed apple full using the peanut butter and seed mix. 
6. Tie your string around the stem of the apple. 
7. Hang the apples in a suitable place.
8. If people are taking them home, you could place them on kitchen roll or in a paper bowl.

You’ll need:

• Bowls
• Spoons
• Paper bags
• A mix of shredded lettuce, sweetcorn, defrosted frozen peas, oats, seeds and rice (cooked or uncooked)

Instructions:

1. Put the ingredients out in bowls with spoons.
2. Everyone should take a paper bag.
3. Take turns to fill the bag up with the different ingredients.
4. Take home the duck feed mix, then take it on a walk to the park and feed the ducks.
5. Avoid decorating the bags, so the food doesn't get contaminated with pens or markers.

Here are some food you should put out for garden birds:

• Bird cake and food bars
• Seeds mixes
• Sunflower seeds or heart
• Nyger seeds
• Live foods and other insect foods, like meal worms
• Lard and beef suet
• Cooked rice
• Uncooked oats

(Source: RSPB, 2025)

And here's some tasty treats for ducks: 

If you’re looking to feed the ducks, do it on a rare occasion. A few trips here and there are preferable to frequent visits. If you feed them on a regular basis, they’re likely to eat too much.

Other tips include:

• Ducks do not chew their food. Make sure they’re in bite-sized portions so the ducks can eat them easily.
• If ducks show no interest or leave the food uneaten, stop feeding them. Food that has been left out can soon deteriorate and attract bugs.
• Be cautious of larger waterfowl, such as swans and geese. They can become violent.
• Birds and the environment are both harmed by litter; carefully dispose of any rubbish, including bags, twist ties, plastic clips, and other inappropriate or mouldy pieces. 
• Allowing pets or people to chase or disturb ducks, especially young birds or families, is often prohibited. It may lead the birds to get stressed or injured.
• If other people are already feeding the ducks, don't feed them. Too much food might result in health issues as well as uneaten leftovers.

(Source: Canal and River Trust, 2025)

Ground feeding birds: Thrushes and Dunnocks prefer to feed on the ground. For these birds, lightly scatter food on the lawn well clear of cover to avoid lurking cats. Remember to change the area you scatter the food over every few days, and never put out more than is likely to be eaten the same day. If you put food such as apples on the ground, space it out in different places in the garden. This will reduce competition between birds so that more birds can feed at any one time. If there is snow on the ground, clear small areas before putting down the food.

Avoid mesh bags: Peanuts and fat balls are regularly sold in nylon mesh bags. Never put out any food in mesh bags. These may trap birds’ feet and even cause broken feet and legs. Birds with a barbed tongue, such as woodpeckers, can become trapped by their beaks.

Place feeders high off the ground: Place the feeders high enough so they are out of reach of ground predators, such as cats. They should be a couple of metres away from thick cover (such as bushes), so that small birds can beat a hasty retreat from aerial predators (such as Sparrowhawks.)

Move locations: If you don’t get any visitors, just try a different location. It's a good idea to move the feeders to different locations over the course of a year so that you don’t get a build-up of debris or droppings underneath.