Don’t toss that pumpkin after Halloween! With a few simple supplies, you can turn it into a bird feeder that backyard birds will love. It’s a fun way to recycle your jack-o’-lantern and watch birds up close at the same time.
Materials
- a pumpkin (carved jack-o’-lantern or uncarved, both work)
- two wooden dowel rods
- strong twine, rope, or cord
- birdseed
Pumpkin Feeder Craft
Don’t have dowels? Sturdy sticks from your yard work just as well. No rope? Try heavy string or even an old shoelace. The birds don’t care how fancy it looks.
Steps
- Cut the pumpkin. Cut off the top of the pumpkin, as shown. (Ask an adult for help.)
- Add the dowels. Poke a dowel into the pumpkin a few inches down from the top edge you just cut. Push it straight out through the opposite side of the pumpkin. Poke the second dowel through the pumpkin so it crosses just under the first dowel.
- Tie the twine. Cut the twine into four equal lengths. Tie a strand to each dowel, as shown. Then tie the loose ends together in a large knot at the top.
- Fill and hang. Fill the pumpkin with birdseed, and then hang it in your yard.
TIPS:
- Make several small holes in the bottom of the pumpkin to let rainwater out.
- If you don’t want seeds to spill out of the pumpkin’s face, you can line the feeder with a sheet of newspaper before filling it.
- Make sure to only use firm, fresh pumpkins. If they are getting soft and squishy or moldy, composting them is a better idea.
- Be sure to only fill the pumpkin with enough seed for the wildlife to eat within a few days to prevent the seed from spoiling.
