Wine Bottle Bird Feeder

Looking for something creative to do with those empty wine bottles you just haven’t recycled yet? Check out this tutorial we found for Wine Bottle Bird Feeders from The Garden Roof Coop. It’ll brighten up your backyard not only because of the bottles you use, but the birds they attract too!

SUPPLIES
Wine bottle
Drill
Diamond drill bit (slightly less than 1/2″ diameter)
Spray bottle filled with water
Epoxy
Plate or saucer
8 gauge copper wire

tutorial-wine-bottle-bird-feeder-drill-hole

DIRECTIONS
The hardest part of this DIY feeder was learning how to drill a hole in a glass bottle…
Here’s the steps in a nutshell:

Start with a diamond drill bit. We purchased one that’s a little less than a 1/2 inch diameter. It works well for small seeds such as sunflower chips or safflower, but it’s a little too small for sunflower seeds.
The drill needs to stay lubricated with water so either have the bottle somehow submerged in water or have someone spray water at the bit during the drilling.

Start drilling at a 45° angle (have the drill on and go toward the glass–don’t put the drill bit on the glass and then start the drill).

Slowly move the bit to a 90° angle. Avoid applying pressure (you’re grinding or chipping away at the glass, not drilling).

Continue to spray water on the bit and stop a few times and clean the area off and apply more water.
It’s a slow process… When you’re close to the end, slow the speed of the drill down and mentally remember to go up with the drill and not push the drill through the bottle. ( I did that a few times and the bottle shatters). ~ Remember to wear protective eye glasses…

Once the holes are drilled (one on each side), use epoxy to attach a plate or saucer to the bottom. To hang the bottle I wrapped a piece of 8 gauge copper wire around the top. A couple of the bottles had hinged stopper lids which made it even easier to add a wire to hang.

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Tutorial and image credit: The Garden Roof Coop