How to Make an Egg Carton bird feeder and Nesting Station with Your kids

This easy egg carton bird feeder and nesting station is a fun activity for kids to attract birds to the backyard. Watching birds from a distance or through a window can provide hours of enjoyment and be quite educational. This eco-friendly project takes paper egg cartons, something you’d normally throw away, and upcycles them into a useful recycled bird feeder/bird nest craft. 

How to Make a Recycled Bird Feeder Using an Egg Carton

Attracting birds into your yard can be a great way to make learning fun for kids. This is a fun spring craft for kids to put out as birds are starting to build their nests. You can provide them with both nesting material and food. 

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Here’s what you will need:

• Empty paper egg carton
• Jute or other natural material cord or string 
• Wild bird seed (I really like this one from Wagner’s)
• Chopped apple
• Small sticks
• Dry leaves 
• Dry hay or grass
• Strips of crinkled brown paper
• Natural Cotton
• Wool Cloth Strips 

Instructions:

1. Carefully cut the lid off an egg carton

2. Using a pencil, pen, or screwdriver, poke two holes in the carton (one in each of the far elevated divider sections). 

3. Cut a section of jute cord to the desired length. I wanted my feeder to hang approximately 36 inches from the tree branch. So I cut my jute to measure 80 inches ( length of both sides and the length across – distance between the two holes I created).

4. Run the cord through the holes in the carton from the bottom, as shown, to create the hanging cord

5. Fill each egg carton section with all of the different materials; fruit, seed, nesting material.  

6. Select an elevated location outside to hand your bird feeder from. Tie the ends of the jute cord securely around a branch, overhang, or hook.  

7. Once your bird feeder is set up, you’ll just need to wait for your feathered friends to arrive.

More Homemade Bird Feeders You Can Make

Free Birdwatching Apps

Download a free birding app too to help you identify and track your visitors. You can also take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count usually held in mid-February. Here are birding apps I use:

• Audubon Bird Guide
• Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab
• Smart Bird ID

All three of these apps are available on the Google Play and Apple App Store. 

For more bird feeder tutorials, try these:

• DIY Wire Mesh Bird Feeder
• Easy DIY Recycled Plastic Coffee Can Bird Feeder and House
• DIY Natural Bird Feeder Made with Bagels