How to Build a Simple Backyard Bird Feeder

Learn how to turn a clean plastic bottle into a cozy dining spot for your local neighborhood birds. HowTo: Family Edition: family how-tos that actually help.

1. Mark your spots. Use your marker to draw two small circles on opposite sides of the bottle, about 3 inches from the bottom. Repeat this 3 inches higher, but turn the bottle so these holes are on the other sides.
2. Cut the openings. Ask a grown-up to help you cut small 'X' shapes over your marks. Wiggle the scissors to make the holes just big enough for the handle of your wooden spoon to slide through.
3. Add the perches. Slide the wooden spoons through the holes so the handle sticks out one side and the bowl of the spoon sits just outside the hole to act as a perch and feeding tray.
4. Fill and hang. Use a funnel or a rolled-up piece of paper to pour birdseed into the top of the bottle. Tie your string around the neck of the bottle and hang it from a sturdy tree branch.