Interested in attracting more birds to your backyard? Learn how to create a DIY bird feeding station with simple materials and tips on placement, favorite supplies and maintenance! Because it’s fun to feed the birds!
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This past summer I had a hankering to start feeding birds.
I’ve supplied hummingbirds fresh nectar with hummingbird feeders for years, and even put out fresh unsalted peanuts for the stellar jays on occasion. But I just desired to ramp up the bird feeding hobby to the next level for my feathery friends. Plus it’s said, having birds in a yard is a good thing as they keep insects and pests at bay! Pure bonus.
Setting up right
So I strolled over to my local hardware store and picked up a really nice bird feeder kit that’s even squirrel proof! If a squirrel or other predators jump on the outer cage that wraps the bird feeder, it slides down from the weight of the squirrel, covering the feeder ports. My new arrival was like a shiny new toy and I couldn’t wait to play!
And indeed it works. I’ve been using it for several months now but recently changed the location to my garden shed.
It’s been wild watching wildlife scurry for the feed! I even have a few squirrel friends in which they have their own feeder of black oil sunflower seeds so they leave the bird feeder alone. Everyone is happy!
However I felt rather than ‘just a bird feeder’ hung up, more of a feature would make it interesting… perhaps even theme this summer’s shed around it. So I picked up some suet, a bird bell, topped up the bird feed and set about making a full bird feeding station!
With a new stencil design to suit!
And I LOVE the results! So now not only are all the critters well-fed, the beginnings of bird-themed shed decor this summer have started!
Here’s what I did…
How To Build An Easy Bird Feeding Station With Sign In Your Backyard
Supplies for a bird feeding station:
Wild Birds Sanctuary stencil from HERE
Fusion Mineral Paint in Coal Black and Carriage House
3 pieces of random reclaimed wood
Kreg Jig (I have an older style Kreg Jig K4 which I LOVE!)
Suet feeder with suet
Big twisty branch
View Wild Birds Sanctuary stencil HERE
About the bird stencil
The Wild Birds Sanctuary stencil is a 1-piece compact bird stencil designed within 10″ x 10″ that will fit most anywhere! On a garden shed, fence, or even hung on a post right in your garden. It certainly adds a nice emphasis to a birding hobby or just makes a really nice feature in a garden, celebrating our little feathered friends!
Preparing the planks
1. Cut three planks to the desired length.
These sign boards are repurposed from THIS ORGANIC COFFEE sign. It was sitting in my stash, so I sanded the painted surface, and started fresh again! Now that’s a simple build…
The boards were cut at 3 different lengths for a random organic look with an attempt at leaving some edges live.
Joining the planks with a jig
2. Join the 3 planks together from behind, with either a Kreg Jig or cut wood strips attached horizontally with screws.
I used a Kreg Jig to join the boards together from the back. The boards are positioned as desired, then the jig is used to drill holes on deep angles, so all you need to do is insert screws to assemble the boards.
However you can also join the boards together by placing strips of wood horizontally across all three boards, then attaching with screws.
Read more about this original sign when it was first made HERE
Kreg Jig Video tutorial – how to use a Kreg Jig
Having a Kreg Jig on hand for most any project that joins wood has proven to be a win and a very worthwhile tool to stock.
Read more on how to use a Kreg Jig HERE
Stenciling the Wild Birds sign onto the boards
3. Stencil the image Wild Birds Sanctuary off to one side.
Since I desired to hang more than just a birdfeeder, I styled this bird feeding station with a plant bracket hanger off to one side, and will have a simple cage-style suet basket like THIS near the bottom. So I stenciled the Wild Birds sign to the upper left side of the planks leaving room for the rest.
How to stencil a bird sign:
- Position stencil were desired.
- Load stencil brush with paint.
- Remove most paint until brush feels dry.
- Tap or swirl paint through stencil until coverage desired is met.
- After black paint has set, add coloured details on top if desired. I added green paint to the leaves.
Read more tips on how to stencil with exceptional results from THIS POST
Get Fusion Mineral Paint for 10% off HERE – or use code funkyjunkinteriorsfmp upon checkout.
I stenciled the entire sign in Fusion’s Coal Black with touches of Carriage House (green) on the leaves to keep the design rustic and simple!
No eye was stenciled on the bird since I had another plan…
Attaching a plant hanger bracket and suet cage
4. Attach the plant bracket to the upper far right to hang a bird feeder.
I had this plant bracket in my stash from a recent curbside find. Isn’t it pretty?! I love how the black hardware chimes in with the black stenciling!
5. Mount a suet feeder with 2 cup hooks so it’s easy to lift in order to refill.
This ended up being a wonderful plan! I find hanging suets tricky for the birds to peck since it twists and turns when hung up on a tree branch. This keeps it stable.
View other plant brackets HERE
Choose a location for the bird feeding station
6. Mount the sign where you desire.
This area of my shed proved to be perfect! The shed partially protects the feeding station, plus I can view this side of the shed from anywhere I choose to sit in the yard.
You will want to be aware that a bird feeder can make a mess underneath it though, so just ensure it’s easy to clean and the birds won’t break any precious plants or shrubs nearby. I plan to expand on this by planting bird-attracting native plants.
Easy installation with screws
I used screws to mount the sign onto the shed. And here’s how I dealt with the bird’s missing eye…
One screw became the bird’s eye which looked perfect!
Then I replaced the shorter screws with longer through the plant hanging bracket so that could also serve to mount the sign to the shed.
There’s always ways to hide those screws if you fiddle around some!
Setting up the bird feeding station
7. Hang the bird feeder on the plant hanging bracket, then hang a bird bell on it as well if it fits, or secure additional hooks for it if needed.
I’ve found the plant hanger brackets make excellent hangers as durable hooks for hanging bird feeders! They’re nice and strong plus weatherproof too.
I’m not stranger to using plant hanging brackets as multipurpose hooks though, as you can see by this laundry drying rack HERE!
8. Attach a long branch underneath the suet feeder and bird bell so the birds have something to perch on.
Isn’t it funky?! I love the branch addition. I’ve been watching how the birds feed and while they do have the ability to cling to the sides of things, I found they really enjoy it if you make things simpler for them with something to actually stand on, so a branch stand it is!
Bird seed and other bird feeding supplies:
And my summer shed now has a Wild Birds Sanctuary theme to chime in with my new bird feeder hobby!
It looks so snug and well protected, while the birds totally have easy access to everything they desire.
More on the bird feeder
And I LOVE how the Wild Birds Sanctuary bird sign brings everything together, creating a neat and tidy all-in-one bird feeding station with a little of everything that birds love to eat!
The only additions I’ll be making is the addition of some kind of bird feeder rain protection on top and a bird seed catcher tray under the bird feeder itself. Right now I’m using an ice cream bucket lid for the top which I removed for this picture, but I’d like something that looks like it didn’t come out of my recycling bin. LOL
However the squirrel-proof bird feeder is working great! The birdfeeder I got is by Perky Pets from my local hardware store.
The cage appears to be made out of a fairly durable steel, and does slide down easily when a squirrel or unwanted pests climb on it. The bird feeder has 6 feeding ports, with dozens of birds visiting all sides at any given moment!
HERE is a similar bird feeder to the one I have.
The feeder was also easy assembly… just hang it up!
What bird seed is best?
Regarding the bird seed, I’m still experimenting with different varieties. I’ve been picking up some at my local hardware store that is price efficient, but there appears to be a lot of waste. And depending what you get, it seeds into different plants. Wait till you see all my new sunflowers…. LOL
I try to buy as many lbs as possible so it costs less and attracts a wide variety of birds. My last bird seed was from Costco, and while the birds love it and the price was good, I’ve found there to be a lot of waste, so I’m still deciding if I’m going to try a high quality type that claims there’s no waste… but it’s definitely an investment!
But I do think the right bird feeders and best choice products and setup for given areas can make a difference! I have a park behind us so we do get quite a few squirrel visits! However the additional food tray for squirrels really helps too.
Next up is to pick up a real bird bath or water bowl for my dear feathered friends.
Bird feeder maintenance
Since my feeder empties so quickly, I haven’t taken the time to properly clean it quite yet. However it’s suggested at THIS SITE (Birds Canada) that every two weeks the feeders get soaked in a 10% bleach solution, then rinse well before refilling. I’ll try that next time it needs filling.
Squirrel-proof bird feeders and accessories:
View some squirrel proof bird feeders HERE
My own bird feeder is by Perky Pet: find a similar one to mine HERE
View some bird feeder rain protection covers HERE
Check out some bird feeder seed catchers HERE
Search out some interesting plant hanger brackets HERE
Hanging the suet basket
And the 2 cup hooks holding the suet basket works really well! The suet feeder is easy to lift off so it can be reloaded with fresh suet anytime.
I think mounting a suet feeder to a backing works better than hanging it from a branch. The birds appear to fuss about where to land when it’s hung in a tree, but this more stable setup seems to work well.
Suet baskets and supplies:
Check out Suet feeders HERE and suet options HERE
Since installing the bird feeding station, I’ve noticed a bird on the bell, and a squirrel standing on the branch munching on the suet. LOL Hey, there’s action so I’m ok with that!
I think this little birding station is perfect. Plus, now my shed has become more of an outdoor accent that’s themed around one of my new favorite hobbies! Hmmm… wouldn’t filling it with birdhouses be fun too? I’ll have to learn how to make those with the right sized holes.
And once I clean up the rest of the shed a little more, I’ll add a summer shoot of it soon! It’s filling in very nicely!
All I really know is, I’m really enjoying my new bird feeding hobby! It’s now even more enjoyable to sit in the yard and watch the flutter of activity around the bird feeder.
Plus, with the squirrels set up with their own feeder, everyone’s happy!
And so am I.
Are you into bird feeding too? What gear do you like to put out in your own bird feeding station?
How to build a DIY bird feeding station in your backyard
Supplies:
Instructions:
- Join 3 pieces of reclaimed wood to create a backdrop.
- Stencil Wild Birds Sanctuary on one side in Fusion's Coal Black.
- Attach a plant hanging bracket to the other side.
- Attach a suet basket using 2 cup hooks.
- Mount the bird feeding station to a fence, shed or where desired.
- Hang a squirrel-proof bird feeder from the planter bracket. Consider a rain guard and seed catcher as well.
- Hang a bird seed bell from an additional hook or also on the planter bracket.
- Attach a large branch along the bottom so birds can reach the suet and bird bell by standing on it.
- Fill up the bird feeder with bird seed and insert suet into the basket.
- Have water nearby, and consider planting bird-friendly flowers to attract more birds.
- Sanitize the feeder every 2 weeks with a 10% bleach / water solution, then rinse well. Allow to completely dry before filling it up again.
Notes
Other related projects to make:
Heating a hummingbird feeder through winter
This is awesome and we’re all about the ‘birdz’ lol! I’d love the see the shed with birdhouses all over 🙂
It is really a great set up. You might add some water for the birds’ I use a big plastic plant saucer that is terra cotta color and I sit it on an old metal milk Caron. So fun to watch them bath and drink!
Love the new stencil and how you designed such a welcoming feeding station by your shed. It’s beautiful!! I would love to add one to our yard. We’ve been getting into to bird watching with the merlin app. You probably already use it, but if you haven’t yet, it’s a great tool to listen to and identify bird in your yard, on a trail walk, or wherever you go. Happy birding!
This is so darling Donna!
I love this!!!
One way to keep the squirrels & other rodents away from feeders is to buy bird seed with hot pepper sauce on it.
This mix attracts SO many different birds, even the woodpeckers.
I recently bought this brand for $37, which lasts a long time. I don’t fill my feeders fully in case it rains so that the whole thing won’t get wet.
Thanks for the awesome ideas!
I love your idea of having all the feeding bits in one spot. Ours are all over the garden and it’s a mission to clean and refill everything. How do you keep your kitties away from the station?