DIY Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder (with or without peanut butter)

Want to attract some birds to your yard (and maybe even some squirrels and chipmunks?)

This Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder is a simple craft that even toddlers and preschoolers can help make. You can make a couple of them to hang at different heights to attract different animals.

You can also create a lot of variations with it, as you'll see in a minute.

How to Make a Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder Without Peanut Butter

If you're allergic to peanut or any other nut butters, you can easily substitute it with:

• Sunflower seed butter
• Coconut Oil
• Shortening/Crisco

Be sure not to use honey, which can grown mold and bacteria that can be fatal to birds.

What Can I Feed Birds if I Don't Have Bird Seed?

Don't have any bird seed in the house? (Or just want to be creative?)

According to Birds and Bloom, birds love cereal.

You could rolling your bird feeder in Rice Krispies, Cheerios, crushed bran flakes, or some type of fruit-and-nut cereal. (Just don't use sugary cereals or anything with marshmallows in it.)

You could also use stale nuts (as long as they're not too salty), raisins, or baked eggshells (which are a good source of calcium for birds.)

Substitutions for a Toilet Paper Roll

If you keep forgetting to save your cardboard tubes (or you just think the idea of crafting with a toilet paper roll is gross), you can use the same process with either a pine cone or a stale bagel.

Bird Feeder Materials

• Toilet paper roll
• Small bowl of natural peanut butter
• Plastic knife
• Thick string or twine (about 12” long)
• Paper plate
• Small bowl of bird seed
• Scissors
• Hole punch

Bird Feeder Directions

With the toilet paper roll in a vertical position, punch two holes opposite each other and about an inch from the top.

Use the plastic knife to spread a thick layer of peanut butter onto the toilet paper roll. Make sure it's "plenty thick," or else the seends won't stick well. Try to avoid the holes.

Don't worry if the the toilet paper roll starts absorbing some of the oils from the peanut butter. This is totally normal.

Pour the bird seeds onto a paper plate and spread them out evenly.

Gently roll the toilet paper roll tube around in the seeds and try to get as many as you can to stick to the peanut butter. Use your hands to pick up and place seeds onto areas that don’t get covered well.

Run a string through the holes. Bring the two ends together at the top and tie the string into a knot.

Hang your bird feeder outside and get ready for some hungry visitors!

📖 Recipe

Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder

Print

Materials

• Natural peanut butter
• Toilet paper roll
• 12 inches of thick string
• Bird seed

Tools

• Plastic knife & paper plate
• Scissors
• Hole punch

Instructions

1. With the toilet paper roll in a vertical position, punch 2 opposite holes, each about an inch from the top.
2. Use a plastic knife to spread a thick layer of peanut butter onto the toilet paper roll, avoiding the holes.
3. Pour the bird seeds onto the paper plate and spread out evenly.
4. Gently roll the toilet paper roll tube around in the seeds so they stick to the peanut butter. You might have to use your fingers to cover all areas.
5. Run a string through the holes, then tie the two ends together at the top.
6. Hang your bird feeder up outside!

Notes

If nut allergies are a concern, you can substitute it with shortening (Crisco), sunflower seed butter, or coconut oil.

Recommended Products

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• 
  Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
• 
  Natural Jute Twine
• 
   Safflower Seed Wild Bird Food