How to Make Bottle Hummingbird Feeders

Building a hummingbird feeder is an excellent way to coach these elusive yet enchanting creatures into your backyard. Plus, because you will be reusing an old plastic bottle and making your own hummingbird nectar, this project is a eco-friendly.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

20 oz. plastic bottle
Plastic container with lid
1-foot cord or string
Sugar
X-Acto knife

Step 1

Cut an "X" into the center of the plastic container lid. Make each cut a little less than an inch long.

Step 2

Cut four holes in the corners of the plastic container lid. These should be small, but big enough for a hummingbird to drink from. Make it about the size of a coffee stirrer.

Step 3

Cut holes in the sides of the bottle. These should be on opposite sides of the bottle on the base near the bottom, such that a line connecting the holes would be the diameter of the base. Make them large enough to thread your string through them. Run the string through the holes and tie a knot so you have a loop to hang the feeder.

Step 4

Cut a flap in the bottom of the plastic bottle. This will be used to pour the nectar into the bottle when it is hanging upside down.

Step 5

Push the opening of the bottle into the "X" on the plastic lid. You may have to open the "X" a bit, as if you were inserting a straw into a fast-food beverage lid.

Step 6

Mix four parts water with one part sugar. Bring to a boil and allow to cool. Fill your hummingbird feeder through the flap from Step 4 and hang on a tree branch or nail.

Tips & Warnings

Use a lightweight plastic container, such as Gladware.

Hummingbirds are attracted to the color red. Use a red lid, a red string and red food coloring in your nectar.

Some advocates argue that dye may be harmful to hummingbirds. If you have any concerns, you can omit the red dye and still successfully attract hummingbirds.

Resources

Article Written By Anton Busch

Anton Busch earned a B.A. in English with honors from University of Iowa in 2007 and has been publishing content on the Web ever since. His creative and nonfiction works have appeared in print in "Hotel Amerika," "Earthwords," "Lux Magazine," "Quad City View" and "Verdure Magazine." He also writes for various websites.

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