How to make a bird feeder out of milk cartons

Inspired by the colourful row houses of Newfoundland, these milk carton bird feeders are fun to make and help teach about local wildlife.

By Mandy Milks

Updated May 25, 2021

Level of difficulty: Easy but time consuming. This is a good weekend project for patient crafters. Age range: 4+ with help An adult will need to help with the glueing and cutting. Kids will enjoy decorating and filling with birdseed. Safety first: Keep craft knives, awl and hot glue out of reach. The takeaway: Our milk carton bird feeder is inspired by the colourful Newfoundland row houses, but your bitty architect can design her house however she wants. It's fun watching for the birds to stop by for a bite to eat.

How to make a bird feeder out of milk cartons

You'll need: 3 milk cartons (lightly sanded and painted white) hot glue wooden craft sticks acrylic paint in various colours awl utility knife pen cardstock twine birdseed

Step 1 Paint your prepped milk cartons with two coats of acrylic paint (washable paint won't hold up outside) in colours of your choosing.

Step 2 This step is for the adults: Using a pen or marker, draw out your door making sure it's big enough for the birds to fit and with enough space at the base of the milk carton to hold the birdseed. Cut it out with a craft knife.

Step 3 Decorate your houses anyway you wish. We painted windows and doors with white paint and went over it with black details.

Step 4 Glue the milk cartons together as shown above then glue a strip of cardstock along the bottom to make it one solid unit. The milk cartons will not stay together with regular white glue, so a hot glue gun is the best option.

Step 5 Create a deck for the birds to perch by hot glueing wooden craft sticks all the way across the bottom of the paper strip.

Step 6 Poke holes on the top of the outer cartons with an awl and thread a long piece of twine through for hanging. If your bird feeder is exposed to direct elements, give it a coat of shellac for extra protection.