2-Hour Project: How to Build a Cantina Bird Feeder
Updated: Jul. 17, 2019This two-hour project is a fun and clever way to attract some feathery friends to your yard, and to hone your woodworking skills while doing it.
- Time
- Complexity
- Cost
- A few hours
- Beginner
- $20-50
Build this bird feeder from standard pine boards or from pressure treated lumber. Treated boards will give you long-term rot resistance, but also have a disadvantage: Treated lumber contains a lot of moisture, so you’ll have to let it dry for at least two weeks before painting it. Treated lumber also tends to cup or bow as it dries. Either type of lumber will contain knots. If you don’t like the knotty look, buy an extra board or two so you can use the knot-free sections.
You can use just about any wine or liquor bottle for this how to build a bird feeder project. Photo 1 and 4 show you how to customize the parts to suit your bottle. And you can use any drink glass that has a flat base.
Securing the bottle in the feeder is very important. No matter how you display the project, something as simple as wind and rain can alter the bottle enough to knock it out of its perch and spill a lot of bird feed or break glass all over the ground. We used 3/8 in. adhesive-backed rubber weatherstrip placed on the inside of both braces (part F) to secure the bottle. You can find this product in the hardware section in most home centers and online. Below is the complete list of what you will need to buy at your local home center and liquor store.
How to Build a Bird Feeder
Materials
- 3’ 1 x 8 Board (1)
- 6’ 1 x 4 Board (1)
- 2’ 3/8” Dowel (1)
- Liquor/Wine Bottle
- Glass
- Bottle Caps (4)
- Mirror Clips (3)
- 3/8” Adhesive-Backed Rubber Weatherstrip
- 1-1/2” Trim Head Screws (20)
- 5-Gallon Bucket
- Hot Glue
Tools
- Jigsaw
- Drill/Driver
- Clamps
- Speed Square
- Hot Glue Gun
- Utility Knife
Cutting List
Cut the sides
Angle your jigsaw to 45 degrees and cut the sides (part C) to the heights of your bottle and glass added together and then subtract 2 in. Ours ended up being about 15 in., but this will almost certainly be different for your project so plan accordingly.
Make the keyhole for the bottle
Cut a circle with a 2-1/2-in. hole saw in the center of the bottle holder board (part B). Then, use your jigsaw and square to create a 1-1/2-in. wide channel that will fit the neck of your bottle.
Fasten the sides to the base
Use a scrap piece of wood as a guide and screw the sides 3/4 in. from the edges of the base.
Attach the bottle holder to the sides
Mockup the assembly to find the correct height of the bottle holder (part B). Cut some scrap wood to hold up the bottle holder to the correct height so it stays level. Drill pilot holes and screw into the bottle holder from the outside of the feeder.
Mount the roof
Screw the longer roof piece (part D) to one end of the shorter roof piece (part E) and attach the roof to the tops of the sides with screws. Be sure to drill pilot holes so that you know the screws will keep the roof in line.
Create and attach the braces
Cut the 1×4 pine to 10 in. pieces. Miter a 45-degree angle into the ends, leaving 3/4 in. on the ends. Mark 3/4 in. from the edges and use a 5-gallon bucket to mark an arc on the board. Clamp the board to the work surface and cut the arc with a jigsaw. Screw the braces to the sides. Cut the adhesive-backed rubber weatherstrip to 3 in. with a utility knife. Peel the backing and attach the strips to the inside of the braces.
Attach the mirror clips to the base of the feeder
Mark a centerline on the base. Set your glass onto the center of the base and screw the mirror clips to the base, securing the glass to the assembly.
Put in the bar stools
Cut your dowel to 4 in. pieces. Plan out where you want the bar stools and drill 1/4-in.-deep pilot holes with a 3/8-in. drill bit into the base. Create an “L” guide with scrap 1×4 to make sure you drill plumb into the base. Hot glue the bottle caps to the top of the dowels to create the final bar stool look. Once you you finish, you can paint/finish the bird feeder anyway you would like. We went a little crazy and tried to keep the cantina style with our paint styling. We used some basic acrylic paints and primer that you can purchase at any craft store.
