The Bird Feeder

W loves birds. He is completely facinated with them. So I decided that W and I would make a bird feeder together. The idea seemed simple enough: get a milk/juice carton, punch a couple of holes into it, cut out a hole so the little birdy can eat, paint it, add some bird seed, and voila, bird feeder.

Step 1: Buy carton. Drink juice. This was a special treat as we do not drink much juice in this house. I think we have it once every two to three months. It was yummy.

Step 2: Cut out a bird size hole (I hope it is a bird size hole) and punch holes in the top, for the hook, and the bottom, for the perch.



Step 3: Paint. I bought washable paints for this project since I didn't want permanent paint stains on any clothing items or anything else that a little boy could 'accidentally' paint. To my surprise, W is actually a very neat painter. In fact, he's downright dainty. By the time the carton was painted I was messier than he was. Go figure.



Step 4: Prep for bird seed insertion. Bird seed, check. Painted carton, check. Expendable Spoon, check. Oh dear. I am beginning to capitalize words in Odd Places. I think I may be reading too much Winnie the Pooh...



Step 5: Take picture of squirmy 2 year old with his first real art project. Correction, TRY to take a picture of the squirmy 2 year old. He wouldn't look at the camera for some reason. I think he wanted to run his car up and down the railing of our porch instead.


B enjoying the outdoors. He watched his big brother filling the bird feeder and played happily with his toys. He is a content child.



Step 6: Have the 2 year old put the bird seed into carton. This is easier said than done. For awhile more bird seed was going on the porch than into the bird feeder. Maybe the car is throwing off his balance? Putting down the car is, of course, out of the question.


I am helping pour more bird seed into feeder. W is doing his own version of 'helping'. To be honest, he was far more interested in trying to bury his car than helping me. He would have had so much fun with that bird seed if I had let him.


Step 7: Place hook.



Step 8: Hang on the house. Finished! I must say, it was a little more work than I had anticipated but it was a lot of fun!!