circular wall sconce turned bird feeder
When Tom and I got married ten years ago, we received a few...ahem..odd wedding presents to say the least! Some of which we couldn't identify. Not even when googled. Angels without faces? Check. Angels lacking any head whatsoever? Check. Lopsided circular vase that spins like a top but plops on the floor unless it's being propped up? Yup. Got one of those too. DVD player that turned out not to be a DVD player at all but an oddly shaped wood bowl that was just wrapped in the old DVD box? Yep. Tom was so thrilled with the imagined DVD player and nearly cried when he saw that hideous bowl. Heh. But I can't mock him too much because I felt the same way. Some of the weirder knickknacks had to be donated immediately (after very heartfelt thank you notes were written). But who's got the room to store junk they won't use or and morally can't re-gift? So I wanted to show you how I enhanced my garden space with one of my underused wedding presents. It's quickly becoming my pride and joy! And before I forget, would you leave me a comment describing the oddest present you ever got just to make us all laugh?
Re-purposed circular sconce candle holder turned bird feeder
circular wall sconce turned bird feeder
So I got the above metal circular candle holder from a close friend as a wedding present. She knows me well and understands my tastes. I do like it! The problem is that it's more for looks than practical use. When you actually burn those fourteen tea light candles, it quickly becomes a fire hazard. The fear is that it will set fire to my wood wall if left unattended. You need to be vigilant. I have other things to do than stare at my burning candle holder...like the laundry and the dishes if you know what I mean.
Another problem is that the votives are so tiny that the burn time is less than an hour each until they need to be replaced. Even though these tea lights are only 50 cents at Walmart, I still found myself not wanting to be bothered with yet another chore.
Another problem is that the votives are so tiny that the burn time is less than an hour each until they need to be replaced. Even though these tea lights are only 50 cents at Walmart, I still found myself not wanting to be bothered with yet another chore.
votives filled with mixed bird seed, cracked corn, black sunflower seed and thistle
I nearly hit rock bottom and donated this circular wall sconce to the Salvation Army without further ado. (I hope my friend somehow misses this post or forgot what she got me). But I couldn't figure out how to use it. For a couple of years, I did re-purpose it by using all those nooks and crannies to display my Christmas cards on. Then people started tapering off in sending Christmas cards. I started to get fewer and fewer cards and now get just a handful. It seemed silly to keep it for the four cards I got, you know?
So this piece started to get dusty. When we repainted the wood wall it was hung in, it got moved to the garage which is only one step away from the donation pile. Its fate was starting to look quite bleak. Then it hit me. Kind of like lightening. This use would kill two birds...I guess I now meant two squirrels with one stone!
So this piece started to get dusty. When we repainted the wood wall it was hung in, it got moved to the garage which is only one step away from the donation pile. Its fate was starting to look quite bleak. Then it hit me. Kind of like lightening. This use would kill two birds...I guess I now meant two squirrels with one stone!
circular wall sconce turned bird feeder
Yep. You knew it. A bird feeder. Perfect. Since this candle sconce is meant to be hung, I could chuck all the spent candles and fill all those little glass cups with bird seed instead! Hurrah. A solution. The best part? With fourteen cups to fill, I can use various types of bird seed to attract different birds to my yard. Fabulous!
The cups are small enough that other animals and yes...I'm specifically thinking about those dang squirrels do have tremendous trouble stealing the bird food. And since the small votive holders are glass, it makes it nice and sanitary for the birds.
Try filling two-thirds of the votives with food and save a few to refill with water. This way your feeder becomes a one-stop shop for your feathered friends. Food and water.
Big bonus spin. There's no work involved here. No tools, no effort. You just dump the candles and fill the tiny vases with food. But you should at least clean them first. I hand washed mine before filling them with food to keep my feathered friends safe and healthy. Just make sure the cups are completely dry before filling with food so no mold can grow.
The cups are small enough that other animals and yes...I'm specifically thinking about those dang squirrels do have tremendous trouble stealing the bird food. And since the small votive holders are glass, it makes it nice and sanitary for the birds.
Try filling two-thirds of the votives with food and save a few to refill with water. This way your feeder becomes a one-stop shop for your feathered friends. Food and water.
Big bonus spin. There's no work involved here. No tools, no effort. You just dump the candles and fill the tiny vases with food. But you should at least clean them first. I hand washed mine before filling them with food to keep my feathered friends safe and healthy. Just make sure the cups are completely dry before filling with food so no mold can grow.
gotta have a nyjer seed bag! bird magnet.
Maybe the best part? If you don't currently own any sort of candle wall sconce, you'll see them at garage sales all the time and even places like the Goodwill and Salvation Army. They're super cheap to purchase used! This is probably because I wasn't the only person out there struggling with the fire hazard/small candle issue. They come in all shapes and sizes so the choice is yours.
Some of these former candle wall sconces turned re-purposed bird feeders are quite small if you don't want to lug one home as big as mine. They may only have 4-6 glass votives to fill and that might be spot-on for you! So we're keeping this post short and sweet today with an idea that's even sweeter.....especially for your hungry bird friends! I hope you try it.
The smaller wall sconces can be hung from a Shepherd's hook too if you don't want to be bothered mounting it to a wall.
Some of these former candle wall sconces turned re-purposed bird feeders are quite small if you don't want to lug one home as big as mine. They may only have 4-6 glass votives to fill and that might be spot-on for you! So we're keeping this post short and sweet today with an idea that's even sweeter.....especially for your hungry bird friends! I hope you try it.
The smaller wall sconces can be hung from a Shepherd's hook too if you don't want to be bothered mounting it to a wall.
circular wall sconce turned bird feeder
Location.....location....location.....
Birds love food. (Don't we all!) But you'll want to do your best to showcase your new bird feeder where the food won't get soaked. Because sconces are flat and meant to be hung, the ideal spot for me was on the back of my brick house. We have a great overhang there that protects the bird feeder from water seeping in when the rain comes. Plus, the squirrels are intimidated by this location so the birds actually get the bird seed. Go figure.
We also decided to place ours next to our DIY bird bath. Eat, drink and bathe; these birds are living the life of luxury. Until our cat spots them.
Did you know? Birds need to eat year-round (duh) so keeping those feeders filled year-round will yield some contented birds. Even in the dead of winter! This means choosing a spot for your feeder where you can still easily reach it. No deep snow!
Breeding season (spring) is the most important time to feed the birds! Don't short-change them when they need the food the most.
We also decided to place ours next to our DIY bird bath. Eat, drink and bathe; these birds are living the life of luxury. Until our cat spots them.
Did you know? Birds need to eat year-round (duh) so keeping those feeders filled year-round will yield some contented birds. Even in the dead of winter! This means choosing a spot for your feeder where you can still easily reach it. No deep snow!
Breeding season (spring) is the most important time to feed the birds! Don't short-change them when they need the food the most.
votives filled with mixed bird seed, cracked corn, black sunflower seed and thistle
Food for thought...
Before you go, I have a few ideas of types of bird food you should consider filling all those little glass cups with. A variety of food is best if you're trying to draw in several types of birds. Makes the lookout more of a riot!
We love trying various foods such as:
Premium bird seed mixes can be pricey at $35 for a 20 pound bag such as the Wild Delight brand, however, the birds are thrilled with this mix that includes millet, sunflower seed and milo. Our house is a bird magnet. You could also just make your own mix by buying in bulk.
It's also a huge plus if you have fruit trees in your backyard. We have a large cherry tree in the way back of our place that is the bird hang-out zone. They also devour our gooseberry bushes.
We love trying various foods such as:
- Black oil sunflower seed
- Milo
- Millet
- Striped sunflower seed
- Cracked or whole kernel corn
- Safflower
- Nyjer seed (to attract those adorable yellow finches)
- Crushed peanuts
Premium bird seed mixes can be pricey at $35 for a 20 pound bag such as the Wild Delight brand, however, the birds are thrilled with this mix that includes millet, sunflower seed and milo. Our house is a bird magnet. You could also just make your own mix by buying in bulk.
It's also a huge plus if you have fruit trees in your backyard. We have a large cherry tree in the way back of our place that is the bird hang-out zone. They also devour our gooseberry bushes.
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