Last year, we dug up our small yard and made some big changes. We hired someone to install a big patio. We built a raised veggie bed next to our handmade sandbox. And we added gardens. Lots of gardens.
By the end of the summer, we were left with one small patch of grass and gave our lawnmower to our landscaper. We purchased a reel mower and put a snow blower where our lawn mower used to be in the garage.
This spring is the first time I’ve really been able to work in my new gardens. Being so early in the season, I’ve only just begun. In Maine, you really can’t plant anything until after Memorial Day due to frost. (I believe there was actually a frost warning the other day, but we won’t talk about that.)
While I was waiting to play in the dirt, I decided we’d have some fun and attempt to attract birds to our yard this year. My new gardens are away from my bird hating dogs’ reach, so we moved a bird house we’ve had for years over in the middle of the new garden. I swear I’ve never seen a bird in this bird house. I’m guessing it was because we had it too close to a busy sidewalk.
Well, the new location seemed to be ideal for the birds. Lots came by to perch and eat bird seed. (Can you tell I’m not really a bird person? I have no idea what kind of birds visit us.)
And then I got the idea to make our own bird feeder.
I turned to Pinterest for inspiration. Though I’m not a fan of Pinterest, I figured I would find something that would get the creative juices flowing.
Here’s what became my inspiration.
This bird feeder was a bit too cutesy for me, but I like the idea of using materials I had in the house to make something. I had just recycled some dog food cans, and I had plenty of acrylic paint. I also had nails that I would use for the perch instead of the wooden dowel shown in the inspiration picture. (I like industrial over cute any day.)
We painted our recycled tin cans and hot glued nails as perches for the birds.
I wasn’t convinced that the can would actually balance itself properly with a ribbon. Plus the ribbon was too cutesy for me. My husband came up with the idea of screwing the painted cans to a wooden post in the garden.
It was not easy to get the bird seed into the cans! (And, yes, we need to mulch.)
While it doesn’t look too bad in the garden, there we were a few problems.
The nails didn’t stay on the cans (and I can’t imagine the wooden dowel would’ve been much better).
The paint clumped up in the rain. Since I’ve use the same paint for other outdoor projects, I’m going to assume the paint just didn’t stick to the aluminum material well.
The bird seed was nearly impossible to get into the can without spilling all over the ground. That seed is also sprouting now, which has me weeding every single day.
I have yet to see a bird eat from inside the can. (They go for the seed on the ground that isn’t growing yet.)
Oh, and I cut myself on the top of the can while telling my kids how sharp the lid was.
What do you think? Was this a Pinterest fail? Or maybe just new garden art?
You can see our new bird feeder / garden art on the right.
A pinterest fail! LOL! You should share this with the Doe girls if you haven’t already! I do have to say it looks pretty – but sorry you cut yourself! That’s why I don’t craft! It’s dangerous!
Ilene recently posted..Never Mind
Crafting can be very dangerous! I need to just stick to painting on canvas or sketching.
anotherjennifer recently posted..New Perspectives: Allowing Ourselves to Feel
Crying with laughter! Honestly, I could totally see myself doing something like this…thinking I would be all crafty and having it completely be a failure! Love your honesty! Definite Pinterest fail!-Ashley
thedoseofreality recently posted..The Revival Of The Yes Day
Ugh. There is no way that inspiration bird feeder worked. Can you imagine what that ribbon looked like after the first rain? And what bird can fit into a tin can?
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
It sounds exactly how it would turn out if I had tried to make it. So I won’t call it a Pinterest fail…just a Pinterest misstep, maybe?
Tracie recently posted..My Own Little Belle
That’s a good spin. I like it!
anotherjennifer recently posted..Philanthropy Friday: Food For Thought on Global Nutrition
Yeah, I wouldn’t call it a fail. However it’s hilarious. I am so un-crafty that nearly everything I do is a pinterest fail. I do happen to do all right with the baking recipes, though!
Tamara recently posted..Break It Down Again.
I’m artistic, but I’m not good with crafts. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but I don’t see how any birds would be attracted to it!
anotherjennifer recently posted..Which nonprofits do you support?
I won’t admit that I chuckled a few times and ur idea seemed better than the original Pinterest one. The cutesy stuff isn’t my thing, either. The seeds sprouting is priceless though heheh
It has now rained for about 3 days. I have A LOT of weeding to do! Oh, and the paint is almost completely off. It was a good idea, I suppose….
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: New Meadows River, Bath, ME
I definitely liked your idea better than the one from Pinterest (although I at first thought that was your finished product and I almost fell out of my chair cause it didn’t seem like you!!) – too bad it didn’t work as well as you would have hoped, but it looks really cool! The garden looks great too. You should still pin this on our Pin It! Tuesday!
Alexa recently posted..18 Months
Ha! Yeah. That inspiration pic is definitely not my style! It was fun to have a post I could add to your Pin It Tuesday!
anotherjennifer recently posted..BabbaCo Blinded Me With Science
Well considering I hate doing crafts- if I were you, I would be calling that a FAIL because of all the efforts you put into the darn thing and then it doesn’t even work well!!! Geesh. Well, at least it was something creative to do with the kiddos!! 🙂
Chris Carter recently posted..Devotional Diaries: Hope… Jeremiah 29:11
We had some fun. Maybe we can find some other use for it. I’m seriously questioning what birds visit that inspiration bird feeder!
anotherjennifer recently posted..Philanthropy Friday: Couch Rebel With a Cause
After pulling weeds for 2 days straight, I have to say your garden looks great! The bird-feeder seems like it had good intentions, and is cute! But it would drive me crazy if it kept falling apart and the birds never actually ate from it! Sorry about your cut those edges are pretty sharp 🙁
Jennifer M. recently posted..Natural Parenting eBook Bundle
Yeah. I’m trying to figure out an alternative use for it at this point. And my cut has healed. 🙂
anotherjennifer recently posted..Walking, Raising Money and Adding Tomorrows
Well, your bird feeder may have been a bust but your garden looks beautiful! 🙂 Thanks for linking up at Pin It Tuesday!
Pary Moppins recently posted..Madly In Love
Thanks! That’s something, right?
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: Memorial Day Parade
I wouldn’t call it a total fail. It’s cute. I can’t put bird feeders in my yard because I have 4 cats and one in particular who is very stealthy. It makes me so sad when she catches them. Sometimes she lets them go though…in the house. Might be a blog post.
Michelle recently posted..Mom, We’re at the Wrong Field!
Yikes! We have a few stray cats that come through our yard every now and then (when our dogs aren’t out). I think one was stalking our birds because I found a pile of feathers in the garden. Oops!
Ha! I love it fail or not! I’ve found Pinterest is best for inspiration, not so much exact replicating. Regardless, you got to spend some quality family time putting it together despite the injuries. Your garden is beautiful!
Katie recently posted..Tutorial Tuesday: Watermark your online images using PowerPoint
Good points. And thanks for the compliment on the garden. I have a lot of fun with it. Gardening is therapy to me!
Ugh, that sucks. I hate when I put time and energy into a project that just flops. Maybe someone with a little more birding knowledge could figure out why the birds weren’t too fond of this setup?
Amanda @ the giraffe life recently posted..Garden Update – June 10th
I think part of it is the fact that the can is too small for the birds to enjoy the bird seed. They seem to prefer the spillage on the ground. 🙂
Tee hee. That’s totally something I would “try” to make. Wink. But now my little creative wheels are spinning! Plastic containers? Mesh? Organic (not smelly) paints? Hmm…
elissa recently posted..(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday
Well, if you come up with a new project, come back and let me know. I will try it out!
It’s cute looking but I foresee squirrels cleaning it out pretty quickly.
So far, I haven’t seen any squirrels. I wondered myself.
It looks really great! Too bad it didn’t work out quite as planned. The squirrels around here would attack it! We have a bird feeder that is on a 15 ft. pole and I spray it with WD-40 so the squirrels won’t climb up it, but then they started launching themselves off the tree branches. Thanks for the laugh! And thanks so much for linking up with Pin It Tuesday! I hope you will come back and link up next week!
Marie Oliveira recently posted..Sophia Waldorf Doll
I haven’t seen the squirrels yet. They tend to stay near our bigger trees. That’s hilarious that you spay your bird feeder pole with WD-40!
So you were behind me at the sharefest!!! I had to come back and say- uh…. HI!!!!!!! LOL 😉 Still think this bird feeder is kinda hilarious!
Chris Carter recently posted..Old School Blog! (Take two…)
Hi Chris! Thanks for stopping by again. 🙂
anotherjennifer recently posted..Philanthropy Friday: A Pearl of Fair Trade
I saw this and I thought I must try this!! Then I read further down and o-oh!! But it does look pretty. 🙂
Priya recently posted..Everyday Activities for Children During Holidays
Ha! Thanks, Priya. It didn’t last long. The bird feeder has since gone in the trash.
anotherjennifer recently posted..Wordless Wednesday: First Lacrosse Game
Another creative use of recycle things. Just saw in another post use of empty soda bottle as a bird feeder. And these inspiring ideas are totally cool as well.