Back
DIY

DIY: Make a pumpkin into a bird feeder


Print

Last night, ghosts and witches haunted the streets… there was children’s laughter, endless candies and an eerie atmosphere. But Halloween has left us with more than the shivers. The day after this creepy carnival, in alleyways, you see them everywhere…hundreds of pumpkins. Look out, trash bins; pumpkins are headed your way! To avoid filling the landfill with these orange gourds, here’s an ingenious DIY to recycle them!

 

The birds will feast on them!

Pumpkins are organic matter, just like our banana peels and our eggshells. In the natural environment, these organic residues decompose in the presence of oxygen, producing CO2. Plants and greenery then use this gas in a completely natural cycle. But when your squash is headed for the dump, it’s a different story, and a ghastly one!

Birds absolutely love pumpkin seeds. You could simply cut the pumpkin in half and put it in your garden, nothing more, nothing less. Birds will scurry in numbers to feast on the pumpkin flesh, which is also full of nutrients. You could also clean out the pumpkin and dry the seeds on a baking sheet. Then you simply place the seeds in a traditional, open-style bird feeder.

 

Step-by-step instructions on how to build your pumpkin bird feeder

If you’ve already scraped the inside of your pumpkin clean and there is leftover melted wax on the flesh, it is no longer edible. You can still give your Halloween decoration a second life before it’s on its way to the brown bin. This is a great kid-friendly DIY project that is perfect for a beautiful autumn day. Today we’re going to make the most original of bird feeders!

 

Compost

There’s no way you would throw that pumpkin in the trash, right? Composting is the most environmental choice: so brown bins here we come! Some cities already offer organic waste collection services. And if not, you can find a wealth of information online about how to create your own compost bin at home. The pumpkins we use should decompose in an environmentally friendly way!

 

Pumpkins are fall’s gift to us. We use and reuse them to please our eyes and taste buds. A little bit of handiwork goes a long way for the environment!

 

Steps

  1. Have your material ready:
    - 3 to 5 pound pumpkin (already used for Halloween or not)
    - 2 pieces of burlap string that are 1 to 5 mm large and 2 meter long (or several pieces of 1 mm large and 2 meter long string, weaved together)
    - Bird seed

  2. Cut the pumpkin in half and empty the contents (if not already done). Keep only the bottom part. It’s better to cut the pumpkin in the middle so that the birds have easier access to the inside.

  3. Tie a knot between the two strings, in the middle of the string so that it makes a cross.

  4. Place the pumpkin on the cross and tie the string together over the branch of a tree where you want to hang your feeder.

  5. Pin or staple the string in place for better stability.

  6. Fill with birdseed or pre-dried pumpkin seeds.

To stay connected

subscribe to our newsletter

Our newsletter

Recipes, tips and more!

Thank you

You will recieve a confirmation
email soon

Switch language and region