Wow, this feels very strange – a return to ‘normal’ blogging after an incredible month of offers and competitions (lots are still running so do take a look!).  And what better way to return, than with a lovely New Wives Club post and a guest post from the lovely Sharon from For The Love Of Vintage.

Sharon came up with this fantastic idea to give a new lease of life for chipped vintage teacups – turning them into rather lovely bird feeders!  In her business, hiring out vintage crockery for weddings, the china understandably takes some wear and tear.  So Sharon came up with this idea for reusing some of the pretty teacups that are too good to throw away.

Without further ado, I’ll hand you over to Sharon…

Teacup bird feeders are simple, easy, and fun to make.  Using chipped or cracked china is a great way to use up items no longer fit for original purpose, and the best bit is the birds LOVE it!

What you need:

1 pack (250g) of lard/suet (at room temperature, making it easier to mould)
1 pack (750g) of wild bird seed
4 teacups
Large chopping board
Ribbon or string

You can vary the amounts depending on the size of your china, but for the best results the mixture ratio should be 2/3 seed to 1/3 fat.

Get started:

1. Sprinkle the seed across your chopping board, giving a good layer of seed.

2. Work the lard into the seed, kneading the lard into the seed until as much as possible is incorporated – keep adding seed to your board until you are happy that the mixture has as much seed as possible.

3. Cut the mixture into 4 and press each piece into your chosen teacup, leaving a 5mm gap from filling to the rim – this just gives the birds extra space to grip the teacups.

4. Tie your ribbon or your choice of strong thread/string to the handle and your cup is ready to hang.

5. Tie up your teacup bird feeders and wait for the birds to arrive.

Aren’t they gorgeous!  Not only are you feeding your local birds, but the teacups look so pretty in the trees – a lovely way to bring colour to your garden in the spring before everything is blooming.

Looks like Sharon is going to be busy refilling her teacups at the rate her robins and blue tits are gobbling it up!

What do you think girls?  Is this the sort of thing you’d like to have a go at making, has it inspired you to have a go at create your own teacup bird feeders?  If you’ve liked this post, do leave a comment for Sharon – I’m so delighted that she took the time to put this together for us all. Thanks Sharon!

Tweet

Pin It

Comments