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Vintage teacup bird feeder

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.

Vintage teacup bird feeders

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…

how to make teacup bird feeders

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.

how to make teacup bird feeders

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.

how to make teacup bird feeders

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.

teacup bird feeders

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

vintage teacup bird feeders

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!

Comments

Chloe on 1. April, 2012

This is going to be a lovely ‘make’ to do over the Easter holidays with the children. I think it will complement my bird feeders full of dog fluff. What happy chirpy birds I will have, well fed with warm nests. Here’s hoping it encourages them to stay in my garden and eat all the grubs before the grubs eat my plants!!

Thirty-Plus Eco-Wonderful Bird Feeders You Can Make Today - 1-800-Recycling on 17. May, 2012

[…] a bird-worthy arrangement of mismatched thrift store tea cups and saucers mounted on poles or hanging from tree branches (whether upside down, at a jaunty angle or right side up). An old teapot will also work […]

DIY BIRD FEEDERS: Easy, Cheap, and Fun for Kids & Adults! | The Wild Side on 29. July, 2012

[…] Teacup Feeders! idea from Honeybee, Apartment Therapy, Natural Wedding Company, Kalene Partlow, and Modesto […]

Tea in England on 2. December, 2012

Oh, this is adorable! I have shared on the Tea in England fan page. Thank you!

Kaz Brown on 20. January, 2013

Hi Charlie this is so beautiful I’ve shared it on our facebook page – I hope you don’t mind :)! Its like Alice In Wonderland! 😀 I love it 😀 I’ve got lots of tea cups left over from my Alice In Wonderland themed hen party!
A new project for next weekend x

CharlieB on 22. January, 2013

Hi Kaz, of course it’s fine to have shared the link on your Facebook page 🙂 I’m so pleased you like it – and if you make some you’ll have to email pictures across xXx

Dekoidee: Holt die Tassen aus dem Schrank - We Heart Home on 29. April, 2013

[…] 1 | 2 | 3 […]

10 Great Ideas For Making Bird Feeders on 4. June, 2013

[…] To make a cute little bird feeder like this one you’ll need a pack of lard/suet, a pack of birdseed, 4 teacups and ribbon or string. Sprinkle the seed across your chopping board and then work the lard into the seed. Cut the mixture into 4 and press it into the teacups. Tie the ribbon or thread to the handle and hang the feeder on a tree.{found on thenaturalweddingcompany}. […]

Gabricci on 25. June, 2013

Loved this idea so much that I posted a link to it from my own blog.

Melinda Hable on 8. November, 2013

I just love these. I have been hanging on to about a dozen chipped vintage cups.I love them to much to throw them out. This will be a way for me and the birds to enjoy them. Thanks so much

Dottie Everett-Hogue on 30. December, 2013

Is there an alternative to suet?

CharlieB on 30. December, 2013

Hi Dottie, were you after a vegetarian alternative? x

Dottie Everett-Hogue on 2. January, 2014

Probably, it’s just that I have dealt with suet before and I didn’t like it that that much. Don’t get me wrong,I’m a lover of beef,but not rendering suet. Thanks for answering.

tina on 8. February, 2014

We live in the south in Alabama near the coast. I’d like to use the lard…was just wondering how well it would do in the high temps of the south. Average in August can reach 98 or above. Will the lard melt or liquidity and run out the the cup. Thanks

CharlieB on 30. March, 2014

Hi Tina, I’m not sure the lard would work in higher temperatures – my only experience of using it is cooking with it, and I know if it’s been left out on the side it goes quite soft. I wonder whether something like beef dripping would work as this I think stays pretty solid?

cathy on 12. April, 2014

How about adding in some peanut butter to keep it firmer in the heat?

savi on 22. May, 2014

Loved this idea so much that I made one immediately!! We live in an apartment & this comes handy to hang it out of our window so lil’ one can enjoy looking at birdies!! It was irrestible so I hung it this evening, so far no takers. Am excited & Hoping to see some tomorrow.. Thanks for sharing!

CharlieB on 22. May, 2014

How lovely to hear you made one, I hope you get some birds soon – what a wonderful thing for your little one to watch if they come and feed 🙂

15 Inspiring Diy And Homemade Bird Feeder Plans And Ideas on 14. July, 2014

[…] Lovely bird-feeders could be made by using the vintage teacups. Sharon came up with this easy idea, using cracked china cups. After kneading the lard into the seed fill each teacup with enough room for the birds to grip them. A ribbon can also be tied and the feeder cup is ready for being placed in the trees. Get the details here […]

How to DIY Simple and Pretty Teacup Bird Feeder | www.FabArtDIY.com on 23. September, 2014

[…] How to make your own vintage teacup bird-feeders from The Natural Wedding Company. […]

Liz on 6. January, 2015

Very nice this vintage teacups, I have just one question:
Lard is not to fat for the birds? Lard is made from pig fat and is dangerous for humans, is not dangerous for the birds?

CharlieB on 7. January, 2015

Hi Liz, I believe the thinking that lard is dangerous/unhealthy is now outdated, there has been a lot of press recently that shows the health benefits of lard, if you do a quick internet search it should reassure you that lard is not dangerous for humans, and therefore I wouldn’t imagine for birds either.

Joanne Christensen on 17. March, 2016

cute idea, my retired husband and I liove to see the birds that come a round to eat, we will try this , too

Gail on 2. December, 2016

Maybe stick a spoon into it to give the birds more of a perch! Beautiful!

KRussell on 12. December, 2016

Making some of these with our garden group for December something pretty in the dead of winter. My kids painted plain white cups. Thanks for sharing

DIY Teacup Bird Feeder Projects on 2. March, 2017

[…] How to make your own vintage teacup bird-feeders from The Natural Wedding Company. […]

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[…] Vintage Teacup Bird Feeders DIY from Charlie @ The Natural Wedding Co. New Wives Club […]

Patricia on 19. November, 2018

Is there anything you can do to avoid the white coat that comes from suet that is cooled? Some of the images don’t have that white coating.

Charlie on 26. November, 2018

Hi Patricia, this wasn’t a project I made myself so I’m not sure how helpful I can be. Do you think using more birdseed/less suet might work? x

25 Best Homemade DIY Bird Feeders for All Kinds of Yards and Gardens – My Home Inspiration on 25. February, 2020

[…] Don’t let those old yard sale teacups waste away in your dark attic. While birds may not enjoy a cup of tea as much as we do, they do enjoy clinging to hanging cups full of yummy seeds. Interested? You can get the full details on this project at The Natural Wedding Company. […]

25 DIY Bird Feeder Ideas to Attract Birds to Your Backyard on 27. June, 2021

[…] See Instructions here → […]

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