Recycled Birdfeeder for Earth Day

This Earth Day...

 

That’s what I did. 

I used the last of my applesauce when I made the Double Chocolate Banana Minis, and was about to throw away the container when I saw the potential.  

What could be better than recycling trash, and doing something with it to help nature’s animals? A bird feeder…

I made sure to wash it out really well and remove the labels. 

I cut out the large opening for the birds, and also the smaller hole for the perch.

Trying to stick with my love for Earth, I went outside and found a broken off twig lying on the ground, and used it for the bird perch.

It was time to break out the hot glue gun. 

I glued everything in place, and even used the large plastic piece I cut out for the opening as an awning.

Collecting a few things from past projects, I got started on decorating, gluing things here and there.  I even kept the lid intact for future use.

To make the hanger, I punched holes in the sides, slid my hemp rope through them, and tied knots to secure the string inside.  I also covered the knots in hot glue for extra stability.

 

When everything was in place, it was a little front heavy, so I glued a couple rocks toward the back on the inside.

In no time at all I had a new birdfeeder that was made from something that was moments away from going in the trash. All it was missing was the seed.

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

What did you do this year to take care of our planet?

There are so many things that can be done, and not just one day out of the year.

Plant something.

Pick up trash.

Recycle.

Make a compost.

And so much more!

Until next time…

Happy DIY-ing!!!

Monogrammed Address Sign

So, I’ve lived in my house now for almost nine years, and there’s one thing that has been sorely neglected; our address sign.  The post and wood plaque were from before we moved here, and they were never treated in any way.  When more numbers had fallen off than were still on, I decided to take it down with the intention of redoing it. 

Two years later, it still wasn’t done.  When you live out in the country and your mailbox is half a mile away, house addresses aren’t needed very often.  However, this Christmas we ordered an expensive gift for my in-laws, and it was delivered to my neighbors.  That was too close! It was finally time…

We had recently painted our front door a beautiful red, so with the left over paint, I decided to spruce up the post.  Two coats was all that was needed.

 

That done, it was time for the sign itself.  I went out and bought black numbers, with the intension of using the original sign and painting it with white acrylic paint.  I knew that the three colors together would give it a more sophisticated feel.

Something was missing though; a personal touch that would make it stand out.  I started searching the web, and found my inspiration. 

Monogrammed Outdoor Sign

I used the same technique and painted the edges black to lock in the sign.  I tried to tape off around the edges first, but since the sign was older, it wasn’t a smooth and flat surface.  I knew I could do a better job free handing it, so that’s what I did.  The sign already had the decorative edge, so it was easy to use the lines as a guide.   

Then, came the monogramming part.  I could have very easily printed off a “W” and cut it out, but I wasn’t exactly sure how big or wide I was going to make it.  Here’s my secret…  I found the letter “W” on my iPad, increased it to the size I wanted, put a white piece of paper over the top of it, and lightly traced it.  The iPad worked as a type of light box, and it was very simple to see through the paper. 

**I do NOT recommend this shortcut for anyone that doesn’t have proper protection over their screen, and I’m positive that APPLE would frown upon this idea.**

Once I got the letter on the paper, I cut it out, placed it where I wanted it, and traced around it onto the wood.  Using my steady hand, and a small paintbrush, I painted the letter black to match the rest of the sign, using an acrylic paint once again.  I chose not to add any extra design to it, instead kept it nice and simple.

I sealed it with Mod Podge to protect the paint, and let it dry.  Next, was to place the numbers where I wanted them. 

I’m known to be a little over creative sometimes, but since the sign was looking so unified, I decided to keep the numbers strait and even. Once, I centered the middle number, I eyeballed where I wanted each number to be, but made sure they were all an equal distance from the bottom.    

Here came the most interesting part for me.  They were nail on numbers with two nail holes per number.  At first, I nailed in one nail and when the number shifted on me, I had to go back and make sure it was strait all over again before hammering in the second nail.  After the first number, I found that it was easier to make an small indent in each nail hole where I wanted the nail to be, then start hammering.  That way, no matter how much it moved, I knew exactly where to put it back to. 

After a few grumbles, a couple crooked pounds, and a lot of curses when I hit my thumb, the sign was put together, and looked fantastic.  It feels nice to have checked this task of my long list of things to do.  Not to mention that I love having a piece of our family hanging out for everyone to see.

**Our original sign had hooks on it already, but if you’re starting with a new one, EYE hooks and S hooks are what you’ll want.**

Do you like this idea?

Let me know what you think, or even send a picture of your creative address sign, so I can see what YOU came up with.  

 

Happy DIY-ing!