Dean and Denise Henry of Highlandville, Mo., turn old tires and discarded flower pots into bright colored bird feeders and houses built to last.
The couple's business, Recycled Tire Feeders, has become a staple at the Dogwood Festival over the past five years.
Dean can often be seen assembling bird houses and feeders inside his booth at the festival. He brings all the materials, prepped and painted, and builds the houses and feeders on-site. They often sell out so quickly he has a hard time keeping up, he said.
The bird feeders are made from the walls of recycled tires, cut into the shape of flowers and painted bright, cheerful colors. The center hole of the tire is covered with a mesh screen to create a horizontal platform for the seed to rest on when the feeder is hung.
Birds love the open design of the feeders, according to the Henrys. People from all over the country send the couple photos of birds flocking to their feeders, they said.
Birds seem to feel safer at the open feeders than at traditional feeders because there is nothing obstructing their view from what is around them, Dean said. The open design also provides easy access to any size bird, Denise added.
"There is nothing on the feeders that can harm the birds," she said.
Many customers worry that the feeder being flat and open will cause the seed to mold if it becomes wet, but the screen underneath actually keeps the seed from clumping together and acts as a dehydrator that dries the seed as the wind blows, Denise said.
The bird houses are made from recycled plastic pots that garden plants come in, the Henrys said. The roofs of the houses are made from pieces of tire tread and each house has a tiny wreath around the door. The houses also feature an easy-open bottom that allows them to be easily cleaned from year to year.
The couple gets a lot of repeat business from year to year. Many of their costumers tell the Henrys that birds prefer their houses over other designs, Denise said.
"I'm not sure why that is, but I have a lot of people who actually do have birds nest in them," she said.
Denise worked with a team of paint specialists at a local paint store to come up with a custom formula for the feeders and houses. The paint is environmentally friendly and doesn't give off any harmful odors or gases. It also adheres to the rubber and plastic so that it will stay bright and last for years.
Denise, who has a long-time passion for both birds and recycling, came up with the idea to create bird feeders from old tires during the middle of the night.
"She woke me up about 3 a.m. and said she had a good idea to make something," Dean said. "I told her to tell me in the morning, but she told me 'I have to tell you now or I'll forget.'"
Denise explained that she had been working with friends to make crafts from old tires and they had a lot of scrap left over. She said she kept thinking, "We've got to do something with this."
The Henrys developed the design and did a lot of testing to make sure the bird feeders and houses were durable and bird friendly.
Denise's lifetime of watching birds and observing nature helped her in the design process. Growing up on a farm also taught her the importance of recycling and repurposing items, a value that she has kept throughout her life.
As retired owner of several large craft malls and music theaters in Branson, Mo., Dean loves interacting with people at the festivals the couple attends. His work assembling the feeders and houses often attracts many spectators.
The Dogwood Festival will be the perfect opportunity for people to buy bird houses because it falls during the time of the year that houses should be put out, Denise said.
More information about the Henrys and their business is available at www.tirefeeders.com.
General News on 04/20/2016
Posted by jen schiff on 5th Apr 2022
lovely gift! someone gave this to me for our patio as a house-warming and i loved it so much i bought another for mysef and for my neighbor!
Posted by zoraida ... on 25th Nov 2020
adorable. beautiful. love it great quality. great size. just the perfect gift for a brother.
Posted by bird lover on 10th Oct 2020
I really love this feeder... although it is quite small, so it needs to be refilled often. But it's cute hanging on our tree and the birds seem to love it!
Posted by portia on 28th Jun 2020
love this! it's smaller than you might want, so it has to be filled often - but i LOVE it.
I've given it as a gift to so many people and they all love it!
Posted by susan smyth on 23rd Jun 2020
Loved this!! I have given this as a gift several times and have one myself. Great price, fast shipping. It's small but soooo adorable hanging on a branch in our backyard!
Posted by audrey fusco on 30th May 2020
this little bird feeder is well made and extremely cute! Doesn't hold a lot of seed, but i love the way it looks in my garden
Posted by rose on 10th Dec 2019
love this item! i've given this as a gift so many times, i forget who i gave it to! I love this - and the birds seem to too!
Posted by emily marino on 20th Jul 2019
i LOVE LOVE LOVE this bird feeder.
It's so cute and really attracts the birds. I bought two - one for my husband and one for a friends birthday. looks sweet in our backyard garden:-)
Do you have winged guests in your backyard? Pretty little birds are always a sight to behold. You can make friends with these wild children of nature. And the best way to extend a hand of friendship is to feed our smaller feathered brothers.
Birds love to peck at grains, seeds and cereals. You can scatter them on the ground or on a balcony cornice, but that creates a huge mess and then makes it difficult to clean up. So, what you can do instead is create a small bird feeder and hang it from the trees in your yard or from your windows.
Birds really appreciate such signs of attention, which means that your yard is waiting for a large number of feathered visitors.
In this article, we have collected for you the coolest ideas for making bird feeders with your own hands from improvised materials.
Everyone in the house has one. In particular, a large number appear after family holidays and feasts. So instead of throwing them away, you can use them as bird feeders.
All you have to do is smooth out the sharp edges of the jar, paint the jar with bright colors and hang it on a hook or branch with fancy ribbons. You can also glue a short stick on the outside for the birds to sit on. Seems easy to do, doesn't it?
There are so many different kinds of tin can crafts, but this one deserves special attention. An original and beautiful idea to make flowers out of a tin that will not only decorate the yard, but also become a great bird feeder
These tins are cut in half and shaped like a flower. The central part of the flower is filled with bird food. You can paint the jars in different colors and pick them up on sticks.
This homemade bird feeder will blend in very naturally with the natural landscape.
Use an old tin can to make this bird feeder. Be sure to blunt the edges of the metal and fold the lid over so the birds don't hurt their paws.
Wrap the rope around the tin can. This will not only give the feeder an aesthetic appearance, but also allow the birds to use it as a shelter in harsh weather. It will also be easier to hang such a jar. You can buy such a rope at any hardware store or on the construction market, and at very low prices.
Very often we don't know how to use empty plastic bottles and end up throwing them away. However, now you know for sure that such bottles can be used to make convenient bird feeders.
These 1 liter plastic bottles can be hung on any tree or bush. Use wooden spoons to spread the grain evenly, and use the handles of the spoons as a convenient shelf for the birds.
Want to show off your creativity? Then make a real bird's cottage out of a plastic bottle.
This idea will especially appeal to children.
A very spacious and comfortable bird feeder made from large plastic bottles. After cutting huge holes in the bottle, be sure to cover the edges with electrical tape or tape so that the birds do not cut their paws.
You can add sticks to the bird feeder, which is not really necessary, but will make it even more convenient for the birds to use.
This design uses plastic disposable bowls and plastic cocktail straws.
This bird feeder comes with a drinker, a feeder and a roof to give the birds shelter in bad weather.
How about building a bird feeder that reminds you of a spaceship? Or a UFO?
For this idea, you can use old lampshades, glass or plastic jars, small aquariums.
You can make your own bird feeder from absolutely any material.
For example, this bird feeder is made from an old license plate.
You can also use old metal plates, wooden spoons, jars and bottles.
If you have glass jars that you no longer use, or jars that have lost their lids, you can make an original beautiful bird feeder out of them. It will look good in your garden or on your balcony and will attract many birds.
It is known that Tetra pack cardboard boxes are quite strong and durable, they perfectly store milk and juices. Use an empty Tetra pack to make a bird feeder. Decorate the box in bright colors and it will surely attract birds. Use small sticks to make bird stands.
Bird feeder from egg trays (master class)
Paper egg cartons can be really convenient and not only for storing and transporting eggs. Cardboard trays make very unusual bird feeders.
The best thing about this idea is that the bird feeder can be made in one to two minutes.
Punch a few holes in the corners of the box and thread some ribbon through it.
Toilet paper rolls are essentially a must in every home, but we end up throwing away the cardboard tube. This tube often becomes a material for creativity, including excellent bird feeders.
All you have to do is coat the tube of a toilet roll with peanut butter and carefully stick a thick layer of seeds, grains and crumbs onto it.
Now this bird feeder looks really charming. These are tiny swings filled with bread crumbs, cereals and seeds.
This bird feeder is our favorite!
The bird feeder looks like a miniature tree house, right? It is easy to assemble, glue and paint. Give free rein to your imagination!
Another option is to make miniature swings out of wooden popsicle sticks.
It also makes a good bird feeder.
If you have a few leftover PVC pipe pieces you can use them as a fancy bird feeder.
You can attach the pipe between two old saucers. PVC pipes can be easily painted with acrylic and oil paints.
Make a small elongated burlap bag, fill it with seeds and hang it on a tree or bush. It turns out a very interesting and unusual feeder. Small holes in the burlap will give the birds the opportunity to feast on the seeds and at the same time prevent the grains from getting enough sleep.
If you have old toy cars around the house, chances are you'll find a couple of tires. Seeds fit perfectly inside the tires. Hang the tire itself on a tree or bush.
If you don't have any way to make your own clay bird feeder but like the idea of using clay pots, this is the one for you.
You can use old flower pots or clay lamps to make a bird feeder.
If you have a lot of gardening tools in your shed that have not been used for a long time, you can convert them into bird feeders. You will need to separate the tip of the shovels from their wooden handles. If they have rust on them, you can easily remove it with some tips and tricks available on the internet.
Make sure you blunt the edges of the metal so the birds don't get hurt. Attach them to a tree trunk and you have shiny bird feeders.
Very original bird feeder. Shiny metal is sure to attract birds to your yard or balconies.
This bird feeder is adorable. Using a ceramic cup and saucer as a bird feeder can look very pretty with small birds perched on it.
The cup serves as a food holder for the birds and the saucer serves as a shelter
You can also use an old kettle for your winged friends.
It can serve as a birdhouse during severe weather conditions for small birds. Sealing the spout can prevent feed from spilling out.
If you are afraid to hang your china from a tree due to strong winds, you can use this alternative idea. The utensils will not wobble or break on any surface, so this is a very safe option for both the birds and you.
These tea cups are usually placed in a saucer and carefully glued on. The tea cup will contain the grits, and the saucer will serve as a bird stand. The cups are then glued to a rod, which is buried in the ground. So your cups won't break if you arrange them this way and they will surely attract a lot of hungry birds.
If you have old Lego pieces from children's toy sets, you can make your own Lego bird feeder.
Mix seeds and melted lard. Form the shapes you need and freeze.
For example, you can cut out stars or gingerbread figures and hang them on a candy stick for Christmas, hearts hanging from a beautiful red ribbon for Valentine's Day, or butterflies for spring and Easter.
A very interesting idea that is very easy to implement. Just create edible garlands and then hang them on trees and bushes. The birds will definitely appreciate it.
Pine cones naturally attract birds with their strong and fresh scent. You can use them to attract hungry birds to your homemade birdhouse.
Coat the cone with peanut butter and stick the seeds on it, and voila, the bird feeder is ready.
You can cut different shapes with the cookie cutters. You can even use pears for this feeder. Filling the cut space with bird seeds will definitely attract more birds and they will be surprised to find a juicy fruity treat!
Be sure to check out the detailed master classes on making bird feeders on our website. You will definitely find something suitable just for you.
DIY bird feeder. How to make a bird feeder?
Bird feeder. DIY bird feeder
How to make a bird feeder with your own hands?
Published: 2/28/2013
In the summer at the dacha, we enjoy the singing of birds and repeatedly follow their cheerful jumps around the dacha. But on the calendar, February is a difficult time for all living things. No wonder this month in Ukraine is called "fierce". Particularly affected are birds that did not fly away to warmer climes, but stayed to spend the winter with us. Under the snow cover, they cannot find food and literally a day later the hungry bird dies. Therefore, let's take care of our feathered brothers, who made us happy in the summer, and now they need our help.
Our help is to provide birds with food: dry grains, seeds or cereals. In no case, do not feed the birds with bread or boiled cereals, as in their stomach they become a lethal dose. Simply scattering food on the snow is not the best option, as it will make it difficult for the birds to access the treat and expose them to additional danger. We will tell you how to make DIY bird feeders that can be hung on a balcony, on a tree and in another place not accessible to cats.
In our article we present to your attention a collection of feeders that can be easily and simply made at home, without having any special talent in carpentry. For example, to make the simplest standard bird feeder, you will only need a sheet of plywood for the roof and bottom, a few small planks to make the sides and side walls. You can also make a feeder from a plastic bottle with a volume of at least one liter.
Even a kindergartener can make some feeders.
All you need is:
- an empty roll of toilet paper or kitchen towel.
