Tea Cup Bird Feeder Tutorial

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I've been making these Tea Cup Bird Feeders for years and thought you might like to make one too! You know now that spring is here. The Birdies just might like this. 


Materials 

Cup and Saucer

Spoon

1/2 inch Copper Pipe (Plumbing section of a hardware store.) Side Note: I get several emails saying that the copper pipe is just too expensive however, I would like to point out that for about $10-$12 you can actually get about 3 stands when cut down to size. I don't think that's too bad!

1/2 inch Copper Cap (Also in the plumbing section of a hardware store.)

Sandpaper

All-Purpose Adhesive (E6000 works best!)

Birdseed

Water

1. With sandpaper, lightly sand the bottom of the cup. 

2. Lightly sand the top of the saucer where the cup will sit. This will allow for a better bond.

3. Apply the adhesive around the base of the cup where it will touch the saucer.

4. Attach the cup to the saucer, press firmly. Add weight to the top while drying, books work good.

5. Sand the bottom of the spoon and the small spot on the saucer where the spoon will sit.

6. Apply adhesive to the spoon. I also apply adhesive to the stem of the spoon where it will hit the edge of the saucer.

7. Attach spoon to the saucer. Press down firmly. This perch is for the birds! he! he!

8. Now this next step is the hardest but it must be done properly if you want it to last. You must wait for the adhesive to properly dry/cure before moving on. :) This must be done and could take up to 24 hrs. Read the directions on whichever adhesive you select for dry time.

9. Once the adhesive is dry, turn the cup and saucer upside down and sand a small spot in the center of the saucer.

10. Sand the top of the 1/2 inch copper cap.

11. Apply adhesive to the copper cap.

12. Attach the copper cap to the bottom of the saucer. Pressing firmly again add weight to the top as it is drying.

13. Now again you must allow this to properly dry. This seems like forever! But you need to let it dry for the proper time if you want it to last.

14. Place the copper pipe in the ground.  

15. Place the Tea Cup Bird Feeder on top, by placing the pipe in the cap that is attached to the bottom of the saucer. My copper pipe is about 3 feet tall but you can make it any desired height. Smaller heights are good for pots.

16. Add water to the cup and birdseed to the saucer and let the birdies enjoy!

These will last for several years. This one below is one of my favorites and is about 6 years old! It is still very sturdy! And does not need any repairs and never has needed any repairs. I did use the E600 on this one. I love it!


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62 comments:

  1. I absolutely LOVE this idea! How clever! Did you just use a regular tea cup? (In the pictures, it looks rather large.)
    I think we're going to make this a spring homeschool craft project. We have teacups for a tea we attended and we really aren't tea drinkers!

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  2. These are adorable and so clever. I've never seen anything like them.

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  3. I've seen these alot, but never knew how to make one. Thanks so much for sharing your directions! I have a teacup that will be perfect :)

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  4. TOSHeidi - Yes, the cup in the tutorial is really large. I picked it up at a thrift shop. You can pretty much use any size cup and saucer.

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  5. I just featured the same exact project, how funny! Great minds think alike, I love them, the birds do too!!~

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  6. This is a clever idea - love Toby mac

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  7. I am loving your blog! You have some great ideas! I want to come to your house for a party! How fun with all of the fun ideas with baseball! I am going to forward this onto my sil-my nephew turns 3 this saturday!
    I can't wait to come back and see what other fun ideas you come up with!!!
    Please, stop by sometime and say hello!!
    Happy Tuesday!

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  8. What a wonderful project! I'm making one of these for sure! I LOVE it! What a wonderful Mother's Day gift it would make!!
    Thank you for sharing @ Anything Related!
    ~Rebekah

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  9. Ha ha.. you're on fire this week. I'm browsing Get Your Craft On and I just left your jewelry frame and the very next thing that caught my eye was this. What a great idea!!

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  10. Thank you so much for posting these instructions. I've been looking for a birdfeeder and had not spotted one as cute as this.

    Looks like a nice project for the weekend.

    Thanks again for sharing.

    Kay - North Central Texas
    txkottage@aol.com

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  11. Simply adorable! Thanks for the great tutorial and for linking up to Be Inspired today.

    Chelsea

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  12. Awesome tutorial. I do really well with step by step :) The bird feeder turned out gorgeous! Woo Hoo!

    Thank you so much for linking to Woo Hoo! Wednesday and sharing the fun!

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  13. This is just too much for me! I will definitely share this on a post soon! Stay tuned! And...oh...could you move to Tennessee so we could be BFFs? ;-)

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  14. This is sooo cute. I found you from Always Nesting's Woohoo Wednesday, and I'm sooo glad I did. I can't wait to make one of these!

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  15. I LOVE this idea, never seen it before, I so want to make one for my front yard that I keep 'prettying' up :) Is that first tea cup and saucer one of those large plant pots? It looks huge next to your son's hands?

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  16. I just loved this idea...so cute and I think I can do it! Thanks for sharing it! :D

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  17. I love these and the spoon is something I haven't seen before--have you had it stand the test of time and weather? Thanks so much for linking up to my Under $100 party.

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  18. That is so darling! I love that you added the spoon - too cute! :)

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  19. This is too cute! I love it! Yuo are too cretive!

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  20. I've seen a couple of these lately but I have to say the little blue and green flowered cup and saucer just thrills me! I want to find a set like that and make a bird feeder. Thanks for the tutorial!
    Lisa

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  21. Your birds are having dinner from a very handsome table setting. Jane F.

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  22. I just love this. And I absolutely love your blog!!

    I'm having a blog party tomorrow and I'd love it if you linked up!
    http://www.iamalongfortheride.blogspot.com

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  23. Very cute!!

    Thanks for the comment! Happy anniversary to you too!

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  24. Such a cute idea!! I love that you put the spoon on it too. Soooo darling!

    XOOX
    Jen

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  25. Love it! Thanks so much for the great tutorial. I've made several of these but have been doing it a different way -- now I'm switching to YOUR program. And I love the addition of the spoon, great idea.
    Midge

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  26. so adorable!!! I am going to have to try this for my garden :) thanks for sharing!!!

    www.smallbirdstudio.blogspot.com

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  27. What a clever idea! thanks for sharing - I look forward to adding this to my garden.
    Paula in Idaho

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  28. Amazing! I think my mom will be getting one of these babies....

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  29. Very cute! A couple of years ago I used to make these from vintage teacups and sell them in local shops!

    I like the addition of the spoon!

    Thanks for sharing at My Backyard Eden!

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  30. I'm in total love with this.... I will have to do this..

    Thanks for joining Get Your Craft on Thursday. Please join me next week for another great party!

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  31. This is so sweet! Love it! So clever and creative.. I must have some of these for my garden! Thanks for the great tutorial! Thanks so much for joining the Sunday Showcase Party! I greatly appreciate it! Hope you are enjoying your weekend! ~ Stephanie Lynn

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  32. Just wanted to let you know I’ll be featuring your bird feeder today! Stop by and grab a featured button if you like! This is simply adorable! Thanks so much for linking up to the Sunday Showcase. ~ Stephanie Lynn

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  33. We finally got around to making these yesterday. I posted pictures of the finished product here:
    http://heidi-strawser.blogspot.com/2010/05/teacup-birdfeeders.html
    We improvised a bit, but I think they turned out really cute.
    Thanks again for the great tutorial!

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  34. I just wanted to let you know that I featured your here:

    http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2010/05/sunday-spotlight-soys-favorites.html

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  35. I just found your blog through your guest posting on "Little Birdie Secrets". Thank you so much for this wonderful idea! I'm definitely going to try it. One question... do you fill the inside of the cup with anything?

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  36. What a cool idea. Very creative!! Thanks for sharing at 'Look at me, I'm SO Crafty!' at Fun to Craft.

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  37. Are you kidding me? This is the cutest thing EVER! Thanks so much for the how-to instructions. You rock!

    Corinna
    www.myscrapbooklife.com

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  38. I blogged about these today. I love them

    www.esbechic.com

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  39. What a neat project! I totally want to do one. I think I will!

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  40. I have had this project on the back burner for the past month! I really need to do it!

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  41. Just found you through Jess and "How About Orange" and really like your blog ;D My Dad made these bird feeders years ago (he passed five years ago now) and this just brought back sweet memories. I'll have to make one for Father's Day in his memory...thanks again :}

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  42. Saw the post on my FB through my sisters posting and hopped on over to check it out. Reminds us both of our father who passed 5 years ago. Beautiful!

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  43. I really like this tutorial, but could you please not have music playing? Or at least prominently display the STOP button? I was really interested in this post until your music comandeered my speakers. (I'm still interested, and I thought this is an awesome idea, but the music makes me not want to come back to this site.)

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  44. these are so cute! i'll be posting about them on my blog (w/credits and links.) thanks so much for sharing!

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  45. Thanks for this great tutorial! I made one over the weekend for my Mom and she LOVES it!!!

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  46. Thank you for sharing this tutorial. I'm looking forward to making one or two for gifts and for myself.

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  47. Thank you so much for this wonderful idea and tutorial. I shall be having a go at this at the weekend. I adore it! x

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  48. I think this is a super idea and I may use one of my beloved teac cups to decorate my garden in this manner! now I just have to get some piping

    love Dawn xx

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  49. Hi -
    I just love love love this bird feeder. My sister just moved into a new home and is a huge birdwatcher. I am going to make her one of these for her birthday. So clever.
    My best- Diane

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  50. Glad you're all liking this!

    I'd love to see yours if you make them! Come let me know if you post yours.

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  51. I like the the idea of adding the spoon! thats cute! I glue the cap on and just pull the whole thing at the end of the season the tails of dogs (both mine and neighborhood dogs) would knock them off the pipe otherwise, i learned that the hard way!

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  52. Quite a while back I saw your tutorial on this and have loved the idea ever since!! I was finally able to make some feeders, so I wanted to let you know that I posted a blog about it. I linked back to your site to give you credit for the idea. I would love for you to stop over and see my version of your idea and let me know what you think.

    http://debbie-idodesigns.blogspot.com/2010/08/tea-cup-bird-feeders-kind-of.html

    Thanks for the great info!!!!

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  53. What a brilliant idea! I loved it so much I shared it on on FB page this morning. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  54. thank you so much for sharing this great tutorial...my sister is a master gardener and this will be the PERFECT gift for her! Love it!

    www.northerncottage.blogspot.com

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  55. Visiting from CSI Project. That's awesome. Maybe I'l make one for my MIL for Mothers' Day.

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  56. SUPER cute project...thanks for the idea

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  57. I just made 2 of these for end of year preschool teacher gifts...I was shocked when I went to Home Depot and found out how much the copper piping is...So instead I opted for the precut sections of 1/2 inch PVC piping with the flat topped 3/4 pvc cap...got some rustoleum spray paint in metallic copper and is labeled for "everything" plastic, metal...worked like a charm...saves money

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