How to Make a Decorative Glass Bird Feeder

This is a simple and beautiful project.
Rated -- Easy for beginners.

Materials List
• 1 glass candy dish with lid
• 1 glass plate (slightly larger than your candy dish)
• 1 ¼” X 12” threaded rod
• 1 ¼” eye bolt
• 1 ¼” connecting nut
• 4 ¼” flat washwers
• 4 ¼” hex nuts


Tools List
• 1 tube of glue for glass (optional)
• 1 1/4” diamond core bit or 5/16” diamond core bit
• 1 drill, drill press or rotary tool (such as Dremel)


Optional
• glass paints
• paint brush


This decorative glass bird feeder is a good project for beginners. It’s easy to make. You'll drill one hole in the center of the candy dish, lid and plate. That’s it! The threaded rod holds the entire bird feeder in place

Let’s get started.

You’ll find candy dishes and glass plates at garage sales, flea markets, dollar stores and local thrift shops. We found ours at a local Goodwill store. We chose a clear candy dish and plate so that we can paint them. You could also choose an already decorated ceramic plate and candy dish.

There is no right or wrong combination. Be creative. Decorate with beads, paint or stencils. This is your creation.

Drill a ¼” or 5/16” hole through the center of the candy dish, lid and plate. A diamond core bit works best. You’ll need a hole large enough for the threaded rod.

When drilling with small diamond core bits remember to:



• Use a slow drill speed of 1500-2500 RPM
• Use light drill pressure
• Keep the drill bit and the glass wet


For more drilling tips, visit the "How To Drill Glass" page on our website and download your free copy of the Glass Drilling Guide.

For this project, drill each piece individually. Place the plate upside down on the lid and glue them together. Make sure that you align the center holes that you drilled earlier.

If you’re going to paint or decorate the pieces, now is the time to do it.

We put a drop of glue inside both ends of the connecting nut and screwed the connecting nut onto the threaded rod and eye bolt. We don’t want the bird feeder to come apart and fall later.

Next we threaded a hex nut onto the threaded rod and spun it all the way up to the connecting nut. Thread the rod through a flat washer and then through the glued lid/plate combination piece.

Next another flat washer and then another hex nut. Now we have a “sandwich” of hex nut, flat washer, plate/lid, flat washer and hex nut. The hex nuts on the outside of our sandwich hold the plate/lid piece in one place near the top of the threaded rod.

Our second sandwich is a hex nut, flat washer, candy dish, flat washer and hex nut near the bottom of the threaded rod. Again the hex nuts on the outside of the sandwich hold the candy dish in place near the bottom of the threaded rod.

Now we should have everything held in place on the threaded rod.

The bird feeder is ready to be filled and to hang on our plant hook. It can be hung in a tree, on a chain, rope or cord.

Fill with bird seed and you’re done!!!