Silverware Suet Feeder

Treat your birds to an elegant meal served in a feeder made with silver spoons and forks.

Your backyard birds deserve a fine dining experience, so serve up their suet in this elegant yet functional holder for a suet cake. Old silverware holds the suet in place for a whimsical way to feed your birds. It takes only a little while to put together—and before you know it, backyard birds will be lining up for a seat at the table.

What You Will Need

• Weathered board, 2 ft. long and at least 9 in. wide
• Silver-plated flatware, five pieces
• Hinge
• Wire, 18 in. long, 20-gauge
• Screws, assorted sizes to fit hinge holes and drilled silverware
• Drill bits
• Scrap piece of two-by-four
• Drill press or hand drill
• Nail
• Rubber mallet
• Screwdriver
• Wire cutter
• Pliers
• Safety goggles
• Gloves
• Wrapped suet cake

Step by step

1. Pound silverware as flat as you can with a rubber mallet. The more rustic it looks, the better!
2. Use the nail to make divots in handles of the silverware to keep the drill bit from skipping.
3. With safety goggles on, drill holes with drill press or hand drill, keeping drill bit perpendicular to silverware.
4. To make the first bend, place one piece of silverware, decorative side up, on a sturdy surface. Place two-by-four on top of the handle, and bend the silverware up at a 90-degree angle. Wear gloves if you would like, and repeat with remaining silverware.
5. To determine where silverware should go, place a wrapped suet cake on the weathered board; mark with a pencil. Place silverware on the board to hold suet, and attach with screws.
6. Make the second bend by placing the two-by-four flush with each piece of silverware and bending the silverware over the two-by-four. Refer to photo (right), and use the rubber mallet to help, if necessary.
7. Attach a hinge to the back of the board. The tubular part of the hinge should be just above the edge.
8. String wire through the center of the hinge and curl it with pliers to make decorative loops for hanging.
9. Remove the wrapper from a store-bought suet cake, but leave it in the plastic tray. Insert into the feeder.
10. You're done! Now just enjoy the birds enjoying their treat!