Feeding Birds with Recycled Baskets

Reader and Community member Sue Farris recently shared her easy, money-saving trick for adding new bird feeders to her yard. She purchases baskets from thrift stores, fills them with seeds or nuts, and sets them out or hangs them in trees. It’s just that simple, and the birds love it.

Sue Farris

Sue notes that there’s no need to line the baskets; the small holes allow rainwater to drain out, keeping seed fresh. When baskets start to break down from the weather, you can dispose of them and easily find more at any thrift store, especially after Easter.

Sue Farris

This is a great and inexpensive way to put out extra food in the spring for birds just returning after migration. Nesting birds need lots of extra food to keep them going in the spring. You can also try filling the baskets with peanuts in the shell for feeding birds like blue jays that might bully birds at your regular feeders, or to distract the neighborhood squirrels.

Sharon Sheron

Have you tried hanging baskets like this for your birds? What other tricks do you have for feeding birds?