Tea cups to Bird feeders

Free standing Bird feeder on any kind of post, support for tomato plants or even a fence post.

The hanging version seems to attract the most birds for me. I'm not sure if that is because the birds feel safer in the tree or if they actually like the swinging.

Real Junkers know that you don't throw anything away. You either find a new use for it, take it apart and use the parts or give it to someone who will. So begins my story of how I'm working through my lack of funds for making my home more comfortable.

Our backyard is a lovely place, or it will be. We're just working on landscaping and finding that the cost is more than we imagined.

My Grandmother left me a box full of mismatched tea cups. They are lovely but I could not find a way to sell them or find them good homes. I think a little of me wanted to keep some around ... so here is my solution.

We needed bird feeders for the various birds who visit our yard. Kind of a "Tweet-cup" solution presented itself to me. Plus they're a hit as gifts.

In the first picture you see that the bird feeder is on a stand, in the second you see we've hung it from a tree. Choices are endless really.

To Make a Tweet-cup

You'll have to find some tea cups made of china that don't cost too much. This is a good time for garage sales or your mother's basement.

You need a hole through the bottom of the tea cup and the saucer that allow the rainwater to drain out. I also make a hole near the bottom of the cup on the side (in case the bottom one gets blocked). Also a hole in the lowest part of the fancy part of the saucer.

To make these holes you need a electric drill and a Dremmel tile/ceramic bit. I found dremmel drill bits worked best and I had less breakage when I use them. You will need to press down on the cup to drill, however you don't want to be pressing with the hand that steadies the cup because the counter pressure may break the china when you make the hole. Some drills and bits will heat up alot, so blow off the dust and let it cool if needed.

Once the holes are made, you're almost there. I have still to find the perfect adhesive but Crazy glue works very well for the short term. Other adhesives I've tried are either too messy or stay too sticky. Crazy glue will let go after several months of weathering but it will not damage your cup.. you can store it for winter and reglue it in spring.

For Hanging cups you need a few more holes. You'll want to purchase or make some kind of hanger. I've choosen what I found at my Dollar store. These are made for hanging pots and is made of chain and hooks. For me, that means 3 more holes. These holes I spaced evenly around the edge of the of the saucer. Be careful to leave enough room from the edge that you won't weaken the china. Now you can insert the hooks, tighten them so they don't come out and hang up your newest creation.

Congratulations on reusing instead of tossing those old tea cups.

Get creative... Please do let me know how your creations turned out and what other dishes you tried.