This Minecraft Creeper Milk Container Bird Feeder is an awesome way to get kids involved with nature. It’s also a great recycling craft for sunny weekend afternoons!

We love making gifts for family members. Whether it’s for a holiday or just to remind our relatives that we love them, once our imagination runs wild, there’s no stopping my children. With how beautiful and cool the weather has been, I can’t seem to stay indoors. This month we kicked off May with making a special bird feeder for Grandma as well as one for our very own backyard.

As Henry David Thoreau once said, “The world is but a canvas to the imagination.“

I especially love crafting because it gives me a chance to sit and watch my children’s’ creativity flourish. Mr. J was so excited about this special project and he refused to show me the front of his bird house until he was complete. He used several different shades of green paint and was so involved in his creation. The best part? Watching him try to hold back his giggles as he yelled, “ta da!” and unveiled his masterpiece: a Minecraft bird feeder.

He proudly stood before me and explained that the birds will be attracted to it because it’s green like their “environment.” (Wait a minute? Did my four-year-old just use the word “environment” accurately in a sentence? SWOON!) He was also happy to point out that his birdfeeder was really funny too because as the birds eat, the Minecraft Creeper will be happily watching them.

Since he’s too young to use sharp scissors on his own, he showed me where he wanted me to cut the hole around the mouth where he outlined it in black puffy paint. After we hung the feeder, I’m not going to lie, it was definitely a bit creepy to me. But, he lit up and was so proud once that first bird came swooping in that I too was overjoyed for him (but I still won’t make eye contact with this birdfeeder after dark…)

MINECRAFT MILK CONTAINER BIRD FEEDER

Materials:

A clean, dry container (We used a half gallon milk carton and a Lysol tub.)
Non-toxic paint, white
Non-toxic paint, assorted colors (I pulled out samples of just about every kind of paint we have in our craft room. Regular, acrylic, chalk based, puffy. You name it, they used it!)
Nature! We want birds to know this is for them, so try to incorporate leaves, sticks and other outdoor items your little ones collected while discussing the seasons, what types of creatures eat those plants, etc.
Bird seed: Quickest way to attract birds is with food! If you don’t want to run out to the store, any seeds you have at home should work too.
Decorations (Be creative! Stickers, glitter, anything to make this craft special to your kids.)
Rope, to tie the finishing project to a tree.

Instructions:

Step 1.) Paint the containers white. This will help your kids’ artwork appear brighter without words or pictures showing through from the original cartoon or jug.

Step 2.) Decorate! Make a mess, have fun, and let your children be expressive.

Step 3.) Let dry. Depending on the amount of paint and items used, this can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours. My middle child went a little nuts with the puffy paint and glitter for Grandma, so his took over an hour to dry.

Step 4.) Cut a hole for the bird seed. I did this after we decorated to ensure paint or other items that can potentially be harmful to birds didn’t get inside. You can also use Mod Podge on the outer area to keep everything securely on the bird feeder and in case other critters try to eat the knickknacks.

Step 5.) Cut a small hole underneath the bird door to insert a stick. The kids found a random stick in the backyard. It doesn’t have to be fancy. This is just so the birds have something to stand on to eat.

Step 6.) Fill the bottom layer of the bird feeder with seeds.

Step 7.) Tie a rope around the top to hang. Depending on the type of container you use you may need to cut another hole.

Step 8.) Sit back and watch for birds! We got a lot of activity with our new bird feeder, and can’t wait for grandma to see her special surprise!

Happy crafting,

Gina

How about some gardening with kids crafts?