6 Easy DIY Hummingbird Feeders (They're Basically Free!)

I’m a HUGE fan of using what you have on hand instead of buying new.

The “Reduce” part of 3 Rs of Recycling is the most important. “Reuse” for anything and everything when you can.

The “Recycling” part? Most of it ends up in the trash.

Anyway, I wanted to give you all some options for making hummingbird feeders that reduce your footprint or and save you money.

4 Tips to Know from the Start

1. Yellow Attracts Bees

Red is the popular choice for hummingbirds because their eyes pick up on it easily.

They pick up on all warm colors easily— red, orange, and yellow.

Yellow attracts bees who will drink your hummingbird nectar. So skip the yellow to keep the nectar for your hummers.

2. Feeder Placement

Hanging your hummingbird feeder makes it visible. You can place your hummingbird feeder on a stable surface in a highly visible place, too.

It’s best to put them near flowers or a bird bath if you have either.

3. Hummingbirds are Easy to Miss

It’s easy to miss them if they stop by your feeder. They fly super fast and are small birds that are often mistaken for bugs at first glance.

Be patient and know if your kids or students are eager to spot one, they may be waiting awhile.

Consider using an old iPhone to record your feeder.

Use the Sparkbird App to record and identify birds at your feeder and watch later.

4. How to make an Ant Moat for Hummingbird Feeders

Ants are highly attracted to nectar. After all it's just sugar water.

The best hummingbird feeders have ant moats to make sure they don't drown in the nectar feeder and spoil the nectar.

Here's how you can make an ant moat for your DIY hummingbird feeders.

Here are 6 kid friendly DIY hummingbird feeders you can make with common household items

Water Bottle Hummingbird Feeder

A. Tupperware Method

The tupperware acts as a perch.

This is great if you have old, worn out plastic food containers that aren't reliable for packing lunch anymore.

B. Straw Method

The nectar straw makes it easier for hummingbirds to drink the nectar.

It mimics the tube shaped flowers they get nectar from in the wild.

C. Liter Bottle

This one is the most visually appealing in my opinion.

Consider adding a faux flower ring around the spout.

Or DIY some fake flowers at home using aluminum cans and paint.

Mason Jar Hummingbird Feeder (or Pickle Jar)

DIY mason jar hummingbird feeders are quite popular online.

Plenty of people have spare jars lying around from pickles or salsa.

Soy Sauce Hummingbird Feeder

Got a restaurant style soy sauce bottle?

The pouring spout is a natural nectar spout.

Glass Bottle Nectar Feeder

Great if you have an empty Perrier or wine bottle.

This one uses a couple of soda cans & paint to make flowers but you can use anything!

Peanut Butter Jar Hummingbird Feeder

Same as the mason jar.

Just drill or punch a few holes in the peanut butter jar lid.

Old Spice Jar Hummingbird Feeder

Spice jar lids already have holes for shaking out spices.

It’s as simple as filling it with hummingbird nectar and tying some string to hang it up.

The lack of perches or spouts for nectar (normally fake flowers) isn’t a dealbreaker— but if you have supplies to make either, it’s advised.

It's best to use short spice jars so hummingbirds can reach the nectar in the jar.

Alternatively, you can DIY a spout or feeder station.

What hummingbird feeder did you make?

Share it on the Sparkbird App! Available in the Apple App Store.

Make sure to check out our other hummingbird articles: