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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament

December 5, 2013 13 Comments

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

Just like the crazy midcentury Santa decoration I shared last week, this birdhouse ornament is from my mom’s stash of homemade ornaments dating back to the early 1900s. This little bird feeder has always been a favorite ornament of mine – I think because rather than just hanging there looking pretty, it’s a little bit like a snapshot of a moment in time. The birds are resting on the feeder of a birdhouse to grab a quick snack before taking off. It’s really adorable hanging from a Christmas tree, and so easy to make.

Supplies

plastic canvas
red and white yarn
scissors
yarn needle
plastic shot glass (like these)
bird seed
tiny plastic birds (like these)
tacky glue
fishing line or thread

Directions

Cut the following from your plastic canvas: two 2″x3″ rectangles, one 2″x2.5″ rectangle & one 3″x3″ square.

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied  Sew a pattern like the one pictured on the 3×3 square with red and white yarn, bordering it with a whip stitch to cover the edges of the plastic canvas.

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

Sew yarn in a zig zag pattern over the two 2×3 rectangle pieces, whip stitching over the two short edges and one long edge. Whip stitch the rectangles together on the remaining long side, forming the peak of the birdhouse’s roof. (See: how to whip stitch plastic canvas together.)

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

Sew over the remaining 2×2.5″ plastic canvas piece, whip stitching over the edges. Sew it to the inside of the rest of the birdhouse roof.

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

This ornament is about 50 years old, so you’ll have to pardon a bit of frizz in the detail pics.  

Fill the tiny plastic cup halfway with some bird seed and glue the roof to the top edge of the cup, centering it. Glue the bottom of the cup to the center of the 3×3″ square too. Let dry.

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

Glue a couple teeny tiny piles of bird seed and two little birds to the base of the birdhouse to finish, and use a little bit of fishing line or thread sewn through the top edge of the roof to hang.

How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament DIY | Hands Occupied

So adorable, right? Do you have a favorite (possibly even homemade) Christmas ornament hanging on your or a relative’s tree? I’d love to hear all about it! :)

Filed Under: Christmas, How-to Tagged With: bird feeder, birdhouse ornament, birds, christmas, crafts, diy, ornament, vintage

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is an artist, author and crafts designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame. In addition to running the Hands Occupied Blog and Pattern Shop, you can find her making videos & co-hosting the Very Serious Crafts podcast.

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Comments

  1. Tori D

    December 6, 2013 at 7:15 am

    This is sooo cool its a great idea! I wish i had all the stuff to make it

    Reply
  2. Diane

    December 10, 2013 at 3:29 pm

    Ooh, I’m just seeing this – what a great project!! Thank you for carrying the PC torch! :-)

    Reply
  3. Karen

    June 13, 2014 at 9:41 am

    OMG! My mom made these YEARS ago!! I still have one on my tree every year. She also made mailbox, drum, jack-in-the-box and a few other ornaments utilizing the plastic canvas method. I treasure them because she made them. She is gone now, but these ornaments live on and her memory with them.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      June 13, 2014 at 10:39 am

      Yeah, homemade ornaments are my favorite heirlooms!

      Reply
  4. Brenda

    August 28, 2014 at 2:10 am

    So glad I found this bird feeder. My mother-in-law always made these. Been wanting to make some also. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. lydia

    December 10, 2014 at 11:50 pm

    just love these bird feeders as well as some of your other cafts. thank you so very much

    Reply
  6. ELeanor baker

    November 18, 2015 at 4:14 pm

    I have made a dozen of these from a kit that had all the supplies. Can you tell me where to get the little shot glasses. The hanks in advance

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 18, 2015 at 6:43 pm

      Hi Eleanor,

      Since this is a vintage ornament from my mom’s tree, I don’t know where she got those exact glasses, but after a quick Google search for “tiny plastic shot glasses,” I found several options. There were many options. I recommend starting there and choosing the ones whose look you like best!

      -Heidi

      Reply
    • Robin

      August 14, 2016 at 10:07 pm

      That is not a shot glass, they are called commumion cups and you get them at a store that carry supplies for the churches. I’m making some now. I made them a long time ago but I just went a picked up the cups.

      Reply
  7. Debra

    October 2, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    I bought the communion cups/small cups at The Dollar General store.

    Reply
  8. sandra

    September 29, 2018 at 10:49 pm

    i have made these for several years and given away at nursing homes, and church . everyone has loved them. I save the communion cups from church service and take then home and wash them.

    Reply
  9. Virginia lund

    December 31, 2018 at 6:32 am

    I want the pattern for the little bird feeder ornaments

    Reply
    • Heidi

      December 31, 2018 at 12:30 pm

      I don’t have one as this is vintage. The detail shots & text give you an idea of how this would come together.

      Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

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There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s ab There’s an update on the blog today, & it’s about how I’m going to take the next 2 weeks off to rest & recharge. ☺️🧶 No new content for y’all means I can also take a moment to zoom out & plan what’s next. Link is in bio. 
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A note on Very Serious Crafts: In the post I discuss stepping away from the @seriouscrafts podcast to give myself more time to devote to some minor medical issues. Don’t you worry - my health will be fine, & @molliejohanson @redhandledscissors and I are still pals, and after a short break of their own, the podcast will be back! Just sans moi. 💁🏼‍♀️😆 
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Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it shoul Been a little quiet this holiday week, as it should be. ☺️🎄The past few days have been filled with a lot of catching up on festive zoom calls & raising toasts to the camera. 🥂 Connecting with people has been a welcome change of pace! Now I’m feeling ready to meet my inevitable end-of-year deadlines. 😆
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Warmest wishes for the season, my friends! ❤️💛💙
Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker beh Hi, I’m Heidi, the craft book author & maker behind Hands Occupied! 👋🏻 I’ve been enjoying making Reels a lot lately, but I wanted to bop in to share a regular photo & say hello. 🤓 
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rather than giving you my bio right now, I have a question. I just got this new sweater & I can’t stop imaging how funny it would be to wear this to a knitting class ... is that bad? 🤣🤣🤣
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Pictured: a blond woman with glasses wearing a sweater that reads “all your sweaters are ugly” standing in front of a Christmas tree.
Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is o Wet blocking, also called immersive blocking, is one of the most common methods for finishing a knitting project and helping ensure its final size and shape. Learn basic blocking for absolute beginners in an easy-to-follow (non-Reel!) video tutorial! Catch the tutorial on YouTube or the Hands Occupied Blog, link is in bio. 🧶 #handsoccupied #stopswatchandblockit #KPAmbassadorsDec20 #sponsored
Had to share this perfect capture of one of my fav Had to share this perfect capture of one of my favorite weird homemade Christmas ornaments: a simple macramé Santa face with beads for the eyes and nose! My Great-Grandma made it too. 🎄
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Might have to try making a quickie Reel tutorial for this guy - I think it’s the perfect project for it, don’t you? 🎅🏼 #handsoccupied #macrame
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