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Colorful knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame from craft book author & designer Heidi Gustad.

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How-to: Vintage Bird Feeder Ornament

December 5, 2013 15 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 a craft book author, designer & creator specializing in yarn crafts like knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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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
  10. Betsy Jumper

    January 10, 2022 at 8:01 am

    My Girl Scout troop and I made the bird feeder ornaments back in the 1980’s. I had also given them to friends and family . Many years ago, a mouse took up residence in one of my ornament boxes. She chewed through the plastic communion cup to get the bird seed and used the yarn in her nest. Haven’t given it any more thought until I was decorating my sister in love’,s tree for her. She came home from the hospital on Christmas eve. As I hung the little bird feeder on her tree, I knew I needed to make me another one, or more. So I went and purchased my plastic canvas and I am now well on the way to making my new ” vintage” ornaments.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 10, 2022 at 11:25 am

      That’s so sweet! I love to hear stories like this. (Well, maybe with fewer mice to clean up after…) ;) Enjoy!

      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 (she/her/hers), a craft book author & pattern designer specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. Really anything with yarn! ❤️  My work combines vintage and modern design elements, featuring bold colors and graphic motifs.

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handsoccupied

Helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010
🧶 Really into intarsia
Stay up-to-date 💌 & shop the latest patterns ⤵️

Heidi Gustad 🧶 knitting & yarn crafts
This audio was me last summer while secretly desig This audio was me last summer while secretly designing the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern behind the scenes. 😆 I very often design with primary colors, so trying to explain suddenly working with black, white and grey was awkward/kinda funny. 🩶
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In case you missed it, this is my design from the new book ‘Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town,’ available now from @insighteditions & @tanisknits. We’re doing a knit along starting very soon, and we’ll be knitting this pattern! I’ve got weekly video tutorials planned for this educationally-focused knit along. This KAL is especially for you if you’re eager to work on your intarsia. 🧶
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Full KAL details, yarn quantities & pattern information are available on my bl0g, the 🔗 is where you’d think. 
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Yarn: @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted
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#nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook #handsoccupied #spiralhillsweatervest #knitting #halloweenknitting #knitalong #kal #knitting_inspiration #intarsia #intarsiaknitting #learntoknit
Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the S Wow! I am floored by the awesome response to the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest. Thank you. 🙏🏻❤️ If you love this pattern & didn’t know already, we are going to be doing a knit along (KAL) from October 1-29 featuring this spooky sweater vest & lots of tutorials, especially for the intarsia part. 
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Later today my newsletter will be coming out with additional Knit Along details, so if you’re not already signed up, now is a great time - the 🔗 is in my b1o. 
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Pictured: My Spiral Hill Sweater Vest pattern from the new Nightmare Before Christmas knitting book by @tanisknits. Model is wearing size 1 with 2” of positive ease, knit in @brooklyntweed Imbue Worsted. Vest images via @insighteditions 
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#spiralhillsweatervest #handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmasknittingbook
At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater At long last! I can share the Spiral Hill Sweater Vest, my contribution to the new book Disney Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas: The Official Knitting Guide to Halloween Town and Christmas Town, out now! 🎃💀 
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I’m hosting a knit along (KAL) October 1-29 for anyone who’d like to knit this vest along with a group & learn a little about intarsia while we’re at it. I’ve got weekly tutorials planned to help you knit this worsted weight sweater vest, and there’s a prize package giveaway at the end for KAL participants too. Details are on my site - you know where to find the 🔗 I think. 😉
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Book by @tanisknits 
Publisher @insighteditions 
Yarn @brooklyntweed Imbue 
Find it wherever fine books are sold. 
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#handsoccupied #nightmarebeforechristmas #intarsia #sweatervest #knittingpattern #knittingbook #spiralhill #knitting_inspiration #knitting
Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs Since there was some interest in stills of my WIPs closet after this weekend’s quick tutorial, here are few. ✂️ The tutorial is one post back in my feed as a video.
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As you can see, I didn’t worry about the wire hangers all being perfectly uniform, but it doesn’t matter to me. Also, this closet holds a lot! Despite that, it is already at capacity. Since the hanging bags don’t appear to be recyclable, I want to reuse them as long as possible. Who knows, maybe this will be a way to limit my WIPs? 😅
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P.s. In the third photo you can see how I use this system to store the original swatches, scraps, yarn ball bands, & notes from a design project all together. 
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#handsoccupied #wips #craftstorage #yarnstorage #yarncrafts #knitting_inspiration #craftstudio #craftroom #craftcloset
How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with jus How to convert a closet into WIPs storage with just a few supplies ✂️
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When I was a librarian, we would use these hanging bags to circulate books with audiobook CDs. They came to mind when I wanted to develop a filing cabinet-like system for my differently-sized WIPs. To fit in my studio closet, a standard bedroom closet, they just needed custom hangers. 🤙🏻 
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HOW TO MAKE THE HANGERS
1. Carefully cut approx. a 9” (23 cm) length of flexible 3 mm aluminum wire.
2. Near the end of a large knitting needle or dowel, wrap the wire around it as you would a twist tie. 
3. Bend the other end into a hook shape, perpendicular to the circle shape you just created. 
4. Hang like a hanger in a closet, as shown. 
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#handsoccupied #handmadelife #knitting_inspiration #craftcloset #craftroom #craftroomorganization #craftroomstorage #craftroomdecor #crocheter #latchhook #knittersofinstagram #wip #wips #hangingstorage
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