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How to Make Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles

hummingbird feeder from test tubes Picture
Photo: Cat Traylor

Making Hummingbird Feeders from Test Tubes

These tiny feeders are made from ordinary test tubes that can be purchased for pennies online. Test tubes now come in an assortment of colors with colored caps. Choose a clear test tube with a red cap, or get creative and go for colored tubes. You can find them on Amazon and a variety of science supply stores.

  1. Heat a small nail and create a hole in the center of the cap. This hole needs to be big enough for the hummingbird's beak to fit through comfortably. Although drilling a hole works fine, melting creates a slight lip inside the cap that prevents dripping.
  2. Attach the wire to the feeder  by wrapping it tightly near the end of the test tube and leaving several inches as a hanger. Secure the other end near the cap. You may wish to wrap the tube with some bright red ribbon, beads, or any decorative red items that will attract the attention of hummingbirds. 
  3. Hang the feeder from a tree branch or shady area on your deck so that the end with the opening is angled upward.

Hummingbird Feeders from Insulin Bottles

DIY hummingbird feeder from insulin bottles
photo: Cat Traylor
Insulin bottles make adorable little hummingbird feeders. When wrapped with copper wire and decorated with small beads, they catch the light and add sparkle to the garden, too.

  1. Soak the insulin bottles in hot, soapy water to remove all traces of insulin. Use a small brush to clean the insides thoroughly.
  2. Insert the yellow flowers into the open end of the insulin bottle. You can reuse the yellow flowers from old hummingbird feeders or purchase replacement flowers for a few dollars on Amazon or through other bird feeder suppliers. These fit snugly in most insulin bottles, but be sure to check for a proper fit before collecting the bottles.
  3. If the flower does not fit snugly, you can use hot glue to secure them. Bear in mind that if you glue these in place, you will need to refill your bottles through the small hole in the center of the flower port. One hummingbird enthusiast uses a clean (new) syringe that comes with ink cartridge refills to fill the bottle with nectar right through the feeding hole.


Making Hummingbird Feeders with Decorative Bottles

decorative bottles

You can use any glass or plastic bottle as a hummingbird feeder. Look for new and interesting containers with openings that will fit your hummingbird feeder parts. You can often find bottles at yard sales that you can purchase for pennies.

Don't forget that hummingbirds will drink from any feeder whether or not the opening has been fitted with a feeder part. Hanging small open-mouthed bottles that have been filled with nectar will attract hummingbirds to your yard. Open containers tend to attract ants and other pests, but as long as you are consistent with cleaning and refilling the containers they will provide a tasty treat for your hummingbirds.

Red glass is a wonderful way to attract hummingbirds and create a stunning feeder, but you don't need to stop with red. Once hummingbirds have discovered your feeders, they really don't care what color the feeder is. Collect a variety of colored bottles to create an eye-catching array of color in your garden.




You may also like ...

Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
Choosing Hummingbird Feeders
Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • Grow Your Own Amazing Pomato Plant - Tomatoes on the Top and Potatoes on the Bottom
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
      • Control Blister Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables