inspired by craft wars—junk drawer bird feeder

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several of us from craft wars are making projects each week that are inspired by the previous episode. so last week's pop craft challenge on the show was to make a birdhouse incorporating household items from your kitchen junk drawer. i bought this cute little wood container for a buck from a garage sale that i thought had somewhat of a birdhouse shape, so i decided to alter it into a bird feeder. 

i remembered something the judges said about how sometimes less is more, plus i really liked the natural shade of the wood. i'll be interested to see how it naturally weathers outdoors, so i opted not to coat or paint it with any color or sealers.

here's some the stuff i pulled from my junk drawer to see if i could use it...plus i grabbed some dowels and clothespins from the garage. my favorite australian wine has the rubber corks which i think are perfect for an outdoor application!

i colored paper clips with alcohol inks and adhered them to the sides like a little fence, using waterproof heavy-duty craft glue. i loved the idea we saw on the show of deconstructing the giant clothespins—so i tried it with normal clothespins. they kind of look of crown moulding, don't you think? don't look too close though, you'll see some nasty glue strings that the judges apparently dock you points for, lol. 

inside i glued a base of corks and paper clips - this will hold a pinecone that you roll in peanut butter and then coat with birdseed. i created perches with the dowels, then added the clothespins at the top to block off the center of the handle so it will hang straight on my tall shepherd's hook outside in the garden.

super fun to make - we'll see how it works! have a look at more projects below made by some of my fellow craft wars vets - and join our twitter party each week during the show! tuesday nights on tlc at 7pm pacific, 9pm central, 10pm eastern. viewers are using #craftwars and the contestants are using #craftwarsvets. tah-weeeet!

• andrea currie
• angela daniels
• margot potter
• nikki benevento mcgonigal
• mandi rowland gubler