Pinterest's Clever Shovel Upcycle Will Bring Wildlife To Your Yard In No Time
When gardening tools break or become rusted, they stop serving a purpose and take up valuable space in your storage area. Luckily, this hack is a brilliant way to repurpose an old garden tool and will allow you to transform a shovel into a cute, rustic bird feeder. Pinterest has been displaying a hack where the head of a shovel is attached to a tree and filled with bird seed, which is a great way to attract birds as well as other wildlife to your yard.
Because shovel blades are so broad and mostly flat, they can easily function as platform feeders. Not only can this beckon more small birds to your yard, but it can also attract larger birds since there is more room for them. Additionally, you might entice some curious deer, squirrels, or raccoons to check out your feeder with this upcycling hack, allowing you to observe all sorts of wildlife in your own backyard. Rather than spending money on a farmhouse-style bird feeder, like this $25 shovel feeder from Walmart, you can create your own for next to nothing. Additionally, old shovels may be turned into stands for birdhouses, making your backyard space a DIY wildlife refuge.
Upcycling a shovel into a bird feeder
This DIY bird feeder is simple, easy, and inexpensive, as it only requires an old shovel and a drill. If your shovel is still intact, you'll want to start by removing the entire head and bending the rounded piece attached to the handle. Bend the metal upward so that the blade of your shovel forms an "L" shape. It may be easier to bend the shovel before removing the head, using the handle for leverage. To make sure that water doesn't pool in the feeder when it rains, use a drill to create a few small holes in the bottom of your shovel. Now, you can attach your shovel to a tree or even a wooden post by drilling the bent portion into it.
If you cannot bend the shovel, attaching it to a wooden board may be a better option. First, select a wide board and cut a hole the same size as the rounded piece of your shovel. Now, you should be able to insert the head of the shovel into the hole so that the blade sticks out and is ready to be filled with birdseed or other snacks wildlife will appreciate, like nuts and fruit. Your board could then be pushed into the ground or nailed to a fence or tree. Those with soldering abilities may also be able to attach their shovel heads to a metal pole.
Create a place for wildlife to rest
While free food is sure to attract more birds to your yard (as well as a whole host of other peckish creatures), you can also make a safe place for birds to rest. For this upcycle, the head of the shovel will be inserted into the ground while the handle is used to hold a birdhouse or roosting box. This is a perfect hack for those with a cute wooden birdhouse but nowhere to hang it. To start, you'll need to saw off a little bit of the end of the handle so that it's flat rather than rounded and drill a hole into it.
Now, you'll want to screw a small piece of scrap wood into the hole in the handle. This will make a wider, sturdier platform for your birdhouse. Use more screws or wood glue to attach your birdhouse to the shovel, making sure that no pointy ends of screws are inside the box. To stand up your post, simply push the head of the shovel into the dirt in your yard. If it seems to wobble, a stake could be placed behind the shovel and tied to it to keep it more secure.