Repurposed Record Birdfeeder

       One thing I do enjoy is sitting outside and watching/listening to the birds.  The birds are very lively where I live.  Listening to them & watching them brings a sense of relaxation. It calms me from any anxiety and clears my mind.  Needless to say we have quite a few bird feeders around our yard.  Our cats even sit in the window & watch the birds while they are eating out of one of the feeders.

       Today I’m going to show you how to make a bird feeder using an old record.  It is easy, simple and that’s another bird feeder to add to the collection outside. 

Supplies:

1 old record

Metal bowl or anything metal that you can use to put the record over to form it.

Little Propane tank and torch to attach

Chain

Drill

Acrylic Sealer or spray varnish – I used Krylon Varnish

Optional-

Paint if you wish to decorate the bird feeder.

       Now, some people melt the records in the oven.  That is their choice.  I personally prefer to melt the records outside using a small propane tank & torch attachment or a heat gun.   When the records melt they release a very bad odor. 

       Heating vinyl records, as with making record bowls & other crafts releases phthalates and dioxin, which are known carcinogens. Heating polyvinyl chloride releases gas which can leave a permanent residue on the interior of ovens this is done in.

Instructions-

     Put your mold/form down then place the record on top of it.  Like so-

Now I made two bird feeders. I made one using the heat gun, and the other I used a small propane tank and torch attachment.

Either one that you use, make sure that there is about at least 6” of space between the record and the flame.  If you hold the torch or heat gun in the same spot for too long, it’ll melt that particular spot too much & could possibly catch fire. 

       You start towards the middle & go around the record working your way down to the ends going back & forth. Eventually after a few minutes you will see the record start to melt down. 

       After the record is the shape you want, turn off the heat gun or torch and let the record cool for about 10 minutes or so.  Once it has cooled you can turn it over and drill the holes in the record for a chain.  It was A LOT cheaper to purchase a metal hanging basket that comes with the chain at the dollar store than it would have been to just purchase a chain and Walmart or Meijer.  The chain we used has 3 hooks. You will want to match where the holes will be with the hooks.   

       For the little hole in the center of the record, you can leave it open. If it rains, the water will have a spot to drain from.  I took a little metal mesh and glued it with E6000 on top of the hole. That way the water can still run out and less chance the bird food will. 

I sprayed the outside of the record only ( the bottom). The birds now have a new feeding spot. Please send me your pics!