Homemade Bird Feeder Craft

Disclosure: I receive payments for referrals to Social Spark...and you can too! See below!

Since our move I've decided that I want to focus on bringing some birds around our new place. We've put out a sock style finch feeder and I wanted to make another feeder for the birds. 

So, I looked around on the web.....

And, I thought about it a lot......

and, when I saw an empty plastic container, my brain finally made up it's mind. 

So, to make my bird feeder, you need:

~Large-ish soda bottle

~Round plastic container, with lid (I used an air dry clay container)

~Scissors

~Drill

~Floral Wire

~Spray Paint (optional)

~Bird Seed

-Trim the base off the soda bottle and save it for later.

-Make two holes on opposite sides of the bottle near where the base was, using the drill, about one inch from the top. 

~Spray paint your plastic container, base and lid, if you'd like. 

-Now, take the base of your plastic container and drill two holes on opposite sides of it.

 -Line them up with the ones on the soda bottle, and using long pieces of floral wire, secure both sides to each other, tight enough so that it won't flip over in the breeze, but loose enough to open so that you can fill up the feeder when it needs it. 

-Have the wire come out the top and twist the two wires together, then make a loop and secure them tightly. 

-Use your scissors to trim some little holes in the outer edge of the lid, for irrigation. 

-Then, make four holes around the top of the soda bottle.

-Next, use the leftover base of the bottle and place it in the middle of the plastic lid. Make four holes that go through the lid and the bottle base.

-Use floral wire to attach the base, lid, and top of bottle together.....I can't really explain how I did it, and don't look too closely at my photo or you'll see that I did it kinda goofy. I bet you can do a better job. 

-Fill it up with bird seed and you've got a lovely Bird Feeder!!

Here it is in the three with my silver spoon chime craft....

And, a close-up of it.

I've made (as a kiddo craft) a different bird feeder, too.

I also wanted to tell you about the awesomest blog advertising company out there:

Social Spark is great. 

I totally recommend it!

Disclosure: I receive payments for people referred (and you will too if you use Social Spark!)

I've shared this craft at many of the parties you can find on my "Parties" tab above and at all of these blogs:

http://thegrantlife.com/life-of-the-party-1/

Inside Activities for Kids in the Hot Summer Months

Summer is a time of freedom, lazy afternoons and fun vacations. But the day-to-day can get boring for the kiddos. If your summers are a dream, then find fun outdoor family activities and get to it. If, on the other hand, you live in a place with very hot summers, spending a lot of time outdoors might not be an option. It’s tempting to fall into the routine of lots of television, movies or video games since it’s convenient and cool. However, consider the following creative indoor activities for fun out of the sun:

• Perform a play. Kids love getting creative, so bust out the costumes and props to inspire a show. You can either direct the show or allow one of your older children to do so, but help organize the effort if they need direction. You may want to find a simple short play online or ask your kids to write it and make this a weeklong effort. Involve the neighbor kids if you need more actors or stagehands.

• Redecorate their bedrooms. Could your kids’ rooms use another coat of paint and some sprucing? Take the time to do so when you know you won’t be wasting a nice day outdoors. Go beyond painting if you can afford to. Ask your child to help choose new accents, such as customized wall art, pillows, personalized fleece blankets and other knickknacks around the room.

• Prep arts and crafts. If you’ve got little artists in your family, keep a cabinet full of arts and crafts supplies. Try to come up with one project a day or week, depending on how extensive the project. Younger kids can finger paint while older kids might enjoy scrapbooking. If one of your children is not artistic, this time could be used to write a story that another child could illustrate. Find out your kids’ talents and interests and make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand.

• Hold a cookie contest. If you have several older children (or neighbor kids who like to hang out at your house), tell each one to choose a recipe (or create one!) and bake a batch of cookies. Then you can be the judge and award each cookie, from most creative to most delicious. Of course, make each child or team feel validated and end the contest with a fun time of cookie-eating.

• Exercise. It may sound simple or boring, but it’s important to keep up your family’s exercise regimen during the summer months, especially since kids might not be running around outside as often. Find creative ways to work out together, such as jumping rope, lifting free weights, jumping rope or doing a circuit routine.

• Hold a dance contest. This is another fun way to get your kids moving and using the creative parts of your brain. Split your kids into two teams and have them choreograph a routine. Or if there aren’t enough children to make two teams, then have all the kids work together to create a dance they can perform when Dad gets home.

These are just a few ideas for fun indoor activities you can do with your kids when it’s just too hot outside. If you’re finding it hard to brainstorm, ask your children what they’d like to do. That way, everyone feels involved and looks forward to your time together.

Author Bio: Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.

Best Places to Visit in Maine: Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

I've decided to start posting about things to do and places to see in Maine because, after all my years of living here, I've done a whole lot of them and can tell you all about it!! My hope is to help you make an informed and fun decision about where to go when you visit our fine state. 

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens was just named by Trip Advisor as the #1 public garden to visit in the United States this year!! They totally deserve it; I fall in love with the place every time I go there and they've added even more recently to tempt us all. Fairy Fridays, to name one, has become a big event in the summer time with a huge bubble machine on the lawn, fairy activities to do throughout the day, fairy houses to make, and kids get a chance to dress up!!!

With a harpist playing in the background the "fairies" chases bubbles on the lawn. 

Ah-dorable. 

My favorite place of all at the botanical gardens is the Harold and Bibby Alfond Children's Garden. 

Full of references to famous books about Maine; a statue of bears with blueberries from Blueberries for Sal, the Tidely Idely from Burt Dow: Deep water man, the garden brings literature to life with great art and beautiful flowers. 

You can even throw a lobster trap off the dock into the pond next to the Tidely-Idely. 

There are water spouting whales to cool you off on a hot day:

Garden Sheds with sod roofs and whimsical weathervanes:

An old fashioned water pump and watering cans to give kids a chance to help in the gardens, as well as a sand box for those who like to dig in the dirt:

There are real chickens in a cute little coop and a giant outdoor chair made out of driftwood. The fences are lined with owls:

and there is even an incredible tree fort with rope bridges and wooden birds:

 Last year there was a birch bark wigwam built for the kids, this year this stick framed house was made:

 There is a labyrinth to solve:

There is a cave to cool off in as well as a wonderful spot in the forest to build a fairy house:

The children's garden also hosts a story time in a Story Barn, which also has a puppet theater.

Can you image how much fun this place is????

Kids love it.

Outside of the Children's Garden there is the Garden of the Five Senses.

In this garden you can explore all your senses in many ways. 

There is a cool rock to make sounds in:

Or a texture experience with a bare foot reflexology maze:

The sight and smell of all the flowers and herbs is incredible:

And, they even have a "taste" part of the garden with kitchen herbs. 

This Garden is probably in the top 5 of my favorite places to visit in Maine. I really hope you will check it out. I know it's worth it.

Here is their information:

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
PO Box 234
Boothbay, ME 04537
207-633-4333 (phone) 
207-633-2366 (fax)
info@mainegardens.org