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Upcycled DIY Bird Feeder + Tips for Living a Greener Life at Home

Earth Day is right around the corner on April 22, 2015. Let’s show this big, beautiful planet some much deserved love!!

By reducing waste, reusing old items, recycling and upcycling we can really improve the impact that we are having on our Mother Earth.

Here are simple tips that you can begin implementing today to start living a greener life at home:

1. Upcycle Items

I love to see awesome upcycled creations. Some fun ways to repurpose things around your house include: Using old soup cans as pencil holders, turning an old shirt into a cool new scarf, or making a milk carton into a bird feeder like we just did!

You can easily recreate our upcycled milk carton DIY bird feeder.

How to make our DIY bird feeder from an upcyled milk carton

The supplies you need:

– empty and washed milk carton

– paint

– paint brush

– bird seed

– glue

– google eyes (or you can just paint the eyes on)

– ribbon or string

– wooden dowel

– craft knife

How-To:

First, paint the recycled milk carton any color you wish. My kids enjoyed doing this part! We used two coats of paint to thoroughly cover the milk carton.

Then, once it’s dry, add on eyes and a beak.

Next, you’ll use your craft knife to cut out a “mouth” (which will be where the bird seed goes later) and wings.

Also slice an opening right underneath the mouth for the wood dowel, which will be used as a perch for birds to stand on while eating from your awesome upcycled bird feeder. Also cut a matching hole on the backside of the milk carton so the dowel can slide all the way through the carton. Insert the wood dowel into the holes.

Then, cut one last hole at the top of the milk carton, and thread a piece of string through it so your bird feeder can hang.

Fill up your super cute DIY bird feeder with some delicious bird seed and take your sweet new friend outside to hang on a tree!

2. Recycle and Use Recycled Products – 

If you cannot upcycle something, always do your best to recycle it. Things that you use in your home that you can easily recycle include: plastic bottles, newspaper, cardboard boxes (diaper boxes, anyone?!), and so much more! Place these recyclable items into the proper receptacle so they can be disposed of correctly and taken to recycling facilities.

Buying recycled products is always an environmental bonus! Recently while I was shopping at Walmart I discovered the new Energizer EcoAdvanced Recycled Batteries. Recycled batteries…How cool is that?! They’re actually the first recycled batteries on the market and made with recycled materials.

I picked up a couple of packs of double AA Energizer EcoAdvanced Recycled Batteries to use in the kids’ toys that needed new batteries. (They are also available in AAA.) They’re Energizer’s longest lasting alkaline batteries ever, which makes me happy, since we all know how quickly kid’s toys can burn through energy!

3. Use Natural Cleaning Alternatives – 

In our home I love to use natural ingredients to clean. Things like baking soda, lemon, vinegar, essential oils, and more, can profoundly clean messes without the harsh chemicals in most cleaning supplies.

See how I clean our stainless steel with all natural products that you already have in your home here:

4. Turn the Lights Off – 

Not only will you save money on your electric bill, but you’ll save energy and help the environment by turning off the lights and fans when you leave the room. This also applies to: televisions, computers, and other electronic devices in your home. You can make a big impact by just flipping the switch when walking out of a room.

Be sure to enter the GuiltFreeEnergy Giveaway for your chance to win $1,000 in gift cards!! 

GuiltFreeEnergy Giveaway – $1,000 in Gift Cards