This week’s project for the International Bloggers Club (IBC) challenge has been a fun one! The theme is “Broken China,” and while I wasn’t able to source china from the local charity shops, I dug through my cupboards at home to find a unique teapot that could be turned into a functional and decorative birdhouse and feeder.

I’m not usually keen on encouraging birds to visit my home, as they tend to return year after year, nesting under my pergola and creating quite a noise and mess. However, my sister is a huge bird fan, so this teapot birdhouse will be going to her place. For this project, I used all the recycled materials I had lying around the house.

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How to Make a Teapot Birdhouse and Feeder Using Recycled Materials

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Materials Needed:

• Old china teapot
• Broken or mismatched teacup (or use teapot lid as a feeder)
• Recycled wood
• U-bracket or an old baking tin (for hanging the teapot)
• Forstner drill bit
• Tin cutters
• Wood glue
• Screws and screwdrivers
• Mahogany wood stain
• Exterior varnish
• Coconut fibre for nesting

Find a Suitable Teapot

I used a teapot I purchased over 20 years ago at a car boot sale. The original plan was to use a matching cup as the feeder, but it was broken, so I repurposed the teapot lid instead. Don’t worry if you don’t have matching china—any old teapot will work just fine for this project.

Making the Stand

The size of the stand will depend on your teapot’s dimensions. I measured the width of the teapot and added a few extra centimetres on each side. After positioning the teapot where I wanted it, I made sure the top and base were large enough to comfortably support both the handle and the lid.

Since I used recycled wood, it may look a bit messy at first, but once it’s stained, it will come together and look much better.

Once I was happy with the positioning, I glued three pieces of recycled wood together and reinforced them with screws for added stability.

To finish, I stained the wood in mahogany and applied two coats of exterior varnish to protect the stand from the weather.

Hanging the Teapot

To hang the teapot, I made a “U” bracket using an old baking tin. I cut a small piece of the tin using tin cutters and bent it into a hook shape, drilling holes for screws.

After hooking the teapot handle through the bracket, I secured the teapot in place with screws.

Creating the Bird Feeder

For the bird feeder, I used the teapot lid. However, since it sat too high and wouldn’t stand up on its own, I used a Forstner drill bit to drill a hole into the lid’s base. This allowed the lid to sit securely on the teapot and provide a stable feeding area for the birds. A quick tip—make sure to clamp your work down before drilling to avoid mishaps!

Securing the Teapot

To prevent the teapot from moving when the birds go inside or land on the feeder, I glued the teapot to the back of the stand.

Adding Nesting Materials

A few years ago, I made a succulent tree using a fern that had died in my garden. It thrived for about 18 months, until the birds decided to strip the coconut fibre I had used for their nests, ultimately destroying my plants.

To save them some trouble, I added some coconut fibre inside the teapot this year to encourage the birds to nest safely inside.

The birdseed is added to the lid of the teapot.

More Diy projects

If you’re looking for more bird feeder ideas, check out this one I created, designed to resemble a “bar” for birds.

If you are looking for some garden decor ideas, check out this wooden suncatcher.

More about IBC

If you follow my blog, you will know I am part of the IBC (International Bloggers Club), which is a group of talented bloggers from around the world. We have members from Spain, South Africa, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Each month, we come together and create a project with a common theme.

If you missed last month’s “Wired ” theme, here is the link to my Wire wind spinner.   The “Broken China ” contributions from my fellow bloggers for this month’s challenge are listed below. Please feel free to jump over and give them some love.

A Crafty Mix|China Plate Arum Lily Mosaic

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