Toy Slinky Bird Feeder
There are few things you can really make with a Slinky, such as it is. Sure, you can cut the metal down to make smaller pieces, and maybe do something with those, but the Slinky itself is hard to shape into something else. You can make a pencil holder, or another one to hold combs, but you’re fairly limited on what you can do with a Slinky. Maybe you can’t really make anything for your house but you can certainly take it outside for a fun project. A Slinky bird feeder is unusual and noticeable. It’s a circle, filled with bird treats, and it can be hung in a tree or elsewhere in the yard.
It’s going to be way too much trouble if you try to work with a Slinky that has a kink in it. Start with a new Slinky, or one that’s in perfect shape. Old Slinkys are metal but today’s are often made of plastic. You can use either one.
Start with a stiff hanger or wire that you can easily bend; the wire should be able to hold its shape. A coat hanger wire works great but you can find other wire types at a home improvement store. If you’re using a coat hanger, clip it to prepare it for shaping. Wrap the wire around something, like a round canister, to shape it. The wire should be close in size to the Slinky, when it’s twisted into a circle. Lay the Slinky on a table, curl it into a circle, and measure the diameter. Strive for a size, which is at least the same size as the Slinky circle, or a little larger.
Slide the Slinky onto the already-shaped wire. Bring the ends of the wire together and tape them. Stretch one end of the Slinky to the taped area of the wire, then bring the other end of the Slinky together with the first end. Hold them somewhat together as you fill each end. Slide large bird feed, like sunflower seeds or nuts, into each end of the Slinky to fill the entire, circular toy.
You can use pieces of wire to keep the Slinky in shape, or you can hook the ends of the Slinky to each other. Don’t spread the toy too far apart or it won’t hold the birdseed. Make a hanger for a wire bird feeder by tying on a loop of ribbon. Hang it from a tree, a nail on the side of a building, or elsewhere in the yard. Birds can land on it, or sit inside of it, and pluck treats from it until they’re gone. Don’t forget to refill it; birds get used to feeding from the same spots.
