Confessions of a Homeschooler

Hi everyone! I had so many ideas for  the iHomeschool Network blog hop last week that I decided to extend it a little on my blog so I could share everything.

So today we’re talking about DIY bird feeders. I love the idea of watching all those cute feathered friends cruising around in our back yard. So we could get a closer look at some of them we thought we’d try to see if we could get some of them interested in our bird feeder.

It went okay, we had more big pigeon type birds than all the little colorful ones we’d hoped for, but hey, at least our bird seed didn’t go to waste.

Keep on reading to find out how to make your own bird feeder. And this isn’t just a summer thing, make sure to help feed your feathered friends all winter long too!

Materials Needed:

• 1-liter empty soda bottle
• 1 to 2 wooden spoons
• craft knife and marker
• small eye screw
• Bird seed

Directions:

• Clean out the inside of the soda bottle with warm soap and water then allow to dry.
• Draw a 1/2 inch asterisk on one side of the bottle about 4 inches up from the bottom.
• Draw a 1 inch circle on the opposite side of the bottle, 4 inches up from the bottom.
• Next use a craft knife to cut along the asterisk, on the 1/2 inch side. Then cut out the hole completely on the 1 inch side.
• Slide a wooden spoon through the holes sliding the handle through the large hold first, then through the asterisk side.
• Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eyelet screw into the top to hang it by.
• Last, fill the feeder with birdseed and hang on a tree in your back yard!

Okay, I realize it’s hard to see in this picture, but there is a birdfeeder right above Turbo.

Finally, grab a cold drink and your favorite lawn chair then sit back and relax while watching your backyard birds.

Don’t forget a small nature notebook so you can draw pictures of all of the fun birds that visit your feeder.

Hi everyone! Welcome to day 5 of my Summer Boredom busters series. Some days I wonder what the heck I’m thinking. For example days when I say “Hey kids, let’s make some moon dough.” I really dislike moon dough. My kids really like moon dough. Who knew a little flour and some baby oil could keep my kids busy for so long? Now I must admit, I have a love/hate relationship with moon dough. My kids love it, and I hate the mess it makes! That said, we braved the mess and made some of our own for super cheap. We also did it outside. Which I would HIGHLY recommend. I’m just sayin’.   Supplies: 4 cups flour 1/2 cup baby oil Optional: Crushed pastel chalks to color dough   Directions: In a large container, mix flour and baby oil until well blended. Mixture will be smooth and pack easily together in your hand. To color the dough, add in a finely crushed piece of pastel chalk. I found the red one worked best to … [Read more...]

Hi everyone! Welcome to day 4 of my Summer Boredom busters series!   One of our favorite activities to do is crafts with leaves. We did this later in summer when leaves are changing, but you can really do it anytime and even use things like flower petals, berries, leaves, small sticks, and any other materials you find.     I’m still not sure which part is more fun, the gathering, or the creating…maybe both. I always love to watch Tinker Bell do her gathering. She’s always very specific. The other kids fill their buckets with all kinds of choices, but not Tinker Bell. She usually has something in mind, and only gathers exactly what she needs for her project. The other thing I love to see are kids working together for a common goal. No selfishness, just fun. Once we get back in the house, we dump our leaves all over the table. I know, I promise it will clean up, just go with it.  I suggest making your own design, … [Read more...]

Hi everyone! Welcome to day 3 of my Summer Boredom busters series! I don’t know about you, but my kids love to collect rocks. Then bring them inside. Name them. Wash them. And leave them on my table in a nice pile. So I decided to take advantage of that desire to hoard rocks and have them gather any stray rocks found in the grass that my husband just loves to run over with the mower. I figure we’re killing two birds with one stone so to speak. Not that we kill birds. We love birds. We even made a bird feeder. But that’s later this week. Today we’re making use of all those pesky rocks in our yards!   This is probably one of the most “FREE” summer projects you’ll run across. As long as you have some type of markers or paints, you’re all set! Supplies: Rocks from outside, smooth oval rocks are best Colorful Sharpie markers or tempera paint and brushes. Paper towel, or table covering     Directions: Send kids outside … [Read more...]