MAKE A GU RAMEKIN FAT FEEDER FOR GARDEN BIRDS
About this project:
If, like me, you enjoy indulging in a yummy Gu dessert you’ll no doubt be left with a few glass ramekins.
Rather than just putting them in the recycling bin why not have a go at upcycling them to a fab bird fat feeder?!
What you need:
(x1) Empty Gu Puds glass ramekin, 12mm Ply, 9mm wooden dowel, wildlife friendly woodstain.
Tools Required:
Saw, hammer, screwdriver, drill, paintbrush
Step 1 – Collect and prepare your materials
Before starting this project I had an idea that I wanted to use an empty Gu Puds glass ramekin as a fat feeder for birds so I knocked up one of my fat mixtures (five parts vegetable fat, one part unsalted peanut butter, a sprinkling of dried mealworms and a handful of bird seed) and filled the ramekin without really knowing how I was going to present it to the birds. After a quick look on the internet I saw a couple of commercially available products that held a jar of fatcake mixture for birds. The concept was simple and effective. I thought ‘no reason to try and reinvent the wheel!’ so I decided to create my own version.
I decided to use 12mm exterior ply as I had some left over from a previous project. I marked out and cut the following pieces…
- Back Panel – 190mm x 100mm
- Roof Pieces (x2) – 140mm x 75mm
- Base Support Pieces (x2) – 65mm x 40mm
- Dowel perch – 9mm Dia x 120mm
Step 2 – Assemble the feeder
Assemble the pieces as above. As you can see from the photo I cut one edge of each roof piece and each of the ramekin support pieces at 45 degrees. If you are not confident in doing this simply make one of the roof pieces and one of the ramekin support pieces 12mm shorter than the other piece. You can then just butt the straight edges together and fix. IMPORTANT – If you are working with 12mm ply you MUST pre-drill every hole. DO NOT simply try screwing the pieces together as the ply WILL split! I also recommend using screws no larger than M3 x 30mm.
BEFORE fixing the ramekin support pieces read the next step!
Step 3 – Make sure the ramekin is a tight fit
This can be rather fiddly so take your time and be careful at this stage. I used a Stanley knife to start the hole and then used a pair of scissors to finish it. Some tubs are made out of plastic that is rather brittle so don’t press too hard when trying to make the initial hole.
Step 4 – Add a coat of paint or wildlife friendly wood stain
Add a coat of paint or wildlife friendly wood stain to make sure your new feeder looks good and lasts years! Use whatever colour you like!
Step 5 – Create your fat/bird seed mix and fill the ramekin
I use 3 parts vegetable fat/suet, 1 part unsalted peanut butter and 1 part bird seed mix. I also sometimes add some dried mealworms.
Experiment with your own recipe.
Step 6 – Fit your feeder into position
All that’s left to do is to fix your new fat feeder into your desired position and wait for the birds to arrive!
