Use a wooden block under your plate when drilling it to prevent it from cracking.
Turn pretty melamine plates into a unique bird feeder for your yard.
What you’ll need:
• 2 melamine plates
• 1 melamine bowl
• ½-inch-wide copper pipe
• Pipe cutter
• 1 threaded rod (I used one that was 5/16-inches wide and 12-inches long)
• 4 washers
• 4 nuts
• Drill
• Metal wire
• One metal hook
• Ruler or measuring tape
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Choose your plates and bowl. You can use two plates that are the same size or a small plate on the bottom, under the bowl, and a larger plate on top.
2. Drill a hole in the center of each plate and the bowl. Use a drill bit that is the same width as the threaded rod. Place a small piece of scrap wood under the plate to help keep the plate from cracking. Don’t worry if you get some small chips around the hole — these will get covered up later.
3. Attach the bottom plate and bowl to the rod. Screw a nut onto the rod about a half an inch from the bottom.Place a washer on top of it and then thread the small plate on top of that. Next, thread the bowl onto the rod. Secure these in place with another washer inside the bowl and then a nut.
4. Cut the copper pipe to hide the threaded rod. Hold up the top plate and decide where you want to place it on the rod. Measure the distance from the nut inside the bowl to the top plate and cut the copper pipe to that length. (Cutting pipe is easy with a small, inexpensive pipe-cutting tool available at any hardware store.) Place the copper pipe over the threaded rod.
5. Attach the top plate. Screw on a nut so that it sits right above the copper pipe. Then add a washer, the second plate, another washer and the last nut.
6. Attach a hook for hanging. Wrap some thin metal wire under the top nut and then around a hook so that you can hang the feeder. (I used an anchor shackle, which can be found in the rope and chain aisle of the hardware store.)
Fill up your bird feeders and watch your feathered friends dine in style.
