Easy DIY Bird Nest Yarn Holder

Backyard Birds

Easy DIY BIRD NEST YARN HOLDER

Placing nest boxes and bird feeders in and around your backyard is an excellent way to help birds during nesting season. But it’s only half the battle as birds need to spend time and energy finding the right nest-building material.

If you crochet or knit, you would have a lot of yarn scrap that you can put to good use. You can build a bird nest yarn holder to place your yarn scrap and hang it from a tree in your backyard. Let’s discuss some easy methods to build simple yet attractive yarn scrap holders for birds.

1. Suet Basket – Bird Nest Yarn Holder

Making a bird nest yarn holder with a suet basket is quite simple, and it also doesn’t take a long time to complete. In fact, you can complete one within an hour.

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Materials You’ll Need

  • A suet basket (available at most bird/pet feed stores)
  • A ruler or tape measure (optional)
  • Scissors
  • Yarn scrap

Instructions to Follow

  1. Cut your yarn into 5 to 8 inches pieces because pieces longer than that can injure birds by tangling around necks or feathers. Discard the shorter pieces because birds won’t be able to use them for nest construction.
  2. Start stuffing yarn into a suet basket. Packing too tight isn’t advisable as birds won’t easily pull yarn pieces out.
  3. Pull some yarn pieces through the cage to make it appealing to birds.
  4. Hang the suet cage from a tree branch, fence post, or raised deck side. Make sure that the suet cage with yarn pieces is visible to birds.
  5. Most suet cages have short chains and holders for easy and quick hanging. However, if you need to hang it from a thick tree branch, you’ll need to use a chain link. Use the tape measure to calculate how much chain you need and buy it from a local hardware store.

Getting ready to feed your bird friends? Know more and everything about bird suet in our separate blog post.

2. Chicken or Mesh Wire – Bird Nest Yarn Holder

Using chicken or mesh wire is an affordable and quick way to make a bird nest yarn holder.

bird nest yarn holder

Material You’ll Need

  • Chicken or mesh wire – 4 x 2 feet (can be bought from any hardware store)
  • A wire cutter
  • Thin wire – 2 to 3 feet long
  • Yarn scrap
  • A sandpaper

Instructions to Follow

  1. Cut the sharp edges of your chicken or mesh wire with a wire cutter.
  2. Use the sandpaper to smooth the remaining sharp points.
  3. Fold the rectangular mesh or chicken wire piece in half like a purse.
  4. Use the thin wire to sew the side seams to make a big pocket.
  5. Now add the yarn pieces of 5 to 8 inches to the pocket. You can also use other nesting materials such as fabric stripes and threads.
  6. Don’t pack the stuffing tightly so that birds can pull the yarn out easily.
  7. Use the thin wire to sew the top seam of the mesh wire.
  8. Use a strong ribbon to hang the mesh wire bag with yarn scrap to a tree branch or pole.

3. Grapevine Ball – Bird Nest Yarn Holder

Using grapevine ball(s) is another creative way to make a bird nest yard holder at home.

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Materials You’ll Need

  • Grapevine ball(s) (available at most craft stores)
  • A chopstick or pencil
  • Scissors
  • Yarn scrap
  • A piece of twine or raffia – 2 to 3 feet long

Instructions to Follow

  1. Remove if there are any tags on grapevine ball(s).
  2. Use your finger to force open a hole in each ball.
  3. Add some yarn scrap and other nesting material (if available) to the ball(s).
  4. It’ll be a little difficult to add a sufficient amount of stuffing to the ball. Therefore, you might need to use a chopstick or pencil to push additional materials.
  5. Tie a piece of raffia or twine to grapevine ball(s).
  6. Hang the stuffed grapevine ball(s) to a pole or tree branch.

4. Soda Bottle – Bird Nest Yarn Holder

You can also make a bird nest yarn holder using a soda bottle.

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Materials You’ll Need

  • A 2-liter soda bottle
  • Scissors
  • Twine or string – 2 to 3 feet long
  • Bamboo BBQ skewers – 10 to 15
  • Marker pen
  • A coin

Instructions to Follow

  1. Use a pen marker and coin to randomly mark several circles on the soda bottle.
  2. Cut all the marked circles carefully using a pair of scissors.
  3. Make some more small holes using the scissor’s pointed end under the big holes.
  4. Use scissors to cut the soda bottle base.
  5. Add yarn scrap to the bottle along with other nesting materials if available.
  6. Tie a loop around the bottle cap using the piece of twine or string.
  7. Push as many bamboo skewers as possible using the small holes through the soda bottle randomly.
  8. Hang the bottle with nesting material to a tree branch or any other place.

Unleash more of that creativity by trying out these do-it-yourself bird house roof and bird stand ideas!