PVC pipe is plastic pipe manufactured primarily for indoor plumbing systems. Over the years people have devised myriad uses for it besides plumbing. One of them is making homemade bird feeders. PVC pipe can be purchased at your local home building center or most hardware stores. It's easy to work with and relatively inexpensive. If you need a lot of bird feeders, then making your own tube feeders is the way to go.
Cut And Drill The PVC Pipe
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After you purchase a length of PVC pipe and an end cap there is not too much involved in making a tube bird feeder. Cut the pipe to length using a hacksaw--14 to 18 inches is good. Slip the end cap onto one end of the pipe. Just below it drill two 1/8 inch holes in the pipe opposite each other.
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At the opposite end of the pipe use the hacksaw to cut notches in the end of the pipe. Make them 1/2 inch high. The bird seed will seep through the notches as the birds eat. Just above the notches drill two 1/8 inch holes directly across from each other.
Attach An Aluminum Pie Plate
Wiring on either a solid aluminum pie plate or a disposable one to the notched end of the PVC pipe provides the base that the birds will land and roost on while feeding. Either type of pie plate will work but the solid aluminum pie plate will have more tensile strength and therefore will be more durable.
Drill two 1/8 inch holes in the plate and lace a length of wire through the two drilled holes in the PVC pipe and down through the pie plate and twist the two wires together.
Attach a Wire For Hanging
Attaching a wire to the top end of the homemade bird feeder allows you to hang it from tree branches in your front or back yard. Lace a length of wire through the two drilled holes in the top of the PVC pipe and twist the wires together.
Alternatively, you can hang the feeder from a plant hanger mounted on the outside frame of your favorite window to watch the birds feed up close.