A pet peeve of mine has always been that bird seed is reasonably cheap to buy but the feeders you put it in tend to be designer creations that often cost more than a year's supply of bird seed.  You can understand why they're expensive, however, if you've ever built one of the cutesy ones yourself (in a few days time).

The feeder pictured below can be made quickly for less than $2 so long as you have a few hand tools and enough shop skill to avoid hurting yourself while putting the unit together.  I've shown the unit as it was originally painted, probably by Mrs. Olsen, a long time spokesperson for the company which graciously provided the main part of the assembly.

A Materials List and Assembly Instructions follow the illustration.

Materials List

1. Phillips head screwdriver.
2. Ice pick or 6 penney nail (you'll need a hammer if you use a nail).  Optionally, a drill and small (1/16 or 5/32) bit.
3. Old style can opener -- the kind that punches a triangular hole in the can.
4. A stack of newspaper or cardboard thick enough to protect your work platform from ice pick gouges when you're punching holes through the can and pie pan.

Materials

1. Coffee can, shortening can, any other type of can that's an inch or two smaller than the bottom of the pie pan.  You need to have the plastic lid that usually comes with these things.
2. Pie pan (Cost less than a dollar at a well known discount store I frequent too often).
3. At least four #6 Phillips/pan head sheet metal screws.  These tend to be excess hardware supplied with all sorts of household items, blinds in particular.  Otherwise, you can purchase some at the same place you'll probably find the pie pan.
4. Wire, line, a coat hanger, or something else for a bail.
5. Duct tape -- not really necessary, I just like to keep some nearby.

1. Empty the can.  This can take as long as you'd like but remember the birds appreciate prompt service.  If the can initially contained an adult beverage, be sure its effects have worn off before proceeding to the next step.

 
2. Use the can opener to make 6-8 equally spaced holes around the bottom of the empty can.  Make the holes in the side of the can, not the bottom.

 
3. Use the ice pick or hammer and nail to make several drainage holes around the edge of the bottom of the pie pan.  The holes should be made from the inside of the pan so the sharp edge of the hole won't cut Tweedy's iddy feet.  The holes should be small enough that Tweedy's toes or bird seed won't go through but large enough that rainwater will.

 
4. Mark the center of the bottom of the can and the center of the pie pan and punch a hole in each center.

 
5. Place the pie pan over the can bottom with the holes aligned and fasten the plate to the can with a sheet metal screw.

 
6. Punch three more holes in a triangular arrangement around the center hole (through both the pie pan and can bottom) and fasten the pie pan and can more securely together with the three remaining sheet metal screws.

 
7. Punch a batch of drainage holes through the bottom of the pie pan and can.  Do so from the inside of the can if possible.  You're doing this to, hopefully, slow the accumulation of moisture inside the feeder.

 
8. If you're going to suspend the feeder from a branch or hanger, you'll probably need to make holes near the top of the can as shown above.  I held the can edge over a sawhorse end to punch the hole with an ice pick.  However you make bail holes, be careful.  This is where you're most likely to slip and skewer yourself somewhere because the metal at the top of the can bends easily and can run away from the ice pick.

 
9. To rationalize the duct tape, tape the edge of the pie pan so Tweedy can get a grip.  The tape will also take the edge off the cold metal in the winter when Tweedy's iddy feet are cold enough already.

Another step in assembly that's not absolutely necessary is to make a cardboard or sheet metal cone to place pointing upwards inside of the can.  That way seed doesn't cake together in the center of the feeder.  The sheet metal cone can be made using the top of the coffee can, but youngsters run a real chance of slicing themselves while trying to make the cone from sheet metal.  Wear gloves to handle the can top, in any case, if you use it for a cone.
 

Because I have the tools, I've also put these things together using pop rivets, a drill, etc.  It takes longer than the ice pick and screwdriver method but you get to play with the power tools and can claim the job looks better after you're through.  The birds, again, don't seem to care.

I hope this page is useful to some of you.  Happy tinkering.