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    Home » Yard Art And Upcycled Garden Decor

    Vintage Snack Set Bird Feeder

    Published by Pam Kessler | 642 words. · About 4 minutes to read this article. - 35 Comments

    I run across these vintage glass snack sets at the thrift stores. All. The. Time.

    The day I picked this one up, I had at least 40 to choose from. It was a regular glass-a-palooza.

    They were made by Hazel Atlas, Federal Glass, Anchor Hocking and probably every other glass type company back in the day. Every self respecting mid-century hostess had her glass snack set and a glass punch bowl in her party planning arsenal.

    Vintage glass snack set
    (Whoa Nelly, little Miss Bluebird is either the cutest bluebird or the tackiest. Depending on what side of the kitsch perch you sit on).

    I decided I wanted to repurpose my snack set into a snack set for the birds. Real birds, not china ones with sparkly eyes.

    A place where a bird could sit and relax, have a little nosh and chat with a few friends. Doing so, all the while, in the lap of 1950's luxury.

    How To Make A Vintage Snack Set Bird Feeder

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    (This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience. You can read my full disclosure policy here.)

    Supplies:

    • Vintage glass snack set
    • Piece of ½" wide copper pipe - mine was roughly 3 ½ feet long (found in the plumbing dept)
    • A ½" copper C X FPT adapter (found in the plumbing dept)
    • Waterproof epoxy - I used J-B Weld MarineWeld
    • Glass Glue - I used Loctite Glass Glue
    • Tomato stake or similar stake to pound into the ground (has to be thin enough to fit inside the copper pipe)
    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    Instructions:

    Depending on where you buy the pipe, it may come in the correct length already. If not, have the ever helpful plumbing department specialist (who worked at Taco Bell last week) cut the pipe to length for you. I wanted mine to sit just over my peony bushes, so 3 ½ foot worked for me.

    Wash and thoroughly dry glass tray and cup.

    Apply the J-B Weld to the rim of the larger part of the copper adapter and adhere to the bottom of the tray. Let dry thoroughly.

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    Apply the Loctite Glass Glue to the bottom ring of the cup and adhere it to the designated cup area of the tray (the trays have indented areas to keep your beverages away from your cucumber sandwiches).

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    Let dry thoroughly.

    Note: I used two different glues because the LocTite Glass Glue is great for adhering glass to glass (cup to saucer), but not so much for adhering metal to glass (pipe to saucer), so I used the J-B Weld to adhere the copper adapter to the bottom of the plate. I didn't want the whole thing to come crashing down onto the ground when one of those fat robins sat on it.

    If you like, you can drill a small hole in the bottom of the cup so excess water can drain from the seed cup. You will need a Glass And Tile Bit Set for this. Totally optional as you can just as easily change out the birdseed if it gets too wet.

    Fill the cup with seeds.

    Pound stake firmly into the ground and slide copper pipe over the stake.

    Slide your snack plate with copper adapter over the top of the pipe.

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    I also added water to the tray area, so they could have a little sip or swim while they were there.

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    Then sit back and watch your birds have a fancier lunch that you are having.

    And for all you bird lovers out there, I just used the flowers to pretty up the photos. Totally not necessary.

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    Your birds won't hate you if you leave out the flowers.

    Vintage glass snack set repurposed into a bird feeder

    OK, get off the computer and feed those birds!

    A vintage snack set can easily be repurposed into a CUTE bird feeder in a few simple steps. And I see these snack sets at the thrift store ALL THE TIME!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Into Vintage

      May 07, 2014 at 11:20 am

      Looking forward to a live action shot when your first diner arrives -- I too see these hostess sets all the time and now they have a new purpose in life thanks to you. I was also unaware that burrito folding skills transferred to plumbing! 🙂 And yes, my home glue collection is rivaled only by my random-gallons-of-paint collection.

      Reply
    2. The Speckled Hen Cottage

      May 07, 2014 at 1:55 pm

      Very cute and charming, just like your little blue bird!!! The luncheon crowd will love it!!! And yes, a well stocked and diverse cache of adhesives is a crafter must~~~

      Reply
    3. Robin Johnson

      May 08, 2014 at 9:55 am

      Pam this is your cutest project yet. I love it.

      Reply
    4. Curtains in My Tree

      May 08, 2014 at 12:50 pm

      OMGosh I am working on a glass bird feeder however out of just the plates and flower vases.
      Yours looks very pretty
      I was wondering how you got it to stick in the dirt with breaking it? LOVE it !!!!!!!!!!

      Reply
      • Pam Kessler

        May 13, 2014 at 4:24 am

        It's the tomato stake. If you pound it in first you just slide the copper pipe over it like a sleeve. It was one of those plastic/resin type tomato stakes.

        Reply
    5. Faye

      May 08, 2014 at 1:52 pm

      Really cute idea Pam! I may have to make a couple now!

      Reply
    6. Dawn WeCallItJunkin

      May 09, 2014 at 10:38 am

      This is just gorgeous, Pam! I love it, and I think your use of the clear set was really a good idea, because the pretty garden and flowers really stand out. Thanks so much for the mention, too! Happy Mother's Day to you 🙂

      Reply
    7. [email protected]

      May 12, 2014 at 12:49 pm

      We must be on the same wavelength! I have been thinking about doing a post about the many different ways to use snack sets. Making a set into a bird feeder/waterer is a super duper idea and not one I had considered. Thanks for the shout out and I guess I had better get busy on that post!!! Oh, love your photos!!! The birds will love the flowers, too!!!

      Reply
    8. Olive

      May 12, 2014 at 4:52 pm

      Brilliant! Love it.

      Reply
    9. Mary

      July 04, 2017 at 5:36 pm

      I use the plates of vintage snack sets to hold small potted plants on windowsills. They are just the right width for my windowsills. And they wash up beautifully when soil or muddy water spills on them.

      Reply
      • Pam

        July 05, 2017 at 8:10 am

        That's a fabulous idea!

        Reply
    10. Nikki

      May 06, 2020 at 9:47 am

      How do you keep the seed from molding when it rains? Is there anyway for some type of holes with mesh in the cup? Do you have to take apart to dump rain water and wet seeds?

      Reply
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