When I made the decision to build a bird feeder this spring, I ran into some problems. It was not that I had any problem building one, but that I had trouble deciding on which design to begin with. There were absolutely no shortage of designs, you see, and all the bird feeder plans appeared quite useful. When I had first decided on researching plans for a bird feeder, I figured I should use the one that birds would find most attractive. I thought that the most pragmatic design would be the best. When I talked to a few birdwatchers, though, I found that almost any bird feeder plan should work. It was just a matter of finding something that I liked the appearance of. The birds would come no matter what the bird feeder looked like.

The bird feeder plan than I first made was really very simple. Physically, it was just a tube with a small hole in it to disperse seeds. It was compact enough that it would discourage squirrels and it was hung on a wire to make it more problematic for them to get to. Other than that, it was nothing more than a small grain silo for birds. It was pretty boring, unadorned and undecorated.

The reason that I chose the bird feeder plans I did was pretty simple: I'm practical. When I first try a project, I find the easiest version possible. Then, if it works, I can try more complicated projects next time. Rather than looking for new bird feeder plans, however, I decided to revisit the old ones. I came back to my original birdseed feeder and revised it. I added wooden decorations and ornaments to it, a nice paint job, and a few extra holes so that many birds could feed at once. By the time I was done, it was looking good.

Since then, I have put together many different bird feeders and birdhouses. Some of the birdhouses I constructed have actually been quite aesthetically pleasing. One of them was so nice, in fact, that I couldn't bear to leave it outside. The weather can be pretty harsh there and I figured that it wouldn’t take long to get battered and weatherworn. Instead, I keep it inside my house. Of course it doesn't get to shelter any birds, but I can still admire my own craftsmanship. Sometimes vanity is a good thing. It keeps me making new and interesting projects.