kudzukween, So happy that i found this post. I like your idea. May i steal it and create something from nice old chandelier that i rescued from garbage. Lol. What paint did you use for this? Note: I am completely new to garden junk and all "chemistry" around painting, appliing something to make weatherproof, glueing.

All I do is try to get to the center of it,which might involve unscrewing the top or bottom. Then I reach in and clip all the wires I see with my wire cutters. Then I take out the screws in each arm,and clip the wires there,and pull them out of each arm. Hope that helps! If it's not in my way( that is,in the way of glueing on a cup and saucer for the things I make) I leave it in there. Most of the ones I've used, I turned the arms upside down because the cup part faced down,and I needed it facing up. That just flips around with no tools needed. Good luck,ya'll :)

Well now isn't that really pretty, I've don't think I've ever seen a hanging shade like that. Darn squirrels get on top my shed from the trees, get over to the roof edge and climb onto my birdfeeder. From there I've seen the little boogers stand on the perch part and literally lift up the cover, stick their heads in and munch away. Well they finally broke it last week and I found it on the ground. Ya think they'd learn that there's more seed on the ground which I put there for them, but nooooooo! It's much more fun to climb on ole' Sal's feeder, a gift from her DS and DIL, and get to the goods the hard way. Thanks a lot you little brats, now "you get nothing and like it!!!!!"

Plastic is the most troublefree weatherproof material, but it is also expensive. Cedar or cypress is naturally weather resistant and needs littl/no maintenance. Cedar will be lighter than cypress. Both woods weather naturally to a light gray color. Hinging the roof on one end and a mocking hasp for security would be the easiest way to fill/clean. The wire should be metal wire, as the bigger long term concern will be squirrels, rather than the weather. Squirrels are masters at getting to bird feeders, just look on Google at the number of different inventions to prevent their access to feeders.