5 ways to up cycle your bird cage

I’ve often seen people release a dove to commemorate important events and milestones. I used to wonder why they do it, up until the moment I started writing this article (I read about it on Wikipedia).

To me, birds are free spirits. They can fly the skies, while you look up to the skies and sing, “I believe I can fly”.

Ironically, most of the free spirits are caged. They are kept in cages, either as pets in some homes or up for sale in the market. Even the kinder-garden books show birds and cages as a package.

None of us want to be put in a closed space without doing the things we were meant to do. Humans were meant to move around; Birds were meant to fly high.

While we got our freedom in 1947, the verdict came a little late for our friendly fliers. The Delhi High Court has stated that birds have the fundamental right to “live with dignity” and fly in the sky without being kept in cages or subjected to cruelty.

Now that you can’t use your birdcage anymore, why not re-use it instead of discarding it. After all, we are a nation that talks about “swachh bharath” quite often these days.

To help you get started, we found few innovative ways you can up cycle your birdcage to serve you better.

Night lamp / Decoration lamp

Install a low power light bulb in the cage and cover it using a cloth to dim out the light and use it as a night lamp. You can wrap the cage in serial lights to give your home an enchanting decor.

Pro tip – You can use several layers of clothing to regulate the amount of light from the night lamp.

Fruit basket

Cut out the top portion of the birdcage and use it as a fruit basket. Place it on the dining table as a reminder to include fresh fruits in your diet.

Pro tip – You can weld two such fruit baskets together to get a spherical cage. Hang it from the ceiling and use it for storing fruits and vegetables.

Rotating hanger

Use the bottom half your cage and make small hooks by bending the cage wires at the tip and suspend it from the ceiling. Now you can go through your wardrobe like you do in stores.

Pro tip – You can also use it to hang your keys, accessories and even empty milk packets.

Fencing / Toy box

If you own a big rectangular birdcage, you can use it for fencing your garden. You can also use it as a toy box to keep all the teddy bears and choo choo trains in one place.

Pro tip – You can compartmentalize the cage to grow different types of plants or to group similar toys together.

Kung fu Hat

Have you ever wanted to make your own fashion statement but too afraid to do so? Now is the time to bring back the Kung fu hat. Cut out the top portion of the birdcage and cover it up with a piece of clothing of your choice.

Pro tip – Use an elastic band to keep your hat from falling off during ninja battles and heavy winds

And one more thing…you are welcome.