Ben's Bird Boxes

Ben's Bird Boxes are handmade by Ben out of recycled estate agents signs, and I bought my dad one for christmas which he duly fixed to the garage wall a couple of weekends ago.

I found out that Ben was inspired by a trip to Africa where he saw how everyday waste products were crafted into products and sold in markets. I remember seeing this in Cape Town and my day in khayelitsha. I bought a few things made by the local workers' co-operative - you can have a look at them here at Flickr.

It got me thinking about other bits and pieces that we throw away and how we could find some uses for them - this is a theme that's often explored in ready made mag, but I'm afraid the results don't always hit the mark.

Anyway, buy a bird box from Ben - I'm not sure its the best time of year, you'll have to check with him, but they make funky homes for feathered friends.