Bird Feeders or Hanging Trash?

It's winter. 
I want to feed the birds.
Bird Feeders from the store are expensive.
So, we could make our own.  Searching on the internet results in many directions for how to make birdfeeders from household materials including:  peanut butter jars, milk jugs, detergent bottles, sticks, coat hangers, all stuff we have around the house.
So far, the three kinds I've tried are difficult to make, more difficult to refill, and, quite frankly, ugly and look like trash.