How to Build a Pine Cone Suet Feeder

Building a pine cone suet feeder is an easy project for adults and children alike. This feeder requires little supplies to construct, looks great hanging from a branch or outdoor hook and is great nutrition for your feathered friends in the winter months. You will be sure to have lots of aviary visitors to your yard. But watch out for squirrels; they'll love it, too.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Large opened pine cone(s)
• Yarn or string (several yards)
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup lard, shortening or suet
• 3 cups bird seed
• 1 cup cornmeal or oatmeal
• ½ cup dried fruit and nuts (small bits)
• Mixing bowl
• Shallow pan
• Scissors
• Spoon

1. Attach a couple feet of the string or yarn to the pine cone by wrapping it around at the larger end of the pine cone and tie knot securely, making a loop at the top. You want it to hang level in the tree.
2. Toss together the bird seed and dried fruit and nuts in a shallow pan. Set this mixture aside.
3. Combine the peanut butter, lard and cornmeal in a mixing bowl until it has a paste like consistency.
4. Spread the peanut butter mixture over the pine cone using a spoon. It sometimes helps to get a little messy at this point and use your fingers to get the mixture into all the crevices of the pine cone.
5. Roll the covered pine cone in the bird seed mixture. Make sure to coat it entirely. Use your hands to pack as much of the seed mixture onto the pine cone as possible.
6. Hang the feeder securely in a tree or on an outdoor hook and wait for visitors.

Tips & Warnings

• This recipe is for building two large pine cone suet feeders or four small ones.
• Do several of these in advance and freeze them in the freezer. Replace them as needed.
• Make sure the dried fruit and nuts are chopped finely so the birds can easily eat it and digest it.
• Use a pine cone from nature if possible or if buying from a craft store be sure the pine cones have no fragrance sprayed on them.