How to Make an Edible Birdfeeder

Make a natural birdfeeder to attract birds to your yard.

Scattering edible birdfeeders around your garden or backyard is an easy way to attract birds, which can help keep the insect population under control, since the birds will eat grubs, aphids, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and beetles. Making your own natural birdfeeder with a few simple ingredients is an educational and earth-friendly project even a toddler can help with, and saves you the money of buying one at the store.

Things You'll Need

• Gelatin feeder:
• 2 packets plain gelatin
• 2 cups bird seed
• Wax paper
• Cookie cutters
• Twine
• Dowel or pencil
• Cutting board or cookie sheet
• Pine cone feeder:
• Pine cone
• Vegetable shortening
• 2 1/2 cups raw oats
• Bird seed

Instructions

Gelatin Birdfeeder

1. According to MomReady.com, make gelatin according to package directions. When it begins to congeal, mix in bird seed. Be sure to coat the seeds so they do not fall off.

2. Place wax paper on a flat surface such as a cutting board or cookie sheet and spread a thick layer of gelatin on top.

3. Use cookie cutters to create shapes and peel away the excess around the perimeter.

4. Use a pencil to make a hole through the center of the gelatin shape.

5. Put the gelatin in the refrigerator for a few hours to set, remove the cookie cutters and let the gelatin shapes dry out and harden at room temperature for at least two days.

6. Thread twine through the pencil hole and string to a tree branch.

Pine Cone Birdfeeder

1. Mix shortening with 2 1/2 cups raw oats, according to EnchantedLearning.com.

2. 

   Coat your feeder with bird seed.

   Coat a pine cone with the shortening mixture and roll it in a bowl of seeds.

3. Weave twine through the pine cone and hang it from a tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Not all birds migrate for the winter in climates where the temperature drops below freezing. A hanging edible birdfeeder can provide nutrition for cold-weather dwellers that cannot access the ground due to ice or snow cover.

• For an educational project with children, hang the feeder within sight of a window and have the kids observe the birds that visit. Use different shapes, seeds, and colors for the feeders as a science experiment to see which feeders the birds prefer. Have the children write down their observations. Younger children can draw pictures of what they see.

• Experiment with different ingredients for the pine cone feeder, such as lard or suet. If you have chickadees, try sunflower seeds as well as millet.

References

• No-Dig Vegetable Garden: Backyard Birds
• Mom Ready: Winter Birdfeeder
• Enchanted Learning: Pine Cone Birdfeeder