How to Make Bird Food Ornaments

Pine cones make natural and seasonal ornaments to hang for birds in winter.

In the winter, birds lose a lot of their food sources, and they are often on a long journey from the north to the south. They appreciate any extra sustenance they can get, and a perfect combination of bird food and beauty for your garden is to make bird food ornaments. They can be hung anywhere in your garden, and add a seasonal and natural touch by being made from pine cones. They are inexpensive and can be a fun activity to do with children.

Things You'll Need

• Pine cone
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup birdseed
• Bowl
• Ribbon
• 1 foot of string
• Glue gun
• Hot glue

Instructions

1. Rinse your pine cone to remove excess dirt that may keep the peanut butter from sticking and let it dry.

2. Smear the pine cone with peanut butter, using either your fingers or a butter knife to get it all over the pine cone as best as possible.

3. Roll the pine cone in a bowl of birdseed, covering the peanut butter with the seed.

4. Glue both ends of the string together at the bottom of the pine cone. Add a ribbon or bow to the string for more decoration if you wish. Loop the string over a branch of a tree in your yard or on a hook on your porch.

Tips & Warnings

• Make as many of these ornaments as you want to fully decorate a tree or your porch.

• Use different types of birdseed to lure different types of birds to your yard.

• Peanut allergies can be very serious, so do not work with peanut butter if you or the child is allergic to peanuts. Try vegetable shortening instead.

• Some types of pine cones have pointy tips that could cause puncture wounds. Try to find pine cones without these points, or file them off before using them with children.

References

• Blisstree: Bird Seed Ornaments