How to Make Wild Bird Seed Bells
Wild bird seed bells provide a decorative way to keep your neighborhood birds happy. These hardened clumps of bird seed can hang from trees or awnings, and as the name suggests, typically come in the shape of a bell. Most garden and pet supply stores carry this type of product, but you can make your own at home for a cheaper price. The only ingredient needed for a bird seed bell, aside from the actual seeds, is egg whites, which act as an edible adhesive. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 6-inch terracotta pot
- Oven bag
- Scissors
- 6 eggs
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- 3 cups wild bird seed
- Florist wire
Instructions
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1
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
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2
Place an oven bag inside a 6-inch terracotta pot. Cut off any portion of the bag that extends past the rim of the pot.
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3
Separate the whites from the yolks of 6 eggs. Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and discard the yolks.
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4
Whisk the egg whites until they become fluffy, but not stiff. This can take anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your whisk and the speed at which you whisk.
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5
Add 3 cups of wild bird seed to the mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients with your hands or the whisk until thoroughly mixed.
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6
Pour the mixture into the pot. Pack it down as tightly as possible to ensure it sticks together.
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7
Cut a piece of florist wire to 12 inches long. Make a loop, about the same diameter of a pencil, at one end of the wire.
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8
Stick the straight end of the wire through the center of the bird seed mixture and out through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Bend the loop over so it lays flat against the bird seed.
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9
Put the pot in the oven and bake it until it feels solid, usually 60 to 90 minutes. Remove the pot once finished baking.
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10
Pull the oven bag out of the pot while still warm, but not so hot that it burns your hands. Make a loop on the straight end of the wire. The bird seed bell can now be hung by a string through the loop of the wire.
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