How to Make Homemade Birdfeeders Using Pinecones

Bird watching is a welcome way to pass cold winter days. Attract birds to your yard with a homemade pine cone bird feeder. Hang it near a window so you can watch birds from inside. The birds will be grateful for food in the harsh winter months, and kids will be thankful for the creative activity and brush with nature while they are stuck inside.

Choosing Pine Cones

Any size or variety of pine cones work for bird feeders. Choose pine cones that are dry and hard, not soft and green. Look for the largest pine cone you can find and tie a length of twine or ribbon around the top.

Use smaller pine cones by tying several together. Cut a 1-foot length of floral wire. Wrap one end of the wire around the pointed end of a 2- to 3-inch pine cone. Wrap the wire around the end of two more pine cones to form a bundle. Loop twine through the wire and make a loop to hang them with.

Simple Seed Mixture

Place the pine cone on a paper plate to contain some of the mess. Smear peanut butter onto the cone or cones. Use plenty of peanut butter to coat them well. Pour a variety of birdseed onto the paper plate. Roll the pine cone in the seeds so they coat the cone completely. Hang outside in a tree where birds can easily access it.

Cooked Seed Mixture

Mix 1/2 cup cooking fat--lard, butter or solid vegetable shortening--with 1 jar of peanut butter in a small saucepan. Heat on medium, mixing well. Add 1 to 2 tsp. of flour to the mixture to help thicken it, then mix in birdseed. Mix in 1 to 2 cups of birdseed--enough so that the mixture is very thick and hard to stir. Allow it to cool enough to handle, stirring constantly.

Dip the pine cone into the pan, coating it in the seed mixture completely. Press the seed mixture between the the gaps in the cone with a small spoon. Hang the pine cone outside for the birds.

References

• Lucy's Garden
• Kaboose