Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Quick and Easy Handmade Bird Feeders

So this week I seem to be obsessed with birds and crafts. We are preparing for the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend, and I thought that maybe some of you are, too. Here is a super easy and fun activity that is beneficial for both your children and your birds. Buen provecho (to the pajaros, not to your kids!)...

Materials:
Pinecones
Peanut butter
Bird seed
Old, plastic tablecloth
Dull knife or popsicle sticks
Small tub
Clean up towel
Yarn

1) First thing, be sure to cover your work area with an old (plastic) tablecloth. This activity can be a wee bit messy, and it is no fun cleaning peanut butter off of 'Buelita's heirloom tablecloth. A small towel for wiping fingers is a good idea, too.

2) Spread peanut butter all over a pinecone using a butter knife or popsicle stick.
(I keep a cheap-o brand of pb exclusively for craft projects.)



3) Pour your birdseed into a small tub and roll your coated pinecone in it until
the seed is stuck to every inch of peanut butter. Small seed, like millet, works best for this craft.



It should more or less look like this:



4) Tie a small knot in one end of your yarn, creating a small loop.
Take the main part of the yarn and pull it through the look to create a larger one that is adjustable.
Repeat on the other end.



5) Slide the loop over the pointy end of your pinecone and pull tight.



During non-blizzard like conditions, the pinecones will hang nicely and the birds will actually eat the seeds off of them. But if you prefer to simply lay them on a ledge with no yarn, los pajaritos will eat it anyway and be grateful. 

The picture below was taken during our massive snow storm. There are two juncos on the left, and a towhee on the right. Sorry about the quality of the picture, but the snow was blowing like mad and I was too nice and warm to venture away from my window to go outside to photograph them properly!


Con mucho cariƱo....

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