Ingredients
Suet Feeders
You will need:
plastic net bags such as onions or potatoes come in.
birdseed
suet (ask for this at the meat counter of your grocery store)
red yarn
Roll the suet in birdseed.
Put the suet in the bag.
Tie the top of the bag with yarn, and hang.
Garlands
needle and thread
stale popcorn
dried fruits
String the popcorn and dried fruits to make a garland.
Tie the garland to the tree.
Easy Garlands
yarn
Cheerios or Fruit Loops
String the Cheerios or Fruit Loops.
Tie the garland to your tree.
Scatter seeds on the ground.
Some birds are ground-feeders, so be sure to sprinkle some bird seed on the ground so they can eat, too.
Decorate a Snowman for the Birds
Try dried plums for the
eyes, a carrot nose, walnuts for the smile, string cranberries for a
scarf and half-apple buttons to finish him off. Hide birdseed in the
folds of his hat and sprinkle more on the ground around him.
Friendly Snowman: Make a snowman who holds flowerpots full of treats in
their arms.
Grandma’s Sunflower Seed Cookies.
Ingredients:
1 c. softened, unsalted butter
3 beaten eggs
3 1/2 c. sifted flour
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cream of tartar
sunflower seeds
Directions:
Setting sunflower seeds aside, mix all other ingredients together until soft dough forms. Roll out onto a lightly floured surface and cut cookies into any shape you desire. Sprinkle sunflower seeds on top and press firmly into dough. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cookies can be hung by making a 1/4″ hole in top before baking them. When cooled add a string and hang as desired. In damp weather it is best to lay them on feeder or tray as they will crumble.
This would be a fun activity that kids would love to do. After they are done & are hung, you can watch & see what birds come over for a meal!
Instructions
Pinecone Bird Feeders
large pinecones
peanut butter (natural, unsalted peanut butter is best- birds prefer chunky!)
bird seed (mixed variety- some birds like sunflower seeds best, so have that in the mix)
bacon fat or melted suet
cornmeal
red yarn
Mix the peanut butter, fat, cornmeal, and birdseed. Spread it thickly onto the pinecone “petals.”
Tie a piece of red yarn to the top of the pinecone.
Tie the pinecone to a tree branch.
Bagel Wreaths
Stale bagels.
The same mixture of peanut butter, fat, cornmeal, and birdseed as in the pinecone feeder
red yarn
Spread the mixture on the bagels.
Tie the yarn through the bagel hole to hang.
Christmas Cookie Ornaments for the Birds
Christmas cookie cutters (such as stars and bells)
a drinking straw
6 pieces of bread
3 Tablespoons cornmeal
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1 Tablespoon shortening
bird seed
red ribbon
Cut bread into shapes with cookie cutters.
Using a straw, make a hole near the top of each ornament.
Slip red ribbons through the holes, and tie into a loop, for hangers.
Leave bread out overnight to dry.
Mix cornmeal, shortening, and peanut butter.
Spread on bread, both sides.
Decorate both sides with birdseed.
Hang your ornaments onto tree branches!
