Everyone has seen the different ways you can use peanut butter to stick birdseed onto pinecones, cardboard tubes or other small objects to create bird feeders. These are fun activities for little hands but can get messy quickly and are a concern for those with nut allergies. When I saw a recipe for a birdfeeder that does not involve peanut butter, I was pretty excited. This is a fun way to create bird feeders with little mess, almost no waste and young ones can be involved in almost every step.
For these feeders, you will need:
- birdseed (any kind)
- coconut oil
- cookie sheet (any size)
- cookie cutters (multiple)
- bowl (microwave safe)
- spoon
- straws (any type)
- ribbon, jute or yarn
- measuring cup (any size) to use as a scoop
Start by melting 1-2 tablespoons of coconut oil in your bowl. I used two heaping tablespoons, heated for 30 seconds, stirred, then heated for another 20 seconds. Once melted, add birdseed to your bowl a scoop at a time, until all of the seeds are coated and the mixture is not soupy. I used 2-2.5 cups of seed.
Lay your cookie cutters out on the pan. Place a straw in the cookie cutter, away from the edge, and add birdseed around it. After a few spoonfuls, the straw will stand upright on its own (crooked is okay). Fill the cookie cutter with seed and gently tap down. I was able to fill four cookie cutters with the seed I had prepared.
Once your cookie cutters are filled, place the pan in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to harden the oil back into a solid state. Once solid, you can slide the bird treats out of their cookie cutter forms. At first, it may feel like you are going to break them, but once you get the feeders started, they will slide out. Remove the straws and tie string, yarn or jute using the hole left by the straw. I used about 10 inches of string for each of my feeders. Any seeds left on your tray can be tossed into the yard or compost. Once your string is tied, the feeders are ready to hand outside!
Tips:
- If using plastic straws, cut them in half. This will help your supplies go farther, and be easier to place in the fridge.
- There will be some seeds that fall off when removing the feeders from the molds, that is okay. The birds won’t mind.
- Using shapes with soft edges (like circles or dog bones) will lead to less breakage. Shapes with more defined corners (like the star) are more fragile.
