We are excited to welcome another fun and creative guest post from Piera Jolly of Jolly Mom. She always has such inspiring ideas!
Lately I have been hearing the birds chirping more and more – hopefully signaling that spring will be arriving soon. To celebrate both National Craft Month and the warmer months ahead, I thought I’d share with you one of our favorite simple craft projects – a DIY bird feeder.
These are like little bird feed biscuits that can be strung from ribbon and hung from the trees around your home. We make these every year and the birds (and squirrels sometimes too) love them!
Making them is so simple that it’s actually a great project for kids too! It’s the perfect way to get kids interested in nature. They can help make the bird feeders, read a book about birds, observe the birds eating, and name the types of birds in your yard. It’s easy and so much fun!
DIY Bird Feeder Instructions
Materials:
- 4 cups bird seed
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 Tbsp corn syrup
- 1 packet gelatin (Knox)
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Plastic straws
- Molds (3-5 inch; I use silicone molds and mini tart pans)
- Cooking spray
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, mix together the gelatin and warm water until dissolved. Mix in the corn syrup and flour. Add in the bird seed and mix until well combined and bird seed is evenly coated with flour mixture. Spray your molds with cooking spray.
(P.S. If you like the personalized wooden utensils, you can get the set at Personal Creations!)
Press bird seed mixture into molds. This step is important! Make sure to press down firmly. I use a spoon to really get the mixture compacted in the mold. To create a hole in the mold (to string ribbon through), place a straw where you want the hole to be.
Set it aside to dry for 24 hours. Remove from mold and allow to dry for another 24 hours. String ribbon through the hole and hang from desired tree.
Give this project a try and let us know about all the birds flocking to your yard for snacks.
Piera Jolly is the founder and editor-in-chief of JollyMom.com, a savvy and popular blog that provides moms with helpful parenting information, fun child-friendly activities, craft ideas, recipes, and the latest trends for moms, kids, and families. JollyMom.com is also proud to have been named a Top 10 Inspiring Blogger by Mashable, a Power Mom by Nielsen and one of Access Communication’s Top 50 Mommy Blogs!