This Valentine’s Day consider spreading the love to some of your friendly neighborhood birds (and squirrels) by making some adorable and eco-friendly birdseed ornaments!
A quick and easy recipe that is sure to win over your wildlife friends.
Very few items are needed to make these sweet ornaments. You may even have most of the items laying around your house.
Instructions
Here is a very simple how-to guide for making homemade birdseed ornaments!
- Gather all your items together to prep. (A note on the twine: I like to use twine for my hangers as it’s biodegradable and natural. You can use ribbon, although I would check to make sure they are not made out of synthetic materials or contain a wire.)
- Measure out all your ingredients.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on top of a baking sheet.
- Toss cookie cutters in flour to lightly coat.
- Place cookie cutters on top of parchment paper. Set aside.
- Pour your birdseed into a heat safe bowl.
- Empty one packet of powered gelatin into 1/3rd cup boiling water and stir vigorously until completely dissolved. (It’s okay if you notice a few bits of clumped gelatin!)
- Pour dissolved gelatin onto birdseed and stir until combined. (*As the mixture cools it will begin to harden. At first the mixture will seem loose.*)
- Start scooping combined birdseed mixture into floured cookie cutters until halfway full.
- Once cookie cutter is halfway full, gently pack down with the back of a spoon.
- Place one of your tied twine strands and gently press into the middle of your halfway filled cookie cutter.
- With twine in place, gently fill the rest of the cookie cutter to the top with the birdseed mixture.
- Gently pack the birdseed in with the back of your spoon again.
- Continue steps 4-13 for each ornament until your mixture is all gone!
- Leave ornaments to cure for roughly 4-5 hours, or until they feel dry to touch.
- Then slowly press the ornaments out of the cookie cutters and hang outside for the birds to enjoy!
Birdseed Ornaments Recipe
Valentine’s Day Birdseed Ornaments
Easy homemade birdseed ornaments just in time for Valentine’s Day! This year, Valentine’s Day is also for the birds! This recipe will yield 4-6 ornaments depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
Servings 6 Ornaments
Cost $10
Equipment
- 6 Cookie cutters
- 1 Baking sheet
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Birdseed
- 1/3 Cup Water
- 1 Packet Gelatin
- 1 Roll Twine
- 1 Piece Parchment Paper
- 1/4 Cup Flour
Instructions
- Cut your twine into 6-8 inch strands, or long enough to tie into a circle. Set aside.
- Pour flour into bowl. Lightly dip, and flip, each cookie cutter to coat lightly in flour.
- Place one piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Place flour covered cookie cutters onto sheet. Set aside.
- Pour 2 cups of birdseed into a heat safe bowl. Set aside.
- Boil 1/3rd cup of water.
- Once water is boiling, add one packet of powered gelatin. Stir vigorously until dissolved.
- Once gelatin is dissolved, pour on top of birdseed and stir until combined.
- Begin spooning mixture into floured cookie cutters stopping at halfway full.
- Pack down with back of spoon.
- Place tied string into middle of cookie cutter and fill the cookie cutter the remaining half.
- Pack down filled cookie cutter again with back of spoon.
- Complete steps 8-11 for each cookie cutter until all birdseed mixture is gone.
- Leave filled cookie cutters to cure for approx 4-5 hours, or until dry.
- Once ornaments feel dry to touch, carefully press out of cookie cutters.
- Hang for birds to enjoy!
For more ideas, check out this video on other fun and safe DIY bird-friendly ornaments.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know how it works!
Happy Valentine’s Day friends!
-Kate