© 2023 Rachel L. Shumate | All rights reserved.
Did you know there’s such a thing as Feed the Birds Day? – This immediately makes that song “…Feed the birds, tuppence a bag… Tuppence, tuppence, tuppence a bag…” pop into my head. From the movie Marry Poppins; I think? (It’s really weird the random stuff that sticks with you from childhood…) And now you probably have that song stuck in your head too, haha… Sorry.
Anyway… I hadn’t heard of this fun little “holiday” either until just recently. Though it comes as no surprise because there are silly so-called holidays for just about everything, which I think is rather awesome. In case you want to add this particular one to your calendar, it falls on February 3rd every year.
And if you’d like to partake in some festivities for this fun holiday, I have a cute craft for just this occasion. My daughter, Olivia, and I actually made these for my mom once as a gift. Which was rather well received – by both my mom and the birds. (My mom is a bit obsessed with her feathered friends, and I fondly refer to her as “The Bird Lady.”)
So, if you or someone you know love to birdwatch, or you simply want to give your backyard critters a tasty treat, give this quick and easy craft a go.
Birdseed Ornaments
Supplies:
- Cookie Cutters
- 2.5 cups of Birdseed
- 2 Packages of Unflavored Gelatin (total of 2 tbs)
- 2 tbs of Corn Syrup
- 1 cup of Water
- String/Yarn
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
Directions:
First, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place cookie cutters on top. Then, add ½ cup of cold water into a large bowl. Pour in the two packages of unflavored gelatin. Then add ½ cup of boiling water to the gelatin mixture and stir until it is fully dissolved. Next, thoroughly mix in the corn syrup and birdseed. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for approximately 8 minutes until it is firm enough to add to the cookie cutters without it leaking out everywhere.
Next, cut pieces of string and make hangers by looping the ends together and tying a knot. After the mixture is ready, start spooning it into the cookie cutters, being sure to press down the birdseed firmly with the back of the spoon to pack it tightly, and to fill all the spaces within the shape. When half-filled, place your string loop into the cookie cutter (with the knot at the bottom and the loop sticking out the top). Then fill the cookie cutter the rest of the way, being sure to pack the mixture. Repeat for each shape/ornament. Let stand overnight. Once hardened, gently push the birdseed forms out of the cookie cutters. And now they’re ready to hang outside for the birds and critters to enjoy!
PS: In addition to this featured craft, Olivia and I also strung Cheerios on a piece of yarn (as a sort of eatable garland for critters) that we then draped on my mom’s twig of a tree in her back yard, along with the birdseed ornaments. However, my mom reported that the birds (and even the squirrels!) didn’t really eat it much. Though it possibly could have been that they weren’t fond of the honey nut flavor, and just plain Cheerios might work better. Either way, I thought it was a cute idea; and I’m also here to tell you that stringing Cheerios is an excellent craft to keep your kiddo busy and happy, haha.
