Though 2020 hasn't been what we all hoped it would be in the beginning of the year, it hasn't been all bad. This year opened my eyes in more way than one. One way, is that I have quite literally opened my eyes! I started looking around, enjoying all the natural beauty around me, noticing things I didn't notice before, paying attention to different details of life. All of this plays into my new favorite hobby...Bird Watching! Along with watching the birds, I obviously had to learn how to feed them. Hence, the Pinecone Bird Feeder! if you are in a region with Hummingbirds, you can also try my recipe for Hummingbird Nectar.
Our neighborhood is packed full of evergreen trees, so this means we have a plethora of pinecones. My daughter and I were collecting some one day, when I remembered a craft project I did as a child and when we got home I was on the hunt for the supplies we would need. This was very simple to do, because there are not many things needed for this cute little project.
Pinecone Bird Feeder - What you'll need
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Large Pinecone
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String (to attach the feeder to a tree or hook)
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Peanut Butter (NOT artificially sweetened)
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Bird Seed
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Shallow Dish
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Butter Knife or Small Rubber Spatula
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- Pour your favorite birdseed into a shallow dish. Make sure the seed is about 1 inch deep.
- Cut a string about two feet long and tie one end around either end of the pinecone.
- Using a butter knife, spread a good amount of peanut butter on the outside of the pinecone.
- Dip the pinecone in birdseed until it is fully coated. I pressed as much birdseed into the pinecone as I could.
- Hang the Pinecone Bird Feeder inside a tree ensuring it hangs right above a branch. This will give the birds a place to perch while they fill their bellies!
- Get your camera ready, because the birds are about to go crazy!
To keep your counter clean, you may want to lay a sheet of newspaper down before you begin. Another tip I will leave you with is about the peanut butter you use. Use a peanut butter that does not contain ANY artificial sweeteners. These are very harmful to animals and can even be fatal. Please make sure we are keeping the creatures safe and happy!
Within an hour of hanging two of these feeders outside, we had little mountain chickadees all over them! A little while later, I looked out and saw a bird I hadn't ever seen before. A larger, light grey bird with black spots and red cheeks! After a little google research, we found out it was a northern flicker! There were also red winged black birds, finches, robins, magpies and so many more! It was really exciting seeing the variety of birds we saw coming to visit us and I really hope your Pinecone Bird Feeder attracts lots of gorgeous birds as well! At one point we even had an adolescent elk come and eat one off the tree like a piece of popcorn! Thank you all for crafting with me today!
Ashley Tuttle
