Wintertime can be tough on everyone. I, for one, do not like the cold. But imagine being a bird stuck outside with nowhere to go to get warm. And to make matters worse, food is quite scarce during the winter months. Why not spread a little holiday cheer to our bird friends by creating a Christmas tree full of delicious treats made especially for our feathered friends.
This can be a fun family project that all can participate in, and everyone will get to see the fruits of their labor long after the holiday has passed. This can become a family tradition
Garland Home
When we think of a Christmas tree, we usually think of a pine tree, so if you have one, of course this works best, but if not, any old tree will do. We are going to make three different kinds of ornaments to hang on this bird Christmas tree, and we'll also string some garland to hang around the branches.
Materials that you will need:
Sliced sandwich bread
Egg Whites
Bird Seed
Twine or Raffia
Cookie Cutters
Ice pick or sharp stick
The first ornament we will make is from sliced sandwich bread. For this thin sliced works best, but regular bread will also do. If you have a day old bread store in your area this works great and is easy on the wallet.
Simply place each slice of bread on a flat surface and cut out your shape with a large cookie cutter. You will probably be able to get one ornament from each slice of bread.
To make the hole in the top of each ornament use an ice pick or a sharp stick such as one you use to make a kabob. Thru this you can string the twine or raffia to hang it from the tree branch.
Brush one side of the bread with egg white. This is the "glue" for keeping the bird seed on the bread ornament. Sprinkle the egg white covered bread with the bird see. I think the best bird seed to use is a seed mixture. This variance in shape and texture makes the ornaments more interesting. You will also attract a wider variety of birds with a mixture. Our little feathered friends each have their own preference when it comes to dining.
Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees. Place the seed covered ornaments on a baking sheet, and bake for about 5 minutes. You need to bake only long enough to adhere the bird seed to the egg covered bread.
Take a piece of twine or raffia and string it thru the hole that you made in the top of the ornament. Then tie a knot to create a loop to hang it from a branch by.
The second ornaments we will make are bird seed balls. These can be a little messy to make so if you cover your work area with newspaper, it will save you a lot of clean up time.
Materials:
Newspaper
2 Plastic bowls
Spoon
1 pound of Crisco
1 16 ounce jar of smooth peanut butter
5 cups of corn meal
6 cups of uncooked oats
3 cups of raisins
3 cups of unshelled sunflower seeds
5-6 straight pieces of floral wire heavy enough to hold ball. (You will need more if you make smaller balls)
Twine or raffia
Mix the Crisco, six cups of oats, one jar of peanut butter, one cup of sunflower seeds, one cup of raisins and five cups of corn meal together in a large plastic bowl. Use a spoon to stir the mixture. You can also use your hands if the spoon does not work well for you.
Pack the mixture into balls. These should be very firm and hard packed. Make the balls as small or as large as you would like. Mix the remaining sunflower seeds and raisins together in the second bowl. Roll each ball into the mixture until well coated. Run a piece of the floral wire thru the cent of the ball from top to bottom and bring around the outside to form a loop at the top from which you can hang from the tree. You can use a piece of twine or raffia in the loop. Place in refrigerator for an hour to firm up, then hang from tree branches.
Our last ornament will be peanut butter and bird seed pine cones. For these you will need the following materials:
1 cup of lard or Crisco
1 1/2 cups of crunch peanut butter
1 cup of corn meal
1 cup of bird seed
Twine or raffia
Large pine cones
Melt one cup of lard or Crisco in the microwave in a plastic bowl. Add the 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter. Blend mixture together well, and let stand 5-10 minutes.
Add one cup of corn meal and one cup of bird seed to mixture, and stir until well mixed.
Tie a piece of raffia or twine to the top of each pine cone, making sure it is long enough to be tied to a tree branch. Take the mixture and press into the openings in the pine cone, making sure to cover the entire cone, in the peanut butter mixture. Hang on tree.
Last but not least in decorating our Christmas tree for the birds, we need to string some garland. The materials we need for this are:
2 bags of fresh cranberries
Several batches of popped pop corn
6 oranges sliced
6 apples sliced and cut in half
Raffia (as long as you want your garland to be)
String your garland alternating with the cranberries and popcorn, and then placing an orange or apple slice every so often. You can use any design of your own choosing. There is no wrong or right way when it comes to alternating your fruit and popcorn on the garland. Just string and place around the tree.
Now watch the birds enjoy this wonderful gift you have given them!
Christmas Is For the Birds: Give Birds a Tasty Winter Treat When You Decorate Outdoor Trees
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