A couple years ago we started making bird seed ornaments for the kids’ great-grandmother. She is one of those people who is hard to buy for, but really appreciates and loves homemade items from the kids.
Great-grandma is avid bird lover and often sits on her sun porch and watches the birds in her backyard. For the last two years we have made her homemade bird seed ornaments for Christmas.
This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
The kids get so much more excited when they have put time and creativity into their gifts. They always have stories to share about making their gifts. Great-grandma loves to sit on her porch and watch the birds feast on these yummy snacks while remembering her great grand-kids.
Last year we tried a couple different bird seed ornament recipes. After a little experimenting we came up with these ornaments that use lard or shortening to bind the bird see. They work best in the colder months; making them perfect Christmas gifts. The shortening would melt and go bad in warmer months. For a warmer weather homemade bird seed feeder, try these made from toilet paper rolls.
Supplies:
- Shortening or lard
- Bird Seed
- Cookie Cutters or Mini Round Cake Pan
- Straws
- Twine
Instructions:
1. Add one 1 – 1 1/4 cups of bird seed to a bowl.
2. Melt shorting or lard and add 1/2 cup to the bird seed. Stir
3. Spoon into cookie cutters or pan. If using cookie cutters some of the melted shortening/lard may seep out, but you will still have enough in your mixture.
4. Cut a straw into about 3 inch pieces. Place straw pieces into the bird seed mixture puncturing all the way through to make a hole for the twine. Place in the freezer for at least six hours for the shortening to hardened.
5. Remove the ornament from the cookie cutters and thread twine though the hole and knot to form a loop. Hang from a tree or store in the freezer for later use.
Do you enjoy making homemade gifts with your kids? Fine more homemade gift inspiration at Teach-Me-Mommy.
We will have to try this! Thanks for the recipe and thank you for participating in the series!
The kids will love to make this! Something we’ll have to try. I’ll definitely pin this so I can refer to it easily 🙂
Hope they enjoy it Tina!
These are really useful – we have loads of family who enjoy feeding the birds. Thank you for sharing this idea – we plan to make some soon!
Thanks Helen!
We have a bird feeder we use most of the year, but I bet my kids would love to make these this winter. Thanks for the fun idea!
Hi there. I’m really wanting to make some of these, but being lard, would they melt in the sun. ? lol
Yes Colleen, these are best for cold winter temperatures.
Love that there is no peanut butter!! Thanks
It may say but I can’t find it, how much lard should I use per 1 cup of bird seed?
This is one of the simplest recipes I’ve found for it, others wanted corn syrup and unsweetened gelatin.
Thank you for posting.
Thank you Amy! You need a 1/2 c of lard.
I just made some of these and haven’t waited six hours yet, but are they always greasy?
Yes