Intro To: Easy Ornaments to Feed the Birds

Family crafts. Have you ever enjoyed sitting around the table with piles of glue, glitter, paper, markers, fabric, scissors and an idea? Kids learn through doing. Learning to be creative while spending family time together is a healthy and fun way for kids to expand their minds. As the spring has passed, and summer is here, doing more activities indoors may happen more often to keep cool on those hot days. So, what to do?

Feed the Birds

Have you ever thought about making edible ornaments? Well if you haven’t, here are some steps to creating some tasty birdseed ornaments that your family can gift others or you can gift your very own flying visitors outside.

What you and your family will need to get started:

• Birdseed
• 1 cup of peanut butter
• 1 lb. of vegetable shortening
• ½ cup of oatmeal
• ½ cup of cornmeal
• ½ cup of raisins
• Metal cookie cutters or molds
• Twine

You can “go green” if you use organic wild birdseed and peanut butter, and also, don’t be afraid to go crunchy with the peanut butter; it works well. For the molds, they can be anything that has a shape. Even tuna cans will work for molds.
Now, that you have everything, it’s time to get started.

1. Prep a cookie sheet by covering with parchment, waxed paper or a silicon sheet. Then set aside.

2. Add the vegetable shortening and the peanut butter together and melt over low heat. Make sure to stir constantly.

3. After both have completely melted together, add the rest of the ingredients (birdseed, oatmeal, cornmeal, and raisins) and stir.

4. While the mixture is still warm, spoon it into the molds you have chosen and place them onto the cookie sheet.

5. When finished, let them cool before chilling them in the fridge or the freezer (faster) to harden.

6. Once firm, take the mixture out of the molds. If the mixture doesn’t come out easily, run warm water on the outside of the mold.

7. Last, put a knitting needle, or something else long, thin and sharp, through the top of the new ornament to make a hole, add the twine and knot a loop.

Now you are ready to hang the newly created birdseed ornaments outside for the birds to enjoy or to wrap up and take to the family for them to do the same.

There are so many ways to enjoy each other’s company and create together. Find something you all like to do and get started. Tie dye a sweatshirt. Make a turkey cutout using fallen leaves. Whatever you do with your family, have fun.

About Author:
Miscelleana Rhinehart loves to write about all topics and share her ideas with whoever is interested like NY Hyundai dealers or graphics designers.