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Making Bird Feeders With Pine Cones

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By David Chandler
Making Bird Feeders With Pine Cones
Backyard bird-watchers can make a pinecone bird feeder to attract birds to easy viewing range. This simple craft provides additional nourishment to birds throughout the year, but are especially important during migration and cooler months. An autumn walk through a pine forest provides enough pinecones to subsidize neighborhood birds' diets throughout the year.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy
Things You'll Need:
  • Pinecone Peanut butter Bird seed 1/2 cup of suet or vegetable oil 2 1/2 cups of cornmeal Mixing bowl Spatula Wax paper
  • Pinecone
  • Peanut butter
  • Bird seed
  • 1/2 cup of suet or vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups of cornmeal
  • Mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Wax paper
Step 1
Prepare "glue" by pouring 2 1/2 cups of cornmeal into a bowl with 1/2 cup of suet or vegetable shortening. Mix well.
Step 2
Coat the open pinecone in the glue mixture using a spatula, ensuring all the spaces are covered.
Step 3
Pour birdseed onto wax paper and roll the coated pinecone in the seed it until the pinecone is completely covered.
Step 4
Tie a 3-foot string to the top of the pinecone (cone peduncle).
Step 5
Attach the free end of the string to a branch, letting the pinecone hang one foot down from the branch and at least four feet off the ground.

Tips & Warnings

 
Peanut butter may be substituted for use in the glue.
 
Suet, peanut butter and vegetable shortening softens and quickly spoils in warm weather.

Resources

About The Author

David Chandler is a freelance writer living in the southeastern United States. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida where he was educated in international studies and microbiology. A former reconnaissance marine, he is an active hiker, diver, kayaker, sailor, and angler. He has traveled extensively throughout North America and South America.
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