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

Article Written By David Chandler

David Chandler has been a freelance writer since 2006 whose work has appeared in various print and online publications. A former reconnaissance Marine, he is an active hiker, diver, kayaker, sailor and angler. He has traveled extensively and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida where he was educated in international studies and microbiology.

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