These bird feeders caught my eye when I saw them on Mommy Apolis a few weeks back. They seemed so simple, that I just had to give them a try. I totally blew the final finished product pictures…I didn’t take any. Oh- the holiday rush when both sets of families live in the same town.
I would definitely recommend a thinner cookie cutter. Our feeders took 48 hours to completely dry. After 24 hours they still were a bit soft to the touch.
Tons of cooking spray was used during this project…Several times I sprayed the inside of the cookie cutter, my fingers, and the metal tablespoon that I used to press the bird seed into the cutter. After making two feeders, I figured out that the back of a metal tablespoon was much more efficient, than my fingers, for pressing the seeds into the cutter.
Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
3 tbsp corn syrup
4 cups birdseed
Materials
large mixing bowl
shaped cookie cutter- I used a flower for Spring
nonstick spray
straw for making a hole
parchment or wax paper or tin foil
cookie sheet
ribbon
Mix flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup.
Add bird seed and stir- I added one cup of seed at a time. It was easier to stir with a smaller amount of seed. I used two different types of seeds, a sunflower mix and then the other seed is a mystery to me… but, both came from my dads bird seed bins. I ended up using two cups of each type of seed.
Use a cooking spray to coat the inside of a cookie cutter and to spray your fingers.
Set cookie cutter on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly down into cutter. You want the seeds to be very compact, so that the feeder stays together. I began by using my fingers to press down on the seeds, but quickly found out that the back of a metal tablespoon worked so much better.
I used a sturdy plastic straw from one of Reagan’s sippy cups to make the hole for the string. I sprayed the entire portion of the straw that would be inserted into the seed. The mixture is super sticky from using the corn syrup, so I didn’t want the straw to stick. Twist and press down on the straw till you reach the wax paper.
Slowly lift the cookie cutter up and remove from seed. The cutter should slide right off, if you used enough spray.
My 4 cups of bird seed made five very thick feeders.
It took around 48 hours for the feeders to completely dry. The next time I do this project, I will definitely be using a thinner cookie cutter– quicker drying time and a lighter feeder to hang from a branch.
Reagan and I tied a yellow string through the holes of the feeders, so that our family could hang them in their yard for their birds, NOT SQUIRRELS, to enjoy!
Selections By Sisters 