Bird Seed Bell Crafts

Bird seed bells hang from your trees and encourage birds to visit your yard by providing them with a treat. Whether you enjoy birdwatching as a hobby or want your children to see the different types of birds stopping in your yard, you can use common items to engage children in crafts and save yourself the expense of purchasing ready-made bells. Create these cones using suet (animal fat), pine cones or small terracotta pots depending upon your preference and the availability of the materials.

  1. Suet Bird Seed Bells

    • Buy some suet from your grocery store or collect drippings from a roast or bacon. Gather some ̶0;filler̶1; materials, such as bird seed, breadcrumbs and dried fruits/nuts. You will need a ½ lb. of suet for every pound of filler. Melt the suet in a saucepan and add in the filler ingredients. Poke a small hole in the bottom of an empty, clean yogurt container and push a piece of knotted string through it so that half of the string remains inside of the container and half outside of it. Pour the suet mixture into the cup and allow it to harden overnight. Remove the yogurt container and hang your bell from a tree.

    Pinecone Bird Seed Bells

    • Find a large pinecone and wrap string around the top part. Tie it into a knot̵2;make sure you leave enough string to hang it from a branch. Combine 2 tablespoons of peanut butter with 1 tablespoon of margarine. Smear the peanut butter mixture all over the pine cone using a knife or spoon. Place some bird seed into a shallow dish (such as a pie plate) and roll the coated pine cone in the bird seed. Press bird seed into any bare spots. Place the pine cone into your freezer for an hour to help the peanut butter ̶0;set̶1; so that the bird seed will not fall off.

    Flowerpot Bird Seed Bells

    • Mix up an edible glue mixture made of ¾ cup flour, ½ cup water, and 3 tablespoons of corn syrup. For extra staying power, add a small packet of unflavored gelatin. This recipe makes enough glue to cover 15 flower pots. Paint the entire exterior of a small flower pot with the edible glue mixture. Place your hand inside the pot and dip it into a container of bird seed. Roll it around until it is completely covered with the bird seed. Place your pot on wax paper and let it sit for three to four hours until hardened. Add another layer or two if desired. To avoid an overly heavy pot, make sure you don̵7;t add more than three layers. Hold the pot upside down so that it forms a bell shape and tie a piece of string or fishing lure through the hole in the center so that you can hang it from a branch.