How to Make Christmas Bird Treats

It can be very snowy and cold in the depths of winter, and Christmas is the ideal time to give wild birds a bit of extra nutrition that will help them stay healthy until spring. Make some Christmas treats and see how many beautiful birds will happily visit your back yard.

Instructions

    • 1

      Cover a large pine cone with peanut butter and then roll and press some sunflower seeds and birdseed into the pine cone. Tie it to a tree branch with a brightly colored piece of string or yarn that will later be used as part of a bird's nest.

    • 2

      Tie a bright red or green string around dried out or leftover bagels or donuts and hang them from tree branches.

    • 3

      String some peanuts together, using a thimble to push the needle through the shell. String some dried fruit or raisins between the peanuts and decorate a tree for the birds.

    • 4

      Clean out your cupboards and refrigerator and give the birds a treat. Mix the last handful of unsweetened cereal at the bottom of the box with stale cracker or bread crumbs, dried out raisins or holiday turkey stuffing, pieces of apples. Put them in a tray with a bit of molasses and set it on the ground. The ground feeding birds will love the Christmas treat.

    • 5

      Make the birds their own Christmas popcorn or cranberry strings and drape them over the branches.

    • 6

      Smear a generous glob of peanut butter directly on a tree trunk and press in a few broken nuts, raisins and seeds.