August marks the official dog days of summer. It’s about that time when kids are starting to get bored, and parents are ready for the school year to start back up. If you’re in desperate need of an activity to keep your kids busy for a little while, then we may have the perfect DIY project for you.
This easy craft is perfect for young kids, tweens and teens, and even seniors who want to make something creative while inviting a little wildlife outside their window. The minimal supplies list and time it takes to make these homemade pinecone bird feeders is an easy way to get a little creative while encouraging curiosity for nature.
Supplies:
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Large open pinecones
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Peanut Butter
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Twine
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Birdseed
Pinecones can be found from outside, ordered on amazon.com, or sometimes found in dollar stores and craft stores.
Instructions:
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Cut a piece of twine or string about 10 inches long and tie it to the top of your pinecone. Slip knot ties work well and tighten it around the top of the pinecone easily. Then tie the ends of the twine together to make a loop to hang the pinecone from.
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Place a scoop of peanut butter on a plate or paper towel.
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Carefully spread the peanut butter onto the pinecone, making sure you get a little bit on each one of the pinecone scales.
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You can add as much or as little peanut butter as you like! The more peanut butter you add, the more birdseed you can stick to your pinecone and the longer your bird feeder will feed the birds.
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Once you’re happy with the amount of peanut butter, grip the pinecone at both the top and bottom and dip it into a bowl of birdseed.
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Dip and roll all sides of the pinecone until the peanut butter is completely covered with birdseed.
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Then hang them somewhere outside! Choose a spot that’s easily visible from inside the house so you can watch your feathered friends visiting for a snack!
Tips:
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Attach the twine to the pinecone before you add the peanut butter and birdseed. Otherwise, your hands are going to get really messy really fast!
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Keep the mess down by making your pinecone feeders on a paper towel, paper plate, or cookie sheet.
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Be sure to hang your bird feeder somewhere where the birds can reach it. If you dangle it from a branch and there’s nowhere for the birds to sit, they’ll have a difficult time eating the birdseed.
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You want to make it easy enough that they can reach the birdseed while perched on a branch but still difficult enough that they can’t eat all the birdseed in 5 minutes.
Activity by onelittleproject.com