Birds

Pine Cone Bird Feeders

02.18.09 | 40 Comments

pinecone0

A simple and inexpensive gift that boys can make is a pine cone bird feeder.  All it takes is pine cones, a jar of peanut butter ($1.29) and some birdseed (we paid $10.99 at the nursery).  We used Sugar Pine cones that we gathered a few years ago on a logging road somewhere between Ross Crossing and Wishon Dam.  Here is how we made bird feeders out of them.

pinecone21.  Seth covered the bristles with peanut butter.

pinecone3Seth does not suggest sampling the peanut butter once you have started the application process.  Presumably it gets pitch in it and does not taste so good.

pinecone42.  Pour the birdseed into a tub.

pinecone53.  Pour birdseed over the pine cone.  Or roll the pine cone in the birdseed.

pinecone64.  Make sure all the peanut butter is covered in birdseed.

pinecone75.  Wrap some wire around the stem or top bristles of the pine cone.  Twist the wire tight around the stem or bristles.  leave enough wire to hang the pine cone up by.  Actually it would have been less messy to do this step first.

AFTER PARTY

seedplay1It did not take long for us to finish making the birdfeeders.  Since we had some peanut butter left Seth decided to try pouring it in the seeds.

seedplay2He also experimented with how the peanut butter and seeds felt on his hands.

seedplay3Seth spent a while preparing  “soup”.

seedplay4

My favorite part was when he added “fresh butterfly milk”.




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