Tuesday, April 5, 2011

hanging bird seed "cakes"


My daughter loves birds and when she spots one she goes nuts.  So excited.  I thought making bird feeders would be a nice craft to do with her.  I found a recipe for bird seed "cakes" from The Magic Onion.  It's so simple.

Bird Seed "Cakes"

1 oz knox gelatine (4 packets)
1 cup boiling water
3-4 cups bird seed (I used finch bird seed)

Mix the 4 oz gelatin with the 1 cup boiling water and stir till dissolved.  Add in the seeds till a stiff mixture forms. Spoon seed mixture into molds of your choice.  Cut ribbon, yarn or jute string 12-24 inches long. You will want it long enough to bury 2-3 inches of one end into the seed mixture while leaving the other end long enough to tie on a tree branch or hang from a nail.  Let sit for a few hours.  Putting it in the fridge will speed the process up a little. Make sure the "cakes" are completely firm before removing them from the mold. 
To un-mold, dip the bottoms of the molds into hot water for a minute or so and if needed, use a knife around the edges to loosen a little.  Gently remove the "cakes" and hang.



We also filled some pines cones that we brought back from Va. The seed mixture stuck really well into the pine cones.  We tied jute string to the top of the pine cones.


Here is the finished product.  I hope the birds like them.  I love to hear a bird sing. 



2 comments:

  1. What a great idea!! Thanks for sharing :)
    ~Andrea

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  2. the birds love them! We hung them in front of the kitchen windows so we can watch them eat.

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