Pinecone Birdfeeders {Tutorial}

Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month? Honestly, I didn't either, but it ties in perfectly with this super easy craft, don't you think?

I filled the bottom of a shallow pan with some birdseed. I love foil roasting pans for jobs like these (I use them for everything from marble painting to paper making, and we always are able to reuse them dozens of times before they finally lose their shape and need to be recycled. I pick them up at the Dollar Tree where they're 2/$1). A shallow cardboard box or box lid would also be perfect. The boys loved the sensory aspect of sifting through the birdseed, picking out the corn and sunflower seeds, and sorting the other seeds into different sizes.

We selected a couple of pinecones that we collected on our last nature walk, and the boys got to work covering the pinecones with peanut butter.

 (Be sure to sneak huge amounts of peanut butter when you think Mom isn't looking!)

Once your pinecone is completely covered with peanut butter, place it into the tray of birdseed. We chose to leave the very top of our pinecones un-peanutbuttered for easier handling and ribbon tying later.

Roll the pinecone around in the birdseed until it is completely covered.

Tie on a ribbon, hang it from your favorite tree, and wait for your feathered friends to come and feast!

(Looks like they like the sunflower seeds!)

Oh, and be sure to spend the rest of the afternoon playing with the extra birdseed. It makes a fantastic arena for monster trucks ;)

I think I may need to resurrect the idea of a sensory bin for these guys! They loved playing in tubs full of dry rice and beans when they were toddlers, but I didn't realize how much fun they still have with stuff like this, just in completely new and imaginative ways!

Posted in: Kids, Nature, Tutorial