Kids’ Winter Crafts — DIY Bird Feeder

If you’re looking for a  fun arts and crafts for the kids, DIY bird feeders is a perfect craft to do with little ones in the winter time. Whenever my kids have had a snack outside, they’ve noticed that a bird would come to finish off all the crumbs left behind. They wanted to throw out more crumbs for him to eat, but I suggested we make a bird feeder instead. When you make your own, you can recycle old things so the only supplies you might have to buy are wooden spoons, bird seeds and peanut butter or coconut oil, depending which bird feeder you’re making. Don’t have a garden to hang it in? No problem. You can easily hang bird feeders on your balcony or outside the window.

Here are a couple different ones the kids can make:

 Orange Bird Feeder

This is such a fun idea, and it actually will look nice hanging in your garden.

• · 4 oranges
• · Pieces of twine, yarn or string, cut into 24″ lengths
• · Birdseed

With a sharp knife, cut the orange in half and scoop out the flesh. Pierce 4 small holes on opposite sides, about 1/2″ from the top edge of each half. Thread one piece of twine through a hole and out the opposite end. Repeat with the second piece of twine in the remaining holes (You’ll have an “X”). Gather the ends together and tie into a knot. Repeat with the other half. Fill with birdseed and hang from sturdy branches outside.

Pinecone Bird Feeder: Messy but fun

• · Pine cones
• · String or pipe cleaner
• · Peanut butter
• · Bird seeds
• Smear peanut butter all over a pinecone, then roll it in birdseed. Tie a string or pipe cleaner around to hang it up.

Old Plastic Bottle Bird Feeder:

• · Plastic bottle  {I used a 20-oz. soda bottle}
• · Two wooden spoons
• · Sharpie marker
• · Craft knife
• · Scissors
• · Floral wire

With a Sharpie, draw a small circle on one side of the bottle, about 4 inches from the bottom. Using a craft knife, cut it out and make sure the end of the spoon fits snugly into the hole.

Directly opposite this hole, cut a slightly larger hole {using a craft knife and scissors}. Make sure the big end of the spoon can rest in the hole.

Repeat this process approximately 2 inches from the bottom of the soda bottle, but use the opposite sides of the bottle so your spoons are at a 90-degree angle to one another.

Toilet Roll Bird Feeder

Now here is something fun to recycle — old toilet paper tubes — and I know we all have those!

• · Peanut butter
• · Toilet paper or paper towel tube
• · Bird seeds

Coat the toilet paper tube with peanut butter. Place birdseed on a plate and roll each roll in it until there is birdseed all around. Slide the roll onto a tree branch or, if you want to, just tie a string around it and hang it from a branch instead.