Create Family

A Sweet Tweet

April 16, 2012


Our dollhouse could be labeled a bird magnet. Over the years, many a feathered friend have made nests in our mailbox, front porch, and trees. And sadly, we’ve even experienced bird deaths (both of which induced by those living here – yes, I’m talking Husby and LuLu. But those are stories for another time… or maybe never). Sad.

Come Spring each year, this place is chirping! These super simple DIY bird feeders are our way of giving an annual peace offering to nature (let’s be honest… word in the woods is, it’s the least we can do).

And yes, gelatin is safe for birdies. I called a bird lady to double check…

  • Lilli Toby April 16, 2012 at 2:42 pm

    I just love reading your blog. You come up with the greatest ideas and there always fun to read. I wish we had a bigger yard or a tree to make these. So cute.

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:45 pm

      Aww, you’re so sweet. My heart smiles every time I hear someone say they’re enjoying the blog. Never.gets.old. xo

      • Samantha November 14, 2016 at 8:16 pm

        Did y’all have problems with y’all melting when it got hot ?

    • Bonnie December 8, 2015 at 3:19 pm

      Hi. I was hoping to make bird seed feeders like these for xmas gifts. Lots of them use peanut butter, but it they’ll be wrapped for a couple weeks, they may go bad? What about these gelatin ones? Can they be made, wrapped in a box for a couple weeks and then put out for the birds or do these have to be used right away too?
      Thank you!

      • missy December 10, 2015 at 4:54 am

        They can be saved for an extensive period of time! A few weeks will be just fine!

  • DevonRiesenberg April 16, 2012 at 3:45 pm

    So simple and cute! That striped baker’s twine in pretty colors would look amazing on these feeders too 🙂

    You come up with the most darling titles for your posts, by the way!

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      Baker’s twine WOULD be cute! Good to know I’m not too big of a cheese-ball! ha!

  • Anna @ The Guiltless Life April 16, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    Such a fun idea! I love feeding the birds but I’m a bit worried that if I attracted them all to our balcony our cats would have a field day – and it would not be pretty, sigh. So I think I’ll make this as a gift for someone else ;).

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      Oooh, yeah. The cats. Could be a slight problem. ha!

  • Becca April 16, 2012 at 8:30 pm

    ADORABLE!! Can’t wait to try this!!!

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:46 pm

      Can’t wait to hear how it goes!!!

  • Rachel {polkadots and puppies} April 16, 2012 at 11:11 pm

    Oh, what fun! I want to make one of these pronto 😉

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:47 pm

      Do it! The boys will have a blast!

  • Laura April 17, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    Cute! Love it!

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:47 pm

      Thanks, friend!

  • Courtney April 17, 2012 at 8:22 pm

    Such a cute idea! How do you come up with so many wonderful crafts? When I have a house and kids I will be using your blog for inspiration everyday!

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:48 pm

      When you have a house and kids, you’ll be amazed at the ideas that come on their own! Thank you for the sweet comment, Courtney.

  • Nicole April 18, 2012 at 10:15 pm

    these were awesome and easy to make. I love that it doesnt involve peanut butter for my classrrom. We put them inside lined paper towel tubes so they would fit in our cylinder bird feeders. Thanks for sharing the recipe

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:49 pm

      Yay! I LOVE hearing success stories. I was actually thinking it would be great for the classroom (given all the allergies now). We always did marshmallow fluff and it grossed me out. How did you manage to simmer the gelatin at school? ha!

  • Erin P April 19, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Will be making these with the kiddos this week, thanks for the great idea!

    • missy April 19, 2012 at 6:49 pm

      You’re so very welcome, Erin! Happy to hear it!

  • Danielle May 4, 2012 at 6:08 pm

    This is such an adorable idea! I’m about to leave to go buy all the supplies for these to make with my boyfriend as an activity for his birthday. Thanks so much for this and many other great posts! 🙂

  • Kayla May 18, 2012 at 11:43 pm

    These are great! I just made these today. My remarks:
    -Super easy!!!
    -Don’t use too much cooking spray, or they will be greasy on the back (woops!)
    -Feed the twine through the straws to make threading them super easy!

    These were awesome, Missy. Thanks for the idea!!

  • Elise June 17, 2012 at 2:57 pm

    I would love to make these and send them to my Grammie (she loves birdwatching)… but do you know how well they would ship? Are they easily breakable, or do the seeds fall off relatively easily? Thanks for the idea! 🙂

  • karla July 17, 2012 at 1:33 am

    This is a perfect gift for our son to make for his bird-lovin’ dad! His birthday is August and it will be perfect for the winter months. Thanks for inspiring me! 🙂

  • Denise July 20, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Every Christmas Eve we do peanut butter/pinecone bird feeders for our outdoor friends as our gift back and hang them on the Blue Spruce my late father gave us that is in the corner of our yard- we will be doing THESE this year! SO cute and the kids will LOVE it! Thanks!!

  • Dawn July 27, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    Loved making these with my daughter! Thanks for sharing!

  • Hobby Lobby August 9, 2012 at 5:02 pm

    Hello! We just wanted to let you know we thought this was such a fantastic idea that we will be posting about it on our Facebook page on Saturday, August 11th!

    0You can check out the post at this link: http://www.facebook.com/HobbyLobby

  • Diana Smith August 11, 2012 at 11:30 pm

    This is such a cute idea!! I used to do all sorts of these things with my children. Now I am in a retirement community, and think that I may start this habit again!! Birdwatching is a big habit out here, and I know off hand a few ladies who would love these!! Thanks for the idea. ~Di

  • felicity August 11, 2012 at 11:44 pm

    Will plastic cookie cutters work? Will they tolerate the birdseed/gelatin mixture

  • Elana August 12, 2012 at 1:31 am

    Thanks so much for the idea…fun with no peanut butter!!! : ) I cant wait to share these with my little friends.

  • Kristen August 26, 2012 at 2:56 am

    I wonder if my bird loving neighbors would enjoy these at Christmas gifts. They would be simple and easy!

  • Ashley September 22, 2012 at 4:12 am

    These are so wonderful. My mom is throwing me a bird themed baby shower tomorrow, and we made these as party favors! I really loved how they turned out, thanks for the great tutorial!

  • Charle November 12, 2012 at 9:45 am

    Will rain/damp weather cause the gelatin to break down quickly? Love this idea, though. I’ll add it to my other homemade feeder on our porch!

    • Judi September 18, 2016 at 5:10 pm

      I made them and waited for the rain to come. Mine didn’t last 12 hours here in the Northwest. I really wanted to make them and give as Christmas gifts. Anyone have any idea how to make them rain friendly?

  • Lee December 3, 2012 at 7:55 am

    Oh my I am so making these for favors for my outdoor garden wedding THANK YOU!!

  • Catherine Rosengren December 5, 2012 at 5:30 pm

    How big is your pack of gelatin? My packs are 1/4 Tbsp (15ml). Is that the same size as your? I am excited to try this as Christmas gifts. Do they need to stay cold or are they safe for me to ship to relatives?

    Thanks 🙂

    • missy December 5, 2012 at 8:12 pm

      yes, those are the same size as mine. they’ll be fine to ship room temp! 🙂

  • junie January 16, 2013 at 4:10 pm

    live in the cold country of Mn.all my neighbors feed birds..GREAT presents thank you! Picking up gelatin today

  • Barb Cogdill January 20, 2013 at 4:00 pm

    Another fun thing my grandchildren and I do is save small pieces of thread, string, yarn and stuff it into the crevices of pine cones then hang them in trees so our birds have additional nest building supplies.

  • Elléa February 10, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    hello, I live in Brazil and I loved your idea. I’ll try to do, just do not have these molds, which can be cast manually?

  • Mary May 11, 2013 at 5:21 pm

    I’m definitely making these this winter. We have a very tall-20ft-cedar hedge in our backyard across from the deck and birds nest in it and use it for winter protection. These will be perfect for hanging on it. Thanks for the blog.

  • Megan May 21, 2013 at 7:56 pm

    Hi
    I am wondering though would the birdfeeders fall apart once it rained? I am making them at a seniors home so we wouldn’t be able to remember to bring them in if it were to rain.

    Other than that I love this idea!

    • missy May 22, 2013 at 3:49 am

      Rain or shine… they hold up nicely! 🙂

      • Judi September 18, 2016 at 5:12 pm

        Why did mine fall apart in the rain? I followed your directions. They even dried out in the sun before the rain came.

  • Becky June 14, 2013 at 1:12 am

    I am making these as wedding favors for my wedding! I love that they are not made with honey and flour, which apparently molds pretty quickly. Do you think these would hold up if made a couple months in advance if left at room temperature? I have about 150 to make so I would like to get a head start! Thanks for sharing!

  • Courtney Devon July 19, 2013 at 10:48 pm

    Loved this idea so much I decided to make them for my friends bridal shower favors. She is having an outdoor farm wedding and these are perfect. I made about 12 so far and have to make 30 total. I’ve noticed that the first batch has started to melt a little and have some sort of fuzzy growth on them. Not sure what this is or if you can shed any light on what might be happening. Thanks! 🙂

    • Connie June 6, 2014 at 1:57 am

      Love this idea, but only seeing this today, so I have not made these yet. Did you solve your dilemma? As a bacteriologist, my husband says it sounds like they are too wet so something was growing on these. one other gal wrote: “I let them sit out over night and the gelatin dried and they are hard and look great!” If you stuffed your bird feeders in an airtight container before they dried out, it became a breeding ground for mold, fungus or yeast growth. They need to be hard and dry first!.

    • Vonnie December 17, 2014 at 4:27 am

      we made these as a class a couple days ago and ours became moldy! Little white fuzz growing all over it. I want to try These again though at home and be sure to add plenty of seed and turn them over as they dry on each side 🙂 hopefully it will work cause they were fun to make and my husband is a bird lover!!

  • Kaitlin may November 11, 2013 at 10:25 pm

    Will these get old or moldy? I would love to make them for my grandmother for Christmas and the holiday time is so busy that i always get a head start and were going to do these now. Would them sitting for 1 and a half months be a problem?

  • Niki November 16, 2013 at 7:20 pm

    Is it possible to make a bunch of these and then store them in the freezer until closer to Christmas? I wasn’t sure if it would cause issues with the gelatin once they start to thaw.

  • Ursula November 20, 2013 at 1:42 pm

    Hi, I love this idea but we don’t have knox Gelatin in SA. How many grams is in a sachet? I have bought a box with 125g and mixed with 2 cups of water and 6 cups of bird seed and my mixture is still completely runny.

    • Nellie December 18, 2013 at 12:35 am

      One packet is 11g

  • Joanne January 10, 2014 at 5:42 pm

    This is a great idea. We have a traditional bird feeder and finches call our place home. We wnjoy watching that as we sit outside during warm evenings. I was wondering how the gelatin holds up in winter and summer months. Does it eventually melt away in the summer, or freeze too hard for the birds to enjoy in the winter?

  • Stella January 13, 2014 at 12:12 am

    I wonder if it would be possible to add either siracha, wasabi, or some other hot sauce to this (but don’t make it around kids) to keep squirrels off of the feeders. I know that birds can’t taste “hot”, and it won’t hurt them.

  • Cheryl March 13, 2014 at 7:59 pm

    How long do they last. I want to make them for wedding favors

  • Kaye April 28, 2014 at 5:40 pm

    This is so precious. Thinking about trying this as a project for my Daisy Scouts (Kindergarten and First Graders) on our upcoming camping trip. They should love this! Thanks for sharing.

  • Marie May 3, 2014 at 12:36 am

    Just took them out the fridge. They held together (haven’t tried hanging yet) but it seems the gelatin kind of pooled at the bottom of the ornament. Did the gelatin not simmer long enough? Did I not cool the mixture long enough before putting it into the molds?
    Thanks in advance! This is a trial run for birthday favors at the end of the month 🙂

    • Marie May 3, 2014 at 1:04 pm

      Ok me again. I let them sit out over night and the gelatin dried and they are hard and look great! They’re hanging on the trees now 🙂

  • Mandy June 7, 2014 at 1:43 am

    I love your site. I am going to make these with my girl scout troop next year. thanks

  • Laura June 18, 2014 at 10:23 pm

    We made these with a class of autistic junior high students and they just loved making them! We used more birdseed than called for and it worked just fine. Thanks for the great idea.

    • Liz Long November 30, 2014 at 4:28 pm

      I am a first grade teacher and would like to try this with my 20 first graders. How many students did you have and how much of the ingredients did you have to use for a class?
      Thank You!

  • Kim December 1, 2014 at 6:18 am

    Thanks! These are going to be so fun to make with the kiddos! 🙂

  • Jo December 15, 2014 at 2:48 pm

    I just made these for the first time. I wanted to be able to make more at one time, so I used a mini-muffin tin for 18 muffins. They turned out great, and I hung them on the bare branches of hydrangeas, lilac bushes, and small trees in our Cape Cod yard. So fun to watch the birds outside of our windows — thanks for the idea!

    • Shauna February 8, 2015 at 2:03 am

      That is a great idea to use a muffin tin! We did a set in heart shaped cookie cutters to give away but my kids wanted to do another batch to hang at our house and I didn’t have anything to put it in.

  • joy February 12, 2015 at 3:46 am

    How long does it take for them to harden

  • Betsy February 25, 2015 at 1:42 am

    So cool! Thanks for sharing!

  • Amy April 10, 2015 at 4:05 pm

    Was wondering how long these last? I want to make them in advance for my wedding…
    Thank you

  • Danielle April 16, 2015 at 7:49 pm

    I can’t wait to do this but concerned the gelatin will melt in the sun. Anyone have that happen?

  • Tracey May 9, 2015 at 11:58 pm

    Such a great idea! I made a large one last night in a silicone heart shaped cake mold. Turned out so well I made another one this morning! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  • Linda Bemis August 12, 2015 at 6:05 pm

    The birds like to share the seed with the large
    birds on the ground. Sunflower seeds are
    their favorite year round.

  • Nicole September 14, 2015 at 3:25 am

    We are making these for cubscouts. If I needed to make 8, how many packets would I need?

  • Martha Ramirez January 15, 2016 at 6:35 am

    Love this! Thank you so much for sharing your creative ideas with us!! Great idea for a Valentine’s gift and for my heart sisters <3

  • Alison January 15, 2016 at 6:42 pm

    My 4 y/o and I just made these. I didn’t think they would work because I used the bird seed that was big chunks, but it did! Just used two small glass bowls well sprayed. I slid a knife around the outside and it popped right out. The suggestion to thread the twine through the straw was brilliant! Thank you! Now…we just need some birds 🙂

  • Michelle January 21, 2016 at 2:06 pm

    Hi! Was going to make as Valentine’s so started testing out yesterday. Having a difficult time. Was wondering if I made too big of a batch (8 cups of birdseed – mix looked too runny, but maybe too dry), oversprayed my cookie cutters, or the fact that the tilt of the pan caused the gelatin to run to one end. Any thoughts, or suggestions?!

  • Buffy February 22, 2016 at 5:20 pm

    Sounds fun to make, my question is: when you make these and set them out in the summer, does the heat make them fall apart? Of course I will not set them in the direct sunlight, but our heat is a lot in the summer and the humidity also— just curious —- I want to make some ?

    • missy February 22, 2016 at 5:49 pm

      We live in North Carolina where heat and humidity are definitely in abundance. Mine did just fine. But then again, the birds ate them so quickly I’m not really sure if they’d melt over an extended period of time.

  • Kate February 23, 2016 at 5:29 am

    Hi Missy
    We just finished using your great idea to make these lovely bird feeders with our three kids last weekend! They were super easy and turned out really well. My only advice to other readers, is to not get too greedy and make then too big (as we did with a few), because they won’t hold their own weight if too big.
    They are awesome!
    I can’t wait for the birds to now come and enjoy them as much as we do!
    Kate
    Ps I can send a sweet picture of it if you want 🙂

  • Kelly April 26, 2016 at 3:32 pm

    Do you have any idea how long you could keep these if you refrigerate them? I have my heart set on making them as shower savers but I have a lot to make and would like to get them done as far in advance as possible.
    Love it,
    Kelly

  • Kimberly May 8, 2016 at 6:01 pm

    How do these hold up outside with rain?

  • eliza September 27, 2016 at 10:31 pm

    I have made these for years for our feathered friends. I make them in a bunt pan. I add Cheyenne pepper to keep the squirrels away. I hang it up with a wide ribbon and it weathers through the mild and rainy weather.

  • Emily December 6, 2016 at 5:28 pm

    Made these with a crew of kids at the Boys and Girls Club. Made the gelatin ahead and brought it in a thermos. Good way to steer clear of peanut butter and make a simple, take-home feeder! I’ll echo above- Smaller feeders held together better.

  • Noumé@ December 20, 2016 at 12:56 pm

    bien comme formule mais avec la corde qui accroche, si les oiseaux mangent les graines du haut après sa tombe a terre.
    Perso je les mets dans un demi noix de coco au quelle j’ai perser un trou dans la coco,
    une corde fine et je rempli la coco de graines avec de la végétaline et les oiseaux se regalent

  • Barbara Nivens February 11, 2017 at 8:15 pm

    I saw this done on tv yesterday on one of those home shows. The lady used a silicone muffin pan instead of cookie cutter and while still damp pushed a piece of cut-off straw into one spot being sure to touch the bottom of the pan. It was left there as the “cakes” dried, then removed as they were popped out and laid onto the parchment paper for the overnight hardening. The next day a piece of string was threaded through the straw then into the hole in the cake. That was the straw acted like a needle.