Make some quick and easy pinecone feeders – a great hands-on project!

Welcome to Wren’s Eggs, quick projects great for the whole family! Winter has arrived here in Northeast Ohio, and we like to make sure the wild birds have a little extra to eat when visiting our yard. From Cardinals to Chickadees, we always have such great visitors. A really easy way to feed our bird friends is to make a pinecone bird feeder!

This project is a wonderful hands-on project for all ages. The supplies needed are very simple. All you need is some pinecones, a plastic spoon or knife, peanut butter (or another good fat for spreading), a small piece of yarn, and birdseed.

It’s really fun to head out and find some pinecones for this project. You want to use a pinecone that is larger, and more open to hold the peanut butter and seed nicely. We like to keep a small stash of pinecones in our garage throughout the winter for this very project.

To get started, you want to set up your workspace. A piece of newspaper with some parchment paper over it works as a great workspace and is easy to clean up after. Pour the birdseed you are using into a cake or pie pan to make it easy to access. Take some peanut butter and put it into a smaller container, making it easy for little hands to get to.

Pick out your favorite pinecones, and add a hanger to the top of the pinecone using yarn. To make sure your hanger will hold, come down about an inch from the top of the pinecone, and tie the yarn.

After you add the hanger to your pinecone, it’s time for adding peanut butter. Using your plastic spoon or knife, spread the peanut butter all over the pinecone. Be sure to really fill in all around the pinecone. The more peanut butter, the better your seed will stick. You may find having a helper hold the pinecone makes spreading the peanut butter much easier.

Now that the pinecone is full of peanut butter, it’s time to roll it in the birdseed. You can use any birdseed you have on hand. The finer birdseed will allow your feeder to last a bit longer, and the smaller birds love it! Place your peanut butter-covered pinecone in the cake or pie pan and gently roll the pinecone. Carefully pat the seed to help stick to the peanut butter.

Don’t worry you may find a bit of a mess working with the birdseed. It’s all a part of the fun of making the feeders. We even make cleaning up after fun!

Finish covering all your pinecones with peanut butter and birdseed. It is great to make a few extra so you can hang them in various places throughout your yard.

When you are ready to hang your feeders, head outside and find the perfect place. Be sure to find a strong branch that will hold the feeder, especially while the birds are landing on it.

This is such a great project, especially in the winter. Not only will the birds love the extra food, but it’s a wonderful way to cure any “winter boredom” and enjoy some creative time! Happy creating!