Easy Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Making this pine cone bird feeder is so quick and easy! Using just a few supplies, you can make the perfect feeder for your new feathered friends!

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Did you know that February is National Bird Feeding Month? There’s no better time than late winter or early spring to make your own simple pine cone bird feeder! It’s such a quick and easy craft that’s great for all ages and doesn’t take a lot of time or effort!

Making homemade bird feeders is a great way to expose young children to the wonders of nature. Watching the backyard birds dance around a new feeder is relaxing, and it can be fascinating for little minds to absorb. Plus, taking a nature walk through the pine trees to find and collect small and large pine cones is always an exciting adventure for kids of all ages!

This would be a fun activity to place outside of a kitchen window, or even outside of a classroom to view wild birds during the winter months. It’s a great opportunity to observe all kinds of birds – you could even keep a log of all the different birds you see together as another fun project!

DIY Pine Cone Bird Feeder

This bird feeder craft is a great activity for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary-aged children.

Supplies For Making DIY Bird Feeders

• Pine Cones
• Bird Seed
• Shallow Pan or Tray
• Peanut Butter (you may also use Sunflower Seed Butter or other nut butter)
• Ribbon
• Butter Knife
• Paper Plate or Small Bowls

Making Your Bird Feeder

This easy pine cone bird feeder can be made in just a few simple steps! This inexpensive project is sure to attract all kinds of winter birds to your yard.

For the first step, I filled the bottom of a shallow pan with some birdseed. I love using foil roasting pans for jobs like these (I use them for everything from marble painting to paper making) since we can reuse them dozens of times before they finally lose their shape and need to be recycled. A shallow cardboard box or box lid would also work great.

My boys loved the sensory aspect of sifting through the birdseed, picking out the larger seeds and corn, and sorting the other seeds into different sizes.

We selected a couple of medium-sized pine cones that we collected on our last nature walk, and the boys got to work covering the pine cones with a thick layer of peanut butter.

For this step, it is important to take your time and make sure there is plenty of peanut butter filling all of the cracks and crevices. When in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of more peanut butter vs too little peanut butter! (Bonus: this is excellent fine motor skills practice, too!)

Once your pinecone is completely covered with peanut butter, place it into the tray of birdseed. We left the very top of the pine cone free from peanut butter for easier handling.

(Be sure to have some paper towels or wet wipes on hand so you can quickly clean up those sticky little hands!)

Roll the pine cones around in the bird seed mixture until they are completely covered. Save any leftover extra seed in a plastic zipper bag for next time.

Tie a ribbon or piece of twine to the top of the finished pinecones, hang them from your favorite tree branches, and wait for your feathered friends to come and feast!

Looks like they like the sunflower seeds!

It’s so much fun to watch our new friends eat at this simple feeder! You may be surprised how quickly they can eat all of the seeds and the peanut butter from the pine cone!

Pinecone Bird Feeders: Printable Instructions

Pine Cone Bird Feeder

Making this simple pine cone bird feeder is easy and doesn’t take a lot of time! Using just a few supplies you, too, can make the perfect feeder to catch a glimpse of new feathered friends!

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What You’ll Need:

• Pine Cone
• Bird Seed
• Pan or Tray
• Peanut Butter
• Ribbon
• Butter Knife
• Paper Plate or Small Bowls

Instructions:

• For the first step, I filled the bottom of a shallow pan with some birdseed. A shallow cardboard box or box lid would also be perfect.
• We selected a couple of pine cones that we collected on our last nature walk, and the boys got to work covering the pine cones with a layer of peanut butter.
• Once your pine cone is completely covered with peanut butter, place it into the tray of birdseed. We left the top of the pinecone free from peanut butter for easier handling (and ribbon tying later).
• Roll the pine cone around in the birdseed until it is completely covered.
• Tie on a ribbon or piece of twine to the top of the pinecone and hang it from your favorite tree branches, and then wait for your feathered friends to come and feast!

Notes:

Peanut butter is a good high-protein food for birds, and they can eat any of the same types humans do. When buying it specifically for birds, look for natural peanut butter or organic types with the fewest additives.

 

Did You Make This?Mention @HeidiKundin or tag #hihmakersclub on Instagram to show off your awesome work! ♥

How many new bird friends have visited your pine cone feeders? Tell us in the comments section!

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