make a birdseed ornament

During the colder winter months we enjoy seeing birds fluttering about from our kitchen window. Winter is often the time when food is scarce for birds, so hanging a birdseed ornament provides much-needed nourishment for our flying friends. Birdseed ornaments can be customized to where you live by selecting birdseed for birds found in your area.

This is also a great indoor project for kids of all ages. Even small hands enjoy packing cookie cutters with sticky birdseed, and with adult supervision a hole can be added to the ornaments to hang them outside.

Depending on the size of your cookie cutters, the recipe below will make 8 to 12 birdseed ornaments. Any remaining ornaments can be used as gifts or wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up for to three months.

Ingredients:
2.5 cups of birdseed
2 packets of gelatin
2 tablespoons of light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Cooking spray
Cookie cutters
Twine

Steps:
1. Dissolve the gelatin. Pour 1/2 cup cold water into a small microwave-safe bowl. Add the two packets of gelatin. Let the mixture rest for two minutes and then microwave on high for one minute. Let the mixture rest again for two minutes and then stir to completely dissolve the gelatin.
2. Add the birdseed to large bowl. Then add the corn syrup and the gelatin. Thoroughly mix to combine all the ingredients. Place the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
3. Lightly grease the cookie cutters with cooking spray. Remove the birdseed mixture from the refrigerator and firmly pack the birdseed into each cookie cutter making sure to fill evenly and to the top.
4. Use the eraser on a pencil to poke a hole that will be used to hang the ornament. Refrigerate the ornaments overnight or for eight hours so the birdseed sets.
5. Carefully remove the birdseed ornaments from the cookie cutters. String a piece of twine through each of the birdseed ornaments and tie at the top.
6. Hang the birdseed ornaments from a tree or the ceiling of a porch or balcony.