Homemade Birdseed Ornaments
Homemade birdseed ornaments are an easy way to make your own knockoff version of the store bought Bird Bells. Your birdseed ornaments can be small or large depending on the type of mold you use.& I used a cupcake pan to make mine, but any container would work. If your birdseed ornaments get too large, however, they might not hang as nicely on your tree branches.
I made my homemade birdseed ornaments on the same day as I made my Homemade Birdola Birdseed Cakeswhich I wrote about earlier this week. I hung three of these little ornaments on my tree at the same time as I put out two of the Birdseed Cakes.
Now, I really wish I was home during the day to see what the birds and other critters are up to. When I came home from work today and checked my tree, all three birdseed ornaments were gone! Just three empty little strings were hanging there. Either these were a super big hit with the birdies or the squirrels made off with them. Hmmmmm.
To make these birdseed ornaments, simply mix together birdseed with some flour. Then add some unflavored gelatin to a bit of hot water so it will dissolve. Some corn syrup is then added to the mixture too. Then stir the gelatin mixture into your birdseed mixture, and you’re ready to put it into molds (cookie cutters can be used too).
(For a smaller version of this recipe to make a single bird bell shape, click here: Make your own Birdseed Bells )
Here’s the complete recipe:
Homemade Birdseed Ornaments
- 4 cups Birdseed
- 3/4 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Hot Water
- 1 pkg unflavored gelatin
- 3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
#1 – Mix the birdseed and the flour in a large mixing bowl.
#2 – Heat the water in the microwave (you want it hot enough to dissolve the gelatin).
#3 – Pour the packet of gelatin into the hot water and stir to dissolve.
#4 – Add the 3 tablespoons of corn syrup to the gelatin mixture (I did all this right in the measuring cup)
#5 – Pour the gelatin mixture into the bowl of birdseed and flour.
#6 – Stir until everything is well mixed.
#7 – Scoop some of the birdseed into each section of a cupcake tin. (or whatever you are using for a mold). Use the handle of a wooden spoon to make a hole in each of the sections. This will allow you to put a string through the birdseed ornament for hanging.
#8 – Put in the refrigerator overnight to harden.
#9 – Once the birdseed ornaments have hardened, use a spatula to pop them out of the cupcake tin. Cut a piece of string about 12″ long and thread through the ornament. Tie the ends of the string in a knot.
#10 – Hang from tree branches.
#11 – SIT BY WINDOW AND WATCH FOR SQUIRRELS!!
How long are these good for? I’d like to put in a cellophane bag and give as a gift but I’d like to make ahead of time. Can they last for a couple months before gift giving or do you have to use right away?
If you make these a couple months ahead of time, I would suggest keeping them in the refrigerator (or maybe even the freezer) just to make sure they do not go moldy.
This was an epic fail. I followed the directions to the letter, including the chill time. I carefully picked them up to thread the yarn through and they crumbled in my hands. Waste of time and money and now I don’t have a neighbor gift
I’m sorry you had that result. Sometimes it’s a mystery to me why something that works well for me turns out so differently for someone else.
Do you have to put in the freezer to harder?
If you want them to harden up faster, you can put them in the freezer. But if you are in no hurry, it works fine to just put them in the refrigerator overnight to harden up.
Can these be made and frozen?
I have never tried freezing these, but I think it would work. I’ve had these ornaments hanging outside in below freezing weather and they were just fine, so I would imagine having them in a freezer would not present any problems either.