This project is quick, easy and environmentally groovy… Â It’s also pretty inexpensive, which is always a plus! Â It is a heart shaped bird feeder! Â The boys had a lot of fun making these and they took us a total of 20 minutes to toss together… Â and they are PEANUT FREE!
Here’s the scoop:
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)
- 3 tbsp corn syrup
- 4 cups birdseed
You will also need:
- large mixing bowl
- heart shaped cookie cutter
- nonstick spray
- straw for making a hole in the ornament
- parchment or wax paper or tin foil
- cookie sheet
- ribbon
Mix flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup. Add birdseed and stir until combine!
Spray the inside of a heart cookie cutter with cooking spray. You could use any shape you want really, but for Valentine’s Day a heart is perfect!
Place cookie cutter on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly. Â The birdseed stuck to my fingers a bit, but if you grease them that wouldn’t happen. Â The more you press it down, the less shedding of seeds you will have. Â We filled our cookie cutters to the brim! Â Once they are full, take your straw and poke a hole in the top for the ribbon. Â Make sure the straw goes all the way through to the pan. Â Carefully lift the cookie cutter up. Â It slides right off… Place it next to your heart and make another one!
This recipe made 13 hearts for us, perfect for gifts! Â You will want to let them dry 6-8 hours. Â We made ours in the afternoon and before bed I flipped them on their side to make sure the back side dried, as well. Â We then just let them sit until the morning. Â They were very solid by that time and it was simple to thread the ribbon through them at that time.
I think these would be adorable with little “Happy Valentine’s Day” tags… Maybe something like “glad you’re my love bird” or something cheesy like that :). Â Have fun with it! Â We are planning to pass them out to our neighbors too, you can make tons in a short period of time, so spread the LOVE!