I'm watching the first snow of the season fall, and as the yard and trees are getting dusted with pretty light white I'm thinking about the next weeks ahead. Soon it'll be Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Year's. I love this time of year. Being with my family for the big meals, staying in with my husband to watch old movies On Demand, getting to a lot of the projects indoors that I've been putting off for years.
Winter months always make me nostalgic. There's nothing better than putting on a vinyl record, making some tea, and doing an "arts & craft" project. Remember kindergarten when you'd have "arts & crafts"? Nothing better.
And in the cold months ahead, a great project you can do for birds and with your kids is the classic Pine Cone Bird feeder. If you haven't made one of these lately, treat yourself. It'll take you back to your six-year-old-self.
Start by collecting fallen pine cones (go to a pine forest and forage - or pickup the pine cones in your own yard if you have them - you could buy them prepackaged in stores but I think that's a waste of money and a waste of an opportunity to be outside!) It doesn't matter exactly what type of pine cones you start with, but I think cones that are open offer more "grip" and better nooks for birdseed.
Tie a length of string to the top of your pine cones (varying lengths to hang from a tree, porch, or pergola). If you use jute or hemp your feeders will look rustic, use narrow satin ribbon for a rich and decorative look (my fabric store sells 15 yards for only 50 cents per roll - in lots of pretty colors!) Next, break out some peanut butter (chunky or smooth) and push into the pine cone crevices. It doesn't need to be neat, I like the look of the pine cone tips coming through the seed, but the more peanut butter you use the more sticking surface you'll have.
Once your pine cone is coated roll it in a plate of birdseed. You can use any type of seed, millet is a classic but sunflower seeds make a pretty contrast too.
If you are worried about squirrels raiding your new Pine Cone Bird feeder, add a couple tablespoons of cayenne pepper to the birdseed before rolling your pine cones. Squirrels hate pepper and they should leave your feeder "For the Birds"!
