articles

Cookie Cutter Bird Feeders

By Jennifer So, Publisher, Macaroni Kid Birmingham-Troy April 11, 2017

This is a great project to do with your kids for any season. Except for boiling the water, kids as young as 3 can participate in making these! 

What you need:
2 cups of water
2 envelopes of gelatin
4 cups of birdseed (get appropriate mix for your geographic area)
parchment paper
baking sheet
cookie cutters
toothpick or pen/pencil (to poke a hole)
string

What you do:

1. Boil the water. Add the gelatin to the water and stir until dissolved completely. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the birdseed. Stir the mixture until the birdseed is completely coated. If there is standing liquid, add more birdseed. 

2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cookie cutters on it. Spoon the birdseed into the cookie cutters. Be sure to press the birdseed firmly and evenly into the cookie cutters, so there aren’t any air spaces. 

3. With a toothpick or pencil, poke a hole near the top of each cookie cutter, at least ½ an inch away from the edge. This is where the string will go to hang the bird feeder.

4. Refrigerate the bird feeders overnight. Once dry, gently slide the bird feeders out of the cookie cutters. Put the string through the hole, and tie it together. Hang the bird feeders on a tree or bush outdoors, and watch the happy birds come to visit!