For Jackson's birthday party back in March (!) we made a couple different bird feeders.
BIRDSEED FAVORS: I made a bunch of these first ones ahead of time (3-5 days before the party). I wasn't sure how long they'd take to dry. I put 1 in each of the kids goodie bags. They turned out really cute and I loved seeing them hang in the trees.
If you don’t like the idea of spending a bundle on favors, or if you are opting for
favor donations instead, birdseed wedding favor hearts are a sweet, simple, eco-friendly way to thank your guests – and the birds:)
Birdseed wedding favor hearts are so easy to
DIY, my second grader can make them. And they’re incredibly inexpensive.
Here’s the DIY:
Birdseed Wedding Favor Hearts
(Makes approximately 21 two-inch hearts)
- 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 (I used a Christmas tree mold for our nature theme)
- nonstick spray
- chopstick or bamboo skewer for making a hole in the ornament
- parchment paper
- cookie sheet
- jute or raffia (These italicized items are to make the tag)
- card stock
- rubber stamp
- ink
- rounded corner punch
- hole punch
Directions:
1. Mix flour, water, gelatin and corn syrup. Add birdseed and stir well.
2. Spray the inside of a heart cookie cutter with vegetable cooking spray. (You could also wipe it down with veg. oil.)
3. Place cookie cutter on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture inside of cookie cutter, pressing mixture firmly with greased fingers. (The more you press it down, the less shedding of seeds you will have.)
4. Using a chopstick or bamboo skewer, make a hole near the top of the heart. Remove chopstick.
5. Carefully pull cookie cutter away from birdseed heart. Repeat until all the mixture is used up. (You should spray the cookie cutter after every six hearts, that way it won’t stick.)
6. Let dry 6-8 hours. (I let mine sit overnight.) Cut 10-12 inches of jute for each heart. String jute through heart and add a tag. I created my thank you tags by using a rubber stamp, card stock and a rounded corner punch. Tie the jute in a knot after you have added the tag. (You can tuck the knot inside the hole so it doesn’t show.) You can hang these from branches at your wedding, or place inside bags or boxes.
Note: A couple of brides left comments stating that they made the favor hearts a couple of weeks prior to their wedding, and they molded. If you are making these before your wedding, don’t make them more than a few days ahead just to be safe.
BIRD FEEDERS: I had the kids make 2 each of these for their craft at the party. It went really well. They liked what they were doing and I love how easy they are to just slip on a branch. No crazy hanging supplies needed.
Bird Feeder
Materials needed:
- Toilet paper rolls
- Peanut butter
- Bird seed
- Spreading tools (we used butter knives)
Method
1. Give each child a toilet paper roll and have them carefully cover it in peanut butter
2. Once covered have kids roll the toilet roll in bird seed
3. That's it! Once the feeder is covered in seed it is ready to be hung
