Budget friendly birdfeeder

I love to feed the birds. What I don’t love is watching the English Sparrows flick half of it to the ground. I paid for that food buddy! This winter we figured out a way to make 1/2 a cup of seed last at least a week vs. 30 minutes. Best of all the supplies were FREE.

YOU’LL NEED:

12 inches of string (We used baker’s twine and yarn)

Long pine cone

fat solids (We save bacon and hamburger grease)

bird seed

plate/pie pan to hold the bird seed while you press the pine cone into it

knife or spatula for spreading the fat onto the pine cone.

We save the fat from bacon and grilling hamburger in cans. Tie a string onto one end of the pine cone to create a loop for hanging. Smear fat onto a pine cone.

Press the pine cone into bird seed on all sides (and the bottom).

These are brand new and ready to hang. The next photo shows feeders we’ve re-coated multiple times over the course of the winter.

One skinny little pine cone now holds even more seed because it’s gotten so much fatter over time with all the added coats of fat and seeds. The nuthatches love it!

The little chickadees are skiddish but they are our most prevalent bird at the feeder.

The downy woodpecker on the other hand isn’t scared of anything. This bird stays even if the cat pounces at the window.

We have feed the birds all winter long here in Minnesota with a fraction of the seed thanks to these simple kid friendly bird feeders.