Bird Seed Ornament Gifts

Looking for a fun way to surprise wonderful people this Thanksgiving?  How about whipping up a batch of bird seed ornaments! This idea was originally posted by eighteen25 and Design Dazzle as a summer craft idea but lends itself well to the holiday season, especially given that birds are in more need of nutrition as the weather cools.  

The recipe is easy enough for kids to do, the ingredients are simple, sharing food is a Thanksgiving tradition (even with birds!), and the gift will express thoughtfulness to recipients without being "stuff" they have to figure out what to do with after the holiday!   

What you need:

• birdseed
• cookie cutters or jar lids (to shape the ornaments)
• envelope(s) of plain gelatin (to hold birdseed together)
• wax paper (to set ornaments on while filling and drying)
• ribbon, string or twine (to hang ornament)

How To's:

1) Mix 1/4 of water with one envelope of gelatin in small saucepan.

2) Bring mixture to simmer and keep stirring until all gelatin is dissolved.

3) Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or so while you get a cup of birdseed and prepare a mold (cookie cutter) by placing it on wax paper.  I put ours on a small cookie sheet to make it easy for little hands to transport and maneuver!

4)  Stir in the birdseed.

5)  Spoon the birdseed/gelatin mixture into your mold (cookie cutter) until it is halfway full. 

6)  Lay a knotted loop of ribbon, string, or twine into the mold and bury it with more birdseed mixture until the mold is full.  Use fingers to pack the seed in and spread to edges of the mold.

7)  Let the ornaments dry overnight, then remove the mold (cookie cutter).  We needed to make a big batch in one night, so we quickly tucked the ornament in the freezer for a few minutes (while mixing up the next batch) to get a head start on the hardening.  We removed the cookie cutter carefully so the shape would still hold, but it did take overnight on the counter to completely harden.

8)  Attach a pretty tag (GIVE THANKS found for FREE here) or card and your ornament is ready for giving... or hanging!