EDITED TO ADD: I know have these cute tags to go with these! Click HERE to grab ’em:
I kind of love these. They are so simple, but so sweet. I first saw them as a wedding favor idea. What a great idea, right?? I would love to get something like this at a wedding. (As a side note, a good friend of mine from college is getting married this summer, and I am now obsessing over wedding details.)
Anyway. Here’s the recipe:
- 3/4 a cup of flour
- 1/2 a cup of water
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin (2.5 teaspoons)*
- 3 tbsp corn syrup
- 4 cups birdseed
Spray a spoon with cooking spray and then mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, a la this
Yummy.
Next, spray the inside of your cookie cutter with cooking spray, and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Fill it with the birdseed mixture. Be sure to really pack it down. In retrospect, I wish I would have sprayed another spoon with cooking spray and used the back of it to help pack it down. It would have made for two smooth sides, instead of one.
Once you have your cookie cutter full, use something (we used a chop stick) to make a hole. Then, holding down the birdseed, pull off the cookie cutter. I had to respray the cookie cutter after every four and with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter, I made 12 feeders. I thought this would be something really fun to do with Gavin, but . . . I was wrong. It was a messy activity, and they are really fragile when you take off the cookie cutter. But this would probably be perfect to do with an eight or ten year old. That being said, Gavin did the chop stick part and really enjoyed it.
Let them firm up over night, and then they are ready to hang or give away.
This was my favorite part. When I told Gavin I was going to hang one up outside, he told me that he wanted to come with and that we should hang it on Elliot’s tree.
“This is for Elliot, Mom.” Oh little moose, you melt my heart. We love you, E. And we never stop thinking about you.
* In my grocery store, I found this in with all the Jell-o mixes. Though I spent a good chunk of time looking for it with the canning stuff.
Audrey Wilde says
I plan on using this idea with my Sunday School children. We will make one to keep and some to give away. I love this idea. I will make a couple to hang on our trees in remember of my son and granddaughter. Thank you for sharing.
Blessings.,
Audrey
Oh, thank you so much for sharing, Audrey.
Mary says
Wow! I’m thinking of using these for a Girl Scout troop my email, is [email protected]
-Mary
Debra says
My grand baby and I made theses with tool cookie cutters! We love them! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I’m so glad Debra!
Carol says
Do I dare ship these?
I’m so late answering this, Carol, but for anyone else who wonders and reads this, no! These don’t ship well.
Juani says
Thank you for the nice idea. I am making them today. What temperature do you suggest I set the oven at?
I’m sorry, Juani, I’m confused. I didn’t use an oven for these.
Vicki Case says
It is a great idea but it doesn’t say how long to let it sit before hanging?
They need to dry overnight
Katie says
I’m making these with my Sunday School class this Sunday – 6-12 year olds. I’ll let you know how they turn out! My kids (9 & 12) were my testers – pretty easy to make and they had fun! Thanks for the idea!
Caitlin says
I just tried to make these and they are not holding together. At all. After looking around at some other recipes people had cooked the gelatin in water before adding the bird seed, I wish in your instructions you would have specified better. Now I have a bowl of mushy bird seed that I dont know what to do with.
Hi Caitlin. I’m really sorry you struggled with these. I feel good about the instructions. I made them again this year off of my own instructions and they held together perfectly without cooking the gelatin.
Angel Sanders says
Instead of bird feed I used sponges and put sugar water in them and made them for butterflies. They came by dozens! I LOVE your idea!
Like as decoration? How creative!! I’d love if you emailed me a picture! [email protected]
Carole Tate says
Lisa,
I’m so excited to make theses with my grand kids this weekend for their teachers… any suggestions for the card we can place with them for the teachers. Also we are going try and make baby decorations for a baby shower.. again any suggestions. Thank you I will let you know how this all turns out… We love all you stuff.
Carole…Texas
I’m sorry that I’m just seeing this Carole!! I hope that you guys enjoyed making them!