Every winter, our Tarragon Terrace is decorated with a large Christmas tree adorned with ornaments for our feathered friends. This staple of Honey Run was absent last year while our deck was being refinished but has found its way back and is better than ever. Many of our guests enjoy a relaxed morning by the lobby fireplace trying to identify the numerous species of birds that flutter and feast at this one-of-a-kind bird feeder. This year, the homemade ornaments that adorn our eight-foot Fraser fir were mostly constructed of natural materials found along our trails and meadows. Below are instructions for making your own ornaments that will turn any tree in your yard into a birding tree!
You will need :
-
Long stemmed berries, crabapples, rose hips, or other found bird-friendly fruits
- Metallic ribbon (we used gold)
- Bailing twine or jute
- Hot glue & glue gun
Create a good sized bundle of berries and wrap the middle of the bundle with twine. Allow a large enough loop for the ornament to hang from the tree branches. Then, place a small drop of hot glue below the twine to attach the metallic ribbon. Wrap the ribbon 3 or 4 times, then secure it with another drop of hot glue. There should be at least four inches of loose ribbon for you to curl. Curling ribbon is easy: take a dull knife or pair of scissors and grasp the base of the ribbon and pull tightly to the end of the strand. The tension created will make the ribbon curl.
You will need :
- Pine cones that are at least 4 inches long (tips on using pine cones in crafts)
- Colorful yarn or twine
- Sunflower seeds & wild birdseed mix
- Peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
- Wax paper
Wrap the top of the pine cones with red yarn using the scales as anchor points. After you create the hanging loop, coat the middle of the pine cone with peanut butter. Make sure to fill under the scales for maximum sunflower adhesion! Then roll the pine cone in the sunflower seeds. After that, coat the lower half with a smaller amount of peanut butter. Using less will give the bottom of the pine cone more visual appeal as the curvature of the scales can be seen. Roll the bottom half in the wild birdseed mix. Lay the completed ornament on wax paper until you are ready to place it on your tree.
You will need :
- 14 small twigs, roughly 1/4″ in diameter and 4″ long
- Natural “fluff” (we used sheep’s wool, milkweed seeds, grasses, & dried thistle flowers)
- Hot glue & glue gun
- Bailing twine or jute
- Pruners (to cut the twigs)
Begin by constructing two square frames out of the twigs using hot glue. Then, attach support twigs between the two frames to start forming your box. Continue to add support wherever needed until your project resembles a small cage. Attach the twine on a corner so that the station can be hung from a branch. Fill the cage with your natural “fluff”. Be careful with the milkweed seeds — they are extremely light and will go everywhere!
You will need :
- Grapefruit or oranges (“found” at grocery store)
- Bailing twine or jute
- Birdseed
- Knife
- Spoon
- Baking sheet or large bowl
Start by slicing the grapefruit in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the pink fruit and separate it from the rind. We used a baking sheet while we did this to help contain the mess! Punch a hole through the rind on both sides of the grapefruit about 1/2″ from the rim. Feed your twine through the holes, allowing enough room for the birds to stand up without hitting the tree branch. Place the feeder on the tree then fill with birdseed. Check these each day as the birdseed may spill out during windy periods.
We’d love to see how these ideas inspire you to make your own homemade ornaments and birding tree! Share your ornament ideas or pictures of your own backyard bird tree in the comments or on Facebook.