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Pine Cone Bird Feeders – Not Just a Kids Craft

Pine cone bird feeders

We all remember making pine cone bird feeders as kids, whether it was at home or school. But did you know these easy and inexpensive feeders are actually an excellent winter food source for many species of birds? It’s time to nurture your inner kid and the feathered inhabitants of your backyard.

Pine Cone Bird Feeders Are Great for Birds

Many songbirds don’t migrate for the winter and rely on local food sources. However, well into the season, those food supplies can dwindle, especially if it’s been a long and cold winter. Those of us who enjoy hosting these birds in our backyard help out by providing seed in feeders.

Two cats watching a chickadee at a bird feeder outside a window
The most avid bird watchers in my house.

But you can go a step further by providing them with essential nutrients that can be hard to find in the winter.

Birds need high-protein and high-fat sources to survive extremely cold temperatures, which is why this childhood craft isn’t just for the kids – it’s for the birds. Peanut butter is an excellent source of both protein and fat. Pine cone bird feeders are easy and quick to make and can provide birds with much-needed food this winter. Let’s make a few!

Here’s What You’ll Need

Supplies to make pine cone bird feeders

Pine Cones

Larger pine cones are great if you can get your hands on them. But even smaller, sturdy cones, like those from Ponderosa pines are just fine. Before using them, you’ll want to bake them first. This will kill any bugs hiding in them and open them up a bit more, which makes it easier to pack in more peanut butter.

You can read how to bake pine cones for this (and other crafts) here.

String or Twine

Pine cones with string tied to the tops

It’s best to use string or twine that will break down naturally. That way, you don’t have to worry about collecting it once the birds have finished with the feeder. 100% cotton yarn, such as the Sugar ‘n Cream dishcloth cotton or baker’s/butcher string work well. Jute twine is also a good option.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is good for birds in the same way it’s good for us – it’s high in protein and filled with healthy fats. The same birds that rely on insects during the summer will benefit from a reliable source of nutrient-dense food in the winter, and these bird feeders fit the bill.

Just like us, birds don’t need the added sugar, so opt for natural or zero-sugar varieties of peanut butter. If you want to go the extra mile, use chunky peanut butter. You’ll have a backyard full of happy birds.

Peanut Butter Alternatives

Birds such as chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches and bluejays all benefit from a quality fat source during cold winters. If you want to offer them something beyond peanut butter, lard and beef tallow are both excellent options that are easy to find in the supermarket. Birds can easily metabolize these animal fats.

A nuthatch landing on a pine cone feeder
This little nuthatch found my pine cone feeder within moments of my hanging it up.

Birdseed

Use whatever bird seed you normally put in your bird feeders. Something that’s geared towards songbirds will have several types of seeds, including sunflower, cracked corn and millet and will appeal to more varieties of birds.

Crushed Peanuts

If you don’t have birdseed on hand, unsalted peanuts are an excellent alternative. I roughly chopped these peanuts with my chef’s knife.

Pine Cone Bird Feeders – a Quick Refresher

Woman's hand putting peanut butter on a pine cone
  • Tie a length of twine around the top of the pine cone.
  • Using a rubber spatula, press peanut butter all over the cone. (You might want to wear gloves for this.) Coat the bottom of the cone and try to get as much peanut butter between the petals of the pine cone as possible.
  • Roll the pine cone in birdseed or crushed peanuts.
  • Hang where birds will visit.

And, of course, this is always a fun craft to do with the kids or grandkids.


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Tracey Besemer

Hey there, my name is Tracey. I’m the editor-in-chief here at Rural Sprout.

Many of our readers already know me from our popular Sunday newsletters. (You are signed up for our newsletters, right?) Each Sunday, I send a friendly missive from my neck of the woods in Pennsylvania. It’s a bit like sitting on the front porch with a friend, discussing our gardens over a cup of tea.

Originally from upstate NY, I’m now an honorary Pennsylvanian, having lived here for the past 18 years.

I grew up spending weekends on my dad’s off-the-grid homestead, where I spent much of my childhood roaming the woods and getting my hands dirty.

I learned how to do things most little kids haven’t done in over a century.

Whether it was pressing apples in the fall for homemade cider, trudging through the early spring snows of upstate NY to tap trees for maple syrup, or canning everything that grew in the garden in the summer - there were always new adventures with each season.

As an adult, I continue to draw on the skills I learned as a kid. I love my Wi-Fi and knowing pizza is only a phone call away. And I’m okay with never revisiting the adventure that is using an outhouse in the middle of January.

These days, I tend to be almost a homesteader.

I take an eclectic approach to homesteading, utilizing modern convenience where I want and choosing the rustic ways of my childhood as they suit me.

I’m a firm believer in self-sufficiency, no matter where you live, and the power and pride that comes from doing something for yourself.

I’ve always had a garden, even when the only space available was the roof of my apartment building. I’ve been knitting since age seven, and I spin and dye my own wool as well. If you can ferment it, it’s probably in my pantry or on my kitchen counter. And I can’t go more than a few days without a trip into the woods looking for mushrooms, edible plants, or the sound of the wind in the trees.

You can follow my personal (crazy) homesteading adventures on Almost a Homesteader and Instagram as @aahomesteader.

Peace, love, and dirt under your nails,

Tracey
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