5-Ingredient Heart-Shaped Bird Feeders

---

Happy Love Month! As you might already be able to tell, I am having so much fun with Valentine’s-themed DIYs this month, so keep an eye on the blog for all the ideas I’ll be sharing! In case you missed it, you can check out last week’s blog about how to make pink lavender salt scrub. That gorgeous body scrub isn’t the only thing I love gifting in February — today I’m sharing another easy-to-make, gifting-friendly option: birdseed hearts.

To me, Love Month is an opportunity to honour all of the different kinds of relationships we have, including the one we have with the planet. One of the best ways we can show love in this way, in my opinion, is by being mindful of the habitats we share with wildlife. Birds need extra help getting food this time of year, while many plants are dormant and winter dries up supplies. Fortunately, we humans can actually do something about that. February is for feeding the birds!

These adorable heart-shaped bird feeders take just four ingredients — how’s that for a Valentine’s craft? They’re fun to make with kids, and then you can all go outside to hang them up on a tree in your yard (a great teaching opportunity!). Bird feeders also make wonderful gifts for friends and family. I love to send gifts that are practical, consumable and zero- or low-waste, and keep spirits high during darker days!

So, if this piques your interest, keep reading for my step-by-step guide to making the birds in your backyard feel well taken care of this Love Month. I would love to see how yours turns out, so if you make them, tag me on Instagram!

P.S. Heads up! This recipe requires time to let the birdseed hearts dry overnight.

How to make heart-shaped bird feeders:

Equipment: 

• Large mixing bowl

• Whisk

• Spatula or mixing spoon

• Measuring cups/spoons

• Heart-shaped cookie cutter

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Parchment paper

• Cookie sheet

• Metal straw

• Twine

• Scissors

Ingredients:

• 4 cups birdseed

• 1 envelope unflavoured gelatin

• 3/4 cup flour

• 1/2 cup water

• 3 tbsp corn syrup

Step-by-step: 

1. Add water and corn syrup to your bowl and whisk together.

2. Add gelatin to the bowl and mix again.

3. Gradually add flour to the bowl while mixing.

4. Add birdseed to the bowl and mix well with your spatula or spoon. Then, knead mixture with your hands.

5. Spray the inside of your cookie cutter with nonstick spray.

6. Place the cookie cutter onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Spoon mixture into the cookie cutter and press firmly as you go.

7. While the cookie cutter is still around the mixture, use a metal straw to poke a hole at the top of the heart.

8. Carefully remove the cookie cutter. Let the birdseed hearts dry overnight.

9. Cut a piece of twine, loop through the hole, and tie at the top.

10. Hang outside!

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoy this activity as much as I did. My son loved joining me to hang up our heart-shaped bird feeders on the trees outside, and the birds loved discovering them.

I know I find it inspiring to learn tips for sustainable living through social media, so let’s keep in touch on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest and spread the love by sharing our knowledge! What should I make next on the blog?

In the meantime, sending you a lot of love,