Pinterest Project: Birdseed Wreath

I've been a little bird-obsessed lately. I love watching the birds come to the feeders, especially in the morning while I have breakfast. V & I both like pointing out the different birds.
Recently I went to a bird banding event at the Burroughs Audubon Nature Center & Bird Sanctuary. It was pretty informative, and a lot of fun. After catching & banding the birds, they let the guests help let the birds go! Here I am holding a Dark-Eye Junco moments before releasing him. He was so soft!

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerokc/ )

My friend also got this amazing shot of the bird-banding expert being bitten by a male cardinal, who was ready to be released.

(photo courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/aerokc/ )

After the fun at the Burroughs Center, plus the Great Backyard Bird Count, I wanted to attract more birds to the yard. I have one seed feeder, a thistle feeder and one suet feeder, but that doesn't seem like enough (for me). I saw this very cute birdseed wreath on Pinterest, which took me to the blog post at Under the Table Dreaming.
I was antsy to get started, and didn't have the time to run to the thrift store to try to find a suitable mold (since I don't own a jello mold, or a bundt cake pan). Instead, I used a pie tin, and put a ramekin in the center.

 I sprayed the tin/ramekin with non-stick spray, then added the birdseed mix. To make the mix, dissolve 2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin into 1 cup of water over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of birdseed. Once the seed is completely coated, press into mold.

 Let the birdseed sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the gelatin to set. After 2 hours (or more), remove the wreath from the mold. Take a ribbon and tie it in the center for hanging. 

We placed the wreath in the backyard near our other feeders, and it didn't take long for the birds to find it. The downy woodpeckers seemed especially fond of it. Unfortunately, so did the squirrels. It took 4 days for the squirrels to completely destroy the wreath and cart off all the hunks of seed-gelatin. It was still worth it to see the woodpeckers on the wreath in the morning.
This was a super easy project, and could be made into many shapes. I think it works best in the winter/early spring so that the temps aren't warm enough to melt the gelatin.
Happy Birdwatching!

Pinterest Playtime: Toothpick fun

My little one is getting older, and closer to the terrible two's. For some time she was easy-going, and I could get away with simple unplanned playtime. As she gets older, I'm finding that if we don't have an activity planned, she gets grouchy. Seldom does she want to just play in her room.
I've been looking at several blogs, and searching Pinterest for easy, fun, and cheap projects for V & I to accomplish.
Our most recent project was one I found here at Chasing Cheerios. We took a shaker jar (think Parmesan cheese shaker at a pizza shop) that I got at the $1 store and a handful of toothpicks. V spent 15 minutes poking the toothpicks in the jar, taking them out & repeating the process.

The jar I used is glass, so I made sure to repeat that we had to be gentle with it. V was very careful. This was a great way for her to concentrate and build her fine motor skills. I think soon we may try the toothpick & marshmallow sculptures.
Lately, I've been spending a lot of time watching the birds at our backyard feeder. The past weekend was the Great Backyard Bird Count. V loves watching the birds at the feeder. A friend told me that when she was little, her mom & her would string Cheerios on a line and hang them for the birds. This project was exactly what we needed this afternoon.
We spent about 20 minutes threading Cheerios on a string. I wrapped the string around a toothpick to make it easier for V. She thought it was a lot of fun. I can't wait for breakfast tomorrow, which is the best time to for us to sit and watch the birds.

 I'm excited to see what birds are at the feeder in the morning. After doing the Great Backyard Bird Count, I'm a lot more conscious about the birds at the feeder. Its fun to teach V the names of the birds and count them.
Have a fun & easy activity? Share it here!