How to Make Birdseed Ornaments

Why You’ll Love These

Easy:  These cute birdseed ornaments are really simple to make and you don’t need any hard-to-source ingredients or fancy equipment.
Tasty: They might not be your idea of tasty but don’t worry, the birds are going to love your cookie cutter bird seed ornaments! The birdseed, corn syrup and gelatin mixture is going to thrill them.
Useful: Food can sometimes be scarce during the cooler months for birds, especially if the weather is really bad. These birdseed ornaments offer a tasty treat for the birds no matter what time of year it is.

What You Need to Make Cookie Cutter Birdseed Feeders

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Bird seed: The main ingredient. You can’t make DIY birdseed ornaments without this! Any birdseed mixture will work or you can create your own blend (see tips, below).
Unflavored gelatin: Gelatin is a binding agent, which means it’s the substance that holds your birdseed mixture together. Some birdseed ornaments use a different binder, such as flour, lard or peanut butter. If you don’t have gelatin powder (here), use four 1/4-ounce packages instead (here).
Light corn syrup: This is another binder and also provides calories for the birds.
Cookie cutters: You can use any shape of metal cookie cutters, choosing seasonal cookie cutters if you wish, such as Christmas trees in December or love hearts around Valentine’s Day!
Twine: Jute twine (here) is threaded through each ornament and then you can hang it outdoors wherever you want. Any kind of twine, string or yarn will work, as long as it’s sufficiently strong.

How to Make Easy DIY Birdseed Ornaments

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Dissolve the gelatin:  Sprinkle the gelatin over cold water and leave to sit for 3 minutes, then pour warm water over and keep stirring until the gelatin dissolves.
Add the birdseed: Now you can add the birdseed, stirring until well combined.
Add the corn syrup: Stir the light corn syrup into the birdseed mixture.
Shape the birdseed ornaments: Spoon the birdseed mixture into a cookie cutter or mason jar lid and then press 6 inches of twine into the mixture and fill the rest of the way, pressing down with a large wooden spoon to even out the mixture. Put the DIY birdseed cakes on a wax paper or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Chill and wait: Put the baking sheet in the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours, then hang the ornaments and wait for all the birds to come and enjoy this treat!

Substitutions and Variations

Make your own birdseed:  Instead of buying birdseed you might like to make your own. Sunflower seeds are the most common seed found in backyard bird feeders and most birds like them. There are different varieties, including black oil sunflower seeds which are the most popular type as well as striped sunflower seeds which also feature in many bird seed mixes. Other ingredients you can use include millet, safflower seeds, sorghum seeds, cracked corn, suet cakes, and thistle seeds.
Fill fruit with the birdseed mixture: If you want extra-fancy birdseed ornaments, use hollowed out orange halves or apple halves (instead of using cookie cutters). You can also add orange or lemon zest to the mix for more color in your gelatin feeders!

How to Use Cookie Cutter Birdseed Feeders

Hang the birdseed ornaments outdoors, preferably in a spot you can see from indoors. If you have a sunroom it’s nice to hang the bird feeders just outside so you can enjoy your feathered friends visiting!

Cookie cutter birdseed ornaments can be hung just about anywhere but I would recommend not hanging them too near the windows (because of bird poop!) or anywhere your pet cat can reach too easily. You might also not want to hang them over branches or anywhere too accessible, or else the squirrels will eat the whole thing and the birds might not get any!

Pro-Tip: If you live in an area with a bear population (like I do), you will want to put these out in the winter only, as they will attract bears. Many regions have bylaws regarding the use of bird feeders and bird seed for this reason. Typically, it is safe to keep your bird feeder out as long as temperatures are at or below freezing.

How to Store DIY Birdseed Ornaments

Store:  Keep them somewhere cool and dry and they should last for 4 to 6 months. An airtight container or Ziploc bag would be good.
Freeze:  If you aren’t going to be using your birdseed ornaments in the next few months, it’s best to freeze them. This way they will keep for up to a couple of years.
Thaw:  You can hang them outdoors still frozen or let them thaw in the fridge, as you prefer.

Top Tips

No cookie cutters? Just use a mason jar lid instead.
Making a hole: You can either push the twine into the birdseed mixture and then add more mixture on top, or you can use a drinking straw to create a hole and thread the twine through that (that is a fancier looking way!)
Get creative: You can use any kind of twine or string, even something brightly colored. You can add other ingredients to the mix, such as lard or coconut oil (for cold weather bird feeders). Or add some ribbon along with the twine for a colorful finish.