Gifting something small to your nature-loving friends couldn’t be easier than these little ornamental birdseed feeders! You can quickly mix up a batch of ornaments in 15 minutes, and craft the adorable feathered friend bird tags to adorn your gift wrapping while the ornaments are set aside to dry. 

Dry time does take 24 – 48 hours depending on the humidity in your area, so be sure to plan accordingly.  It’s a very economical craft and perfect to give as favors during the holidays or your next celebration.

To prepare your mix, start by placing 4 cups of birdseed into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add ¾ cup all-purpose flour. Mix until flour is evenly distributed.  Heat ½ cup of water in a glass measuring cup in the microwave for 45 seconds. Empty one envelope of Knox unflavored gelatin into the water and mix until dissolved. Add 3 tablespoons of light corn syrup to the gelatin mixture and stir well.  Pour into birdseed and mix until birdseed is evenly coated.

Next, you’ll need to gather your cookie cutters and prepare them by spraying with cooking spray, then lay onto a waxed-paper covered cookie sheet. Then, spoon birdseed into cookie cutters, filling the molds only to the halfway point. Use the back of the spoon to pack the seeds tightly into the molds.

Cut twine to 11” long and fold in half. Place cut ends on the birdseed and position loop at what will be the top of the ornament. Continue filling molds until it is even with the top of the mold.  You might find it easier to pack the seeds tight by spraying the back of the spoon with cooking spray so the seeds don’t stick and lift with the spoon.

After you have them packed tightly, allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the gelatin gels slightly. Then, carefully release them from the molds. Do not handle them too much after releasing them so your shape doesn’t get distorted. You’ll want to flip them every few hours to help facilitate drying, but it is not necessary to flip through the night.  They will take 24 – 48 hours to dry completely.

To create a tag for your gift wrap, you’ll need to use your Fuse Creativity System along with Medium Design Set 0085 to create some letterpressed birds. Then, use your hand circle punch to punch a circle in them.

Be sure to punch the circle close to the wing and punch in from the edge enough that the cardstock won’t rip when you pull your twine through to create the bow. If you have issues with it ripping or are worried about them tearing off, you may consider cutting both cardstock and chipboard birds and allow the chipboard to act as reinforcement to the cardstock. Simply adhere the letterpressed cardstock bird to the chipboard.

To wrap your ornaments, you’ll need scissors, burlap and additional twine. For basic sized cookie cutters, you can cut the burlap to 12” x 12” and cut two 15” lengths of twine.

Set ornament in the center of the square and pull all four corners up, gathering the excess just above the bulk of the ornament.  Tie off with double strand of twine.  

Then thread all four strands of twine through the punched hole of your bird (from back through to the front) and tie off into a bow.