How to Make Simple, No-Bake Birdseed Ornaments with Kids

Do you want to foster a connection between your kids and the feathered friends that reside outside their window? Make these easy, no-bake wild birdseed ornaments with three simple ingredients.

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My kids love to cook or bake in the kitchen. I’d love to say that I am a super chill mom that gives them free reign of the pots and pans and lets them bake to their heart’s content, no matter how messy it gets.

Sadly, I’m not that mom. What I have found that works well for my family is providing my kids with minimal-ingredient recipes, assisting them in collecting all of the necessary supplies, and supervising them while they get elbow-deep into their creation.

When my son and daughter started to show interest in the different types of birds that visited our backyard, I decided to give them the recipe for no-bake wild birdseed ornaments. The recipe calls for three ingredients, does not require the use of the oven, and gives them the freedom to create their own unique birdseed ornaments with minimal help from me!

Materials Needed to Make No-Bake Wild Birdseed Ornaments

Here is a simple list of ingredients and supplies that you’ll need to make your no-bake wild birdseed ornaments:

• Boiling water*
• 2 packs of unflavored gelatin – substitutions provided below
• Wild birdseed
• Mixing bowl
• Straw
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper – I like to use brown, unbleached parchment paper because it can be composted
• Cookie cutters
• Twine
• Spoon

*If making these with children, be sure that an adult supervises the handling of boiling water.

You can use any shaped cookie cutters you like. One year, my daughter and I used heart-shaped cookie cutters and made these as Valentine’s Day favors for her classmate, with a note that read “Give your backyard birds a tweet this Valentine’s Day”.

How to Make Birdseed Ornaments Without Gelatin

If you’d like to make these no-bake wild birdseed ornaments without the gelatin, here are a few easy alternatives:

• Substitute the gelatin with a mixture of corn syrup and flour. The stickiness of the corn syrup, coupled with the dryness of the flour will act as a binding agent to hold the birdseed together. Using this combination of ingredients will allow you to omit the chilling step of the original recipe.
• Don’t have any corn syrup on hand? Use peanut butter instead! Equal parts peanut butter and flour will create a sticky substrate for your birdseed to bind to. This combination of ingredients will also allow you to skip the chilling step that gelatin requires.

Free Ways to Find the Materials You Need to Make Wild Birdseed Ornaments

If you don’t have some of the materials to make the no-bake wild birdseed ornaments, consider the following sustainable alternatives to purchasing the necessary supplies.

Ask Your Friends, Family, and Neighbors

Did your grandmother ever tell you a story about how she went to the neighbor’s house to borrow a cup of sugar? As the pace of our modern lives has increased, we have forgotten or have never known what it’s like to walk across the street to ask to borrow something. Capitalize on the kindness of your neighbors, family members, and friends, and revitalize the simple act of borrowing!

Shop Your Local Buy Nothing Group or Facebook Marketplace

If you’re missing some materials to make the wild birdseed ornaments, consider putting a request on your local Buy Nothing Group or Facebook Marketplace. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your request is met by others looking to declutter their homes or share a little surplus! Another option is to stop into your local secondhand or consignment shop and see what items they have available. I have successfully shopped secondhand for crafting materials more times than I can count. 

Get Creative

For me, the key to enjoying the crafting process is to remind yourself that there is never just one way to make something. Oftentimes, if I’m stuck thinking about one way to do something, I ask my daughter how she would do it. She usually comes up with a completely different solution to the problem!

Do you want a specific shaped cookie cutter but can’t find one? Try making one out of cardboard. Can’t find any wild birdseed at your local store? Use sunflower seeds or dried, cracked corn instead. Give yourself grace when you’re being creative and never hesitate to ask others for input!

How Long Do No-Bake Wild Birdseed Ornaments Last?

The longevity of your wild birdseed ornaments can be anywhere from 2-4 months, depending on the time of year you hang them. We like to make these in winter, as the cold weather keeps the birdseed bound together longer. Winter is also when our backyard birds are most in need of food.

Another factor that will affect how long your wild birdseed ornaments last is the amount of birds that dine on them. We like to hang ours by our existing bird feeder to grab our feathered-friends attention. Dangling them from bushes that have lots of small twigs for perching is another great way to entice the birds to eat them. Occasionally, the ornaments break apart from too much wind or rain, at which point we pick them up and place the pieces in our bird feeder. 

Free Valentine’s Day Card Printable

Use these no-bake wild birdseed ornaments as an alternative to the traditional candy valentines and give your backyard birds a sweet “tweet” for the holiday! I’ve created free Valentine’s Day cards for you to print and attach to your bird seed ornaments.

Free Cards!

Send me the printable

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Instructions to Make No-Bake Wild Birdseed Ornaments

Follow these simple instructions to make your no-bake wild birdseed ornaments.

1. Pour ½ cup (125 mL) of boiling water into a mixing bowl.
2. Add 2 packs of gelatin to the boiling water and mix with a spoon until the gelatin is dissolved.
3. Pour 1 ½ cups (325 mL) of birdseed into the gelatin/water mixture and stir to evenly distribute the seeds.
4. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Place your cookie cutters on a baking sheet and scoop the birdseed mixture into the molds, pressing down on the mixture to fill the cookie cutter completely.
6. Use a straw to “cut” a hole in the top of each ornament and remove the excess birdseed.
7. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 24 hours to allow the ornaments to harden.*
8. After 24 hours, remove the ornaments from the baking sheet. Thread a piece of twine through each hole and tie the ends together to create a loop to hang your birdseed creation.
9. Hang the ornaments outside on tree branches, balconies or anywhere you’d like to show your local birds and small mammals some love!

*If you are making these in winter, depending on the outdoor temperature, you may be able to skip the use of the refrigerator and simply place the birdseed ornaments outside to harden.

How to Sustainably Dispose of the Waste from Making Wild Birdseed Ornaments

There is little waste involved in making these ornaments, however here are some simple instructions to sustainably dispose of the materials that will not be eaten by your backyard birds!

• If you used compostable (brown) parchment paper to line your baking sheet, be sure to rip it into smaller pieces and place it in your compost bin. Brown parchment paper does not contain bleach and serves as a good source of carbon for your compost.
• After the birds have munched on the birdseed ornaments, you can either leave the twine dangling from its hanging place (as natural twine makes for great nest-building material) or toss it in your compost bin.

Other Outdoor Activities Your Kids Will Love

If you and your children enjoyed making these no-bake wild birdseed ornaments, you may also love upcycling drink cartons into bird feeders, constructing an outdoor shelter, or curating a nature collection.