http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com/make-a-bird-seed-wreath.html
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Bird Seed Wreath
How To Make A Bird Seed Wreath
A wreath on your front gate says welcome to family and friends and if you make a bird seed wreath, wild birds will also stop by to get a taste of your crafting skills.
I make two types of bird seed wreaths. In late summer and fall I make a "nature's harvest" bird seed wreath.
http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com/make-a-bird-seed-wreath.html
When nature is brimming with ripening fruits and berries and seed heads are forming on grasses, I collect everything that I would eat if I were a wild bird. In nature, I look for vines of wild grapes and bittersweet, for privet berries on the hedge and seed heads forming on weeds. In my garden I look for sunflowers, zinnias and ornamental grasses going to seed. To learn how to make a bird seed wreath like this one, click here.
When I run out of materials for making my "nature's harvest" bird seed wreaths, I make a bird seed wreath that is perfect for winter. Since this project requires the use of gelatin, temperatures should be close to or below freezing. If you live in an area where winter temperatures stay near 50, you can substitute peanut butter or rendered suet for thegelatin.
Making a bird seed wreath is a messy project that can be a lot of fun for kids.
Materials:
Piece of corrugated cardboard
Packet of clear gelatin
2 quarts of the bird seed of your choice
Wire for hanging
Ribbons, bows or any decoration you like
Step One:
Cut a circle out of the cardboard about 10 inches in diameter. Then cut out a center hole about 4 inches in diameter.
Step Two:
Mix the packet of gelatin according to the instructions on the package.
Step Three:
Stir the bird seed into the gelatin.
Step Four:
Once cooled, the mixture should form a ball if you squeeze it in your hand. If it it too loose, add more bird seed.
Step Five:
This is the messy part. Mold the mixture by hand onto thecardboard. It should stick to the card board. If it is not sticking enough, use wire to secure it into place.
Step Six:
Attach the wire for hanging. Add any desired decorations. Then hang your new bird seed wreath in a location where you can enjoy watching the wild birds feast.
A wreath on your front gate says welcome to family and friends and if you make a bird seed wreath, wild birds will also stop by to get a taste of your crafting skills.
I make two types of bird seed wreaths. In late summer and fall I make a "nature's harvest" bird seed wreath.
http://www.a-home-for-wild-birds.com/make-a-bird-seed-wreath.html
When nature is brimming with ripening fruits and berries and seed heads are forming on grasses, I collect everything that I would eat if I were a wild bird. In nature, I look for vines of wild grapes and bittersweet, for privet berries on the hedge and seed heads forming on weeds. In my garden I look for sunflowers, zinnias and ornamental grasses going to seed. To learn how to make a bird seed wreath like this one, click here.
When I run out of materials for making my "nature's harvest" bird seed wreaths, I make a bird seed wreath that is perfect for winter. Since this project requires the use of gelatin, temperatures should be close to or below freezing. If you live in an area where winter temperatures stay near 50, you can substitute peanut butter or rendered suet for thegelatin.
Making a bird seed wreath is a messy project that can be a lot of fun for kids.
Materials:
Piece of corrugated cardboard
Packet of clear gelatin
2 quarts of the bird seed of your choice
Wire for hanging
Ribbons, bows or any decoration you like
Step One:
Cut a circle out of the cardboard about 10 inches in diameter. Then cut out a center hole about 4 inches in diameter.
Step Two:
Mix the packet of gelatin according to the instructions on the package.
Step Three:
Stir the bird seed into the gelatin.
Step Four:
Once cooled, the mixture should form a ball if you squeeze it in your hand. If it it too loose, add more bird seed.
Step Five:
This is the messy part. Mold the mixture by hand onto thecardboard. It should stick to the card board. If it is not sticking enough, use wire to secure it into place.
Step Six:
Attach the wire for hanging. Add any desired decorations. Then hang your new bird seed wreath in a location where you can enjoy watching the wild birds feast.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Dominic's Deer
Dominic put apples underneath his bird feeders and within a day a deer had arrived. I wasn't sneaky enough to get the blinds up to take a nicer picture.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Locust Lake
Locust Lake State Park
nown for its popular camping area, Locust Lake State Park nestles on the side of Locust Mountain. The 52-acre Locust Lake is located between two campgrounds and is surrounded by beautiful forests. Hiking and fishing are popular activities in the 1,772-acre park.
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/locustlake.aspx
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Backyard Bird Feeder
Backyard Bird Feeder
Spoon-feed your winged neighbors with this homemade birdseed dispenser.
- Materials
- Clean 1-liter soda bottle
- Craft knife
- 2 wooden spoons
- small eye screw
- Length of twine for hanging
- Instructions
Start by drawing a 1/2-inch asterisk on the side of a clean 1-liter soda bottle, about 4 inches from the bottom. Rotate the bottle 90 degrees and draw another asterisk
2 inches from the bottom. Draw a 1-inch-wide circle opposite each asterisk, as shown.- Use a craft knife to slit the asterisk lines and cut out the circles (a parent's job). Insert a wooden spoon handle first through each hole and then through the opposite asterisk, as shown.
- Remove the bottle cap and twist a small eye screw into the top of it for hanging.
- Finally, fill your feeder with birdseed, recap it, and use a length of twine to hang it from a tree.
Recycled Bird Feeder
Recycled Bird Feeder
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/make-recycled-bird-feeder-710474/
Backyard birds won't know the difference between a fancy, store-bought bird feeder and one that's homemade, so save your pennies and make one out of an empty milk carton. Cut openings on opposite sides of a clean carton and coat with nontoxic paint. Glue Popsicle stick shingles onto the roof. For a perch, poke holes below the openings and slip a dowel through the holes. Fill the bottom of the feeder with birdseed mix. (You can make your own mix by combining a variety of nuts and seeds, such as sunflower seeds, millet, thistle seeds and yellow corn.) Then hang the feeder with wire in a spot that's easy to view but far enough away from fences or posts to thwart predators.
Dominic's Birds
Dominic added an additional bird feeder!!
The birds seem to love it!
Stay tuned for step by step direction to make your homemade bird feeder!
Marsh Creek
Marsh Creek State Park is in the rolling hills of northcentral Chester County. The 1,727-acre park contains the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, which is great for fishing, sailing and is a reststop for migrating waterfowl.
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/marshcreek.aspx
Hibernia County Park and Chambers Lake
Over 900 acres of trails, woodlands, meadows, open fields, play areas, pavilions, camping & picnic areas are strewn throughout. Popular fishing sites include the Brandywine Creek’s west branch, Birch Run & a children’s pond. Small boating & fishing occur on the 90 –acre Chambers Lake. Hibernia Mansion is open for public tours on Sunday afternoons, Memorial Day - Labor Day. Park walking tours explore the legacy of the iron masters and country gentlemen who owned the estate.
Hibernia Mansion is a restored 19th century mansion. The mansion, as you see it today, reflects the changes of lifestyle and social status of its various owners for over two hundred years. Long the home of Ironmasters, it expanded with their increased prosperity. When strolling along the quiet paths through the 990-acre Hibernia County Park, or fishing on the shady banks of the Brandywine Creek, it is hard to imagine that here was once the site of a bustling iron industry, gone for over one hundred years.
At the turn of the century, Hibernia became the country estate of a wealthy Philadelphia lawyer and underwent extensive renovations according to his personal taste. Vacant for 15 years, it fell into disrepair. Now owned and operated by the Chester County Parks and Recreation Department, Hibernia Mansion has been restored to its former glory to preserve our past heritage and for future generations to enjoy.
Hibernia is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places. It is also part of the Hatfield-Hibernia National Register Historic District. In 2009, Hibernia Mansion joined the Rural History Confederation.
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