Make A Bird Seed Wreath

A great homemade bird feeder year around.

December 2023 | 5 min read

Make A Bird Seed Wreath | Official Blog for Hands-On Education

Our Bird Seed Wreath Hanging on a Branch.

Birds In Our Garden

We enjoy spotting birds in our garden throughout the year and encourage them to visit by putting out bird food on our bird table. In the spring and summer months we see a variety of birds including wood pigeons, sparrows and thrush. At first, we were worried that the wood pigeons were taking all the food from the smaller birds. However, some birds, like the little house sparrows, prefer to feed off the ground and will still come to the garden, eating the small seeds which have fallen down.

Some common birds you might see include chaffinch, blackbirds, robins and even song thrush. Or like us, you might see some larger birds like wood pigeons.

Wood Pigeon in Our Bird House in the Garden.

What Do Birds Eat?

With the arrival of winter and the cold weather, natural food sources for birds begin to wane and providing bird food can help birds through the season. Birds look for berries and seeds in winter. If it is an option for you and the space you live in, you can grow plants which produce berries for the birds to eat in winter.

To make a bird bath simply fill a shallow tray with water. Make sure it is not too deep so the birds can drink it.

If, like us, this is not possible but you still wish to encourage birds to visit, you can use bird feeders, bird tables or make bird seed wreaths! This is a fun activity to do with your child this winter or any time of year. They are easy to make and a great way to encourage birds to visit your garden.

The Ingredients We Used for Our Birdseed Wreath.

Bird Seed Wreath Ingredients

Here are the ingredients we use to make our birdseed wreaths. The lard provides the birds with the necessary fat they need to survive winter. I have included below the measurements we use to make our bird seed wreaths; however, this is only a guide and does not need to be exact.

To make the wreaths you will need:

250g Lard or vegetable shortening
250g Bird seed – if you are mixing your own seeds, use sunflower seeds, porridge oats, millet...
100g Grated cheese
100g raisins and sultanas

Harry Mixing the Ingredients Together.

How To Make Your Bird Seed Wreaths

Once you have all the ingredients, add them to a mixing bowl and start mixing together. Next comes the messy part…take a ball of the mixture between your hands and mould it into a doughnut shape. You can push your thumb through the middle to make the hole. Keep the ring nice and thick so it doesn’t fall apart whilst hanging.

Place each wreath on a baking tray and then put this in the fridge until the wreaths are set. Once hardened, cut a length of string and thread this through the hole before tying the ends together to make a loop.

Your wreaths are now ready to hang in the garden.

Our Bird Seed Wreath Hanging on a Branch.

Where To Hang Your Birdseed Wreath

When your birdseed wreath is ready, you can hang them up in your garden. Here are some tips to think about in choosing the best spot to hang your birdseed wreath:

Somewhere quiet - where the birds will not be disturbed whilst eating.
Somehwere safe – avoid placing your wreath near a bush where predators could be hiding. If you have pets, make sure the wreaths are hung high enough that animals cannot reach the birds whilst they are feeding.
Shelter – place your birdseed wreath somewhere where birds will be sheltered against strong winds.
A good view – if you want to see your garden bird visitors, make sure you can see your birdseed wreath from indoors.

Keep in mind that if you do not already provide bird food, it will take the birds a couple of days before they find their way to your garden. However, once they know food is there, they will keep returning.

Don’t Forget the Water!

Birds also need water to survive the winter. Not only to drink but to wash their feathers in. To make a bird bath simply fill a shallow tray with water. Make sure it is not too deep so the birds can drink it. We always add a couple of large pebbles to weigh the tray down and stop it blowing away.

Hands-On Education’s Bird Beak Investigation Activity

More Bird Activities

Here are some links to our hands-on activities related to birds.

Bird Poster – find out the key features of birds and invite your child to make a poster, sharing the information.
Label The Bird – your child can label the different features of birds, comparing their similarities and differences.
Bird Diets – in this activity children can identify which birds are herbivores, carnivores and omnivores, based on the foods they eat.
Bird Watching– use our bird hunt activity sheets to identify garden birds and water birds.
Painting With Feathers – this is a great sensory activity using feathers to create abstract artwork.
Bird Beak Investigation – a great STEM activity for children as they find out how different shaped bird beaks are suitable for eating different foods.

We hope you have fun making your birdseed wreaths and enjoy watching birds visit your garden. Here are some related topics you may also find interesting.