I wonder if the weight of the figurine weakened it. I've been trying to think of a non-knitting needle way of doing something like this. Some glas figurines I have are pretty heavy (I have a cute clear glass bunny like your bird). I wondered if gluing some sort of bolt to the bottom of them and then screwing it onto some threaded rod might work. I really need to go buy some threaded rod and try it out.

That's a good idea luna, I have some heavier glass stuff too I'd like to see outside, that would be nice and strong.

Thanks for the heads up beck. I hadn't even thought about a plastic needle, I pictured the metal ones. Strange about the part that was in the soil getting soft, if I'm understanding you right. I don't know what would cause that, with a plastic needle. Paint thinner will disolve some plastic but I don't imagine you've been spreading that around. Insecticide? Maybe just the heat of the soil. Oh, wait I just looked, you're in WI, maybe not.

threaded rod.. or non threaded.. pvc pipe, bamboo stakes, painted dowels... you could epoxy washers to the top of those and then epoxy your glass object...

You know there is a rod the size of a large metal needle
you can get copper or brass I like the look of brass, anyway you can buy this rod fairly cheap and it comes in several sizes. It is very strong and bendable with needle nose plyers. I would think that most any hardware store would have it. Try it and see if that will work for you.
It is the thickness of the needles but longer.
Carmen

You can get electrical conduit fairly small I think. Then glue a little dish (upside down ?) or a small bottle or vase and glue your figure to that. Like a tea cup bird feeder concept. Though I think a small bottle or vase might be better cuz it would stay put then the bottom would be a good surface for your figure to stick to.
kathy

I love the idea of the washer.. If I can find some with a small enough hole, I'm going to try that next.

The reason I chose the knitting needles is because I wanted a flat surface to glue to, without the bulkiness of adding a bottle/dish.
I didn't want anything to get in the way of the birds. I felt that a vase or something would make it harder to tell exactly what they were at a glance.

The needle hardened back up after I removed it from the soil. I am convinced it was the moisture in the soil that softened it.
I don't use insecticides and it was in my new grill planter, so there isn't anything residual because it was all new potting soil.... the only thing I can figure is it's a really old needle and is made of something other than what I assume is plastic.
I only posted this so no one else gets the wrong kind.