Hi! I went searching around and found the link below. Hope it helps! (I'm going to give it a try myself as soon as I get a minute - what a great idea.)

Jules

Here is a link that might be useful: Birdseed Wreath

You're a life saver. This past weekend I went to a Christmas tour of homes and in one courtyard, they had a snowman (about 4 feet tall)coated with birdseed. I thought "I can do that" but wasn't sure how to adhere the seed to the foam balls. The gelatin sounds like the way to go.

Thank you!

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the replies.

Here's a recipe I found online. I've made 4 so far and all have turned out great - much like the ones I see in the stores. These are so easy to make! I can't believe anyone would pay $20 for them. I think each one is costing me $1.50! I have flexible silicone pans, which are extremely easy to use (my advice - GET SOME!), so I'm not greasing a pan. I'm also halving the recipe, because I'm not using a bundt pan. I'm using a kougloff (French pastry) mold. It's only about 1/2 the thickness of a bundt pan. I thought the bundt was too chucky to hang on a door. Of course, you could always use a bundt and only fill it halfway. Good luck!

Birdseed Wreath

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
4 1/4 ounce pkgs. Knox unflavored gelatin
8 cups birdseed

Boil 1 1/2 cup water.
Empty the 4 packages of gelatin into 8 tablespoons of cold water in a large bowl. Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute.
Add the boiling water and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.
Stir 8 cups of birdseed into the gelatin, mixing thoroughly.
Let the mixture set for a few minutes, then stir again. Repeat this process a few times allowing the seed to absorb the liquid.
Spoon the mixture into a greased bundt pan and put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Remove the wreath from the mold by inverting the pan and tapping along the bottom. The pan may need to warm to room temperature before the wreath will come out.
Allow the wreath to dry overnight or longer if necessary. (I found it needs to be on a cooling rack to let the air circulate.)
Use several strands of raffia to form a loop to hang the wreath.

Thanks for the recipe nrusinak!
I saw these wreaths for sale this past weekend in a high end wild seed shop selling for $30.
They had included cranberries and pumpkin seeds which really made them a beauty to look at.
They had also wrapped them up in a bottomless box covered with cellophane so that you could see both sides.
Very cool but way too expensive!
ann

Hi nrusinak, I tried your recipe and it works very well. Here is my question. Does rain hurt the wreath if is hung from a tree? Should we wait until weather is below freezing to hang it? All the advice I have received is great. How do these hold up? Do the birds peck them apart? I just hung my first one but I think there is still too much food around for birds to visit. I am afraid to hang it on my door because of the possibility of bird poop on my front steps. Anyone have advice on the best location for hanging? They are very pretty and such a great idea that I would like more info. Thanks guys. vignewood

I wanted to bump this post to see if anyone has expreience with these type of wreaths, and answers to the questions posted by vignewood. I think I will make a few of these this Fall for Holiday gifts.

I am so happy to see this thread! We love feeding our birds, and this will be a fun activity with the neices and nephews! I think we'll do it in late December, when it's colder. Thanks, all!
-Donna

Hi,

I plan on trying one of these today. I'll let you know how it goes for me.

I am only using a seed mixture for the first one. I get more creative with berries, etc... on the next one if all goes well.

I saw one of these online the other day and couldn't find one in a store, then I looked on amazon and was surprised at the price!

Andrea

I'd like to make these, but if they have to keep in freezing temps how do you give as a gift? housed get pretty warm, doesn't the gelatin un-gel in a warm house? don't they fall apart before gifting? What way have you wrapped them for holiday giving?

I made 4 wreaths using the instructions from nrusinak and they came out quite well. I added some dried cranberries to the seed and let them dry for 2+ days just in case.

This is a real easy craft that makes a beautiful gift. I added a raffia bow and glued on some miniature Christmas bulbs for decoration. I'm going to give them to my best friends as Christmas gifts, as they are bird lovers like me.

Thanks nrusinak!

I plan on making several of these in the next few days for gifts. The one I did a few weeks back did really well. I plan on adding berries to these. The birds ate it up and it held up well. It is gone and some of the suet cake is still there! Great craft project.

Andrea

I have been making these for 3 years now and given them as Christmas presents. I use knox gelaten and flour mixture. Then decorate with cranberries. Everyone loves them. Any questions you can email me at todd.g@snet.net

Just a follow up. The people who rec'd these as gifts loved the idea. I have made 3 for myself and they have been loved by the birds,even the turkey's!

Andrea

someone asked about summer wreaths and I came across this recipe...

2 cups shortening or drippings Image

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup bird seed

Spread mixture around and onto wreath, and push extra nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, or any other edible into the suet mixture after it is on the wreath. It will be tacky enough to hold most small bits of food. If you are having trouble pushing the suet mixture into the wreath, simply work with it like clay, pushing the mixture in with your hands, and adding the seeds as you go.

Thank you all for your advice. Our son was killed a year ago. He loved the outdoors/nature. I have been looking for birdseed wreaths to take to the cemetary. They are all so expensive and smaller than what I wanted. Your recipes and hints look easy to do. I am going to start making some now to get the hang of it before the actual date. I'm sure the birds I am feeding at home will love them too.

all the above comments is very much usefull for me thanks

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Nrusinak
I took the liberty of modifying your recipe, not the ingredients, but the infrastructure. I live in a wooded area of New Hampshire and the squirrels and raccoons will NOT be defeated (although I have conquered theft of suet blocks).
I insert a chicken wire core into your recipe and use heavy duty zip ties off of the chicken wire. Squirrels can literally hang off of it and it will not break apart. Best part is after thoroughly cleaning/disinfecting the chicken wire core it can be reused over and over. I tried a plastic chip-n-dip style ring as my mold as the wreath is much bigger in diameter and less thick so it seems to make a better presentation. I also have made the wreaths out of solid black oil sunflower seeds. By reusing commercial suet block containers, you can also mold the seed mixture into DIY blocks. I also have made a full tree wrap-around as follows: four medium size eye bolts spaced at 12, 3, 9, and six o'clock into the tree at the same height. : long, rectangular box lined with saran wrap, chicken wire to fit bottom of box; layer of birdseed compacted onto chicken wire to make a sheet of seed. Shower pins in edge of chicken wire affix the blanket to the circumference of the tree. Happy Birding!

Cash--the chicken wire core is a GREAT idea--thanks!

Here is a great recipe that holds up well for gift giving:

Melt 1 package of gelatin in 1/2 cup of hot water over heat, stirring until clear. Add 3 Tablespoons of light corn syrup. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cups of flour to make a paste. Add paste to 4 cups of birdseed and stir well to combine - best to use your hands (careful, it might still be hot!).

Wet your hands to make the mixture easier to handle, but take care to not add too much water to the mixture or it will fall apart. Make into whatever shape you desire. Let dry on a cooling rack for two days.

I used this recipe to make bird shaped ornaments with a cookie cutter. After cutting out the bird shape, I smashed a string inside for hanging.
Enjoy!

3-4 days after I made these, and air drying them...some are already getting moldy, so can't give as gifts now...I'm feeling bad about this~

Any help would be very appreciated at

k.anvik@yahoo

I just made a bunch of birdseed wreaths for Christmas gifts and now they are molding. How can I stop that? Refrigerare them? Please help

Use a glue gun and a lot of patience. Can't wait to see it.

Mine also have mold, anything to do to stop this?

Mine broke in half outside. How can I repair it?

I read that these wreaths will mold and cause harm (avian bird flu), and death. The only thing I found was to store in the refrigerator or freezer and bring in at night and store again in ref. Or freezer. A Shepard's hook is a nice alternative to hang these if you don't have trees. I made 12 of these for gifts and had to throw them all away. If anyone has an alternative that would prevent mold, please post.

I've been making birdseed wreaths for years for gifts and have been doing craft workshops for Valentines Day the last few years. I need to find a recipe that doesn't mold so they an be made ahead of time to put in a store I'm now selling at. Any recipes that discourage mold? I'm in far Northern California in Humboldt County. The recipe I currently use is from Audubon or Garden Answer.