ADVENT DAY 18: BIRDSEED CHRISTMAS TREE NEIGHBOR GIFTS

We found these darling ice cream cone Christmas tree bird feeders (say that five times, fast) on Pinterest a few years ago and love putting them together each year! They make wonderful gifts, and we are excited to drop ours off on neighbors’ porches during our Christmas Eve hike tomorrow. We wrapped them in a plastic treat bag, tied a simple greeting and instructions on with a twine bow, and included a peanut warning, just to be extra safe! I think paper bags would be a better environmental choice, but since we are leaving these on porches outside (distanced giving), we wanted to give them the best shot at staying intact.⠀⠀

To make these bird houses you will need:⠀⠀
— sugar cones⠀⠀
— peanut butter, we find the smooth, non-organic works best⠀⠀
— Cheerios (they’re like little ornaments!)⠀⠀
— birdseed ⠀⠀
— twine or cording, to hang the finished ornament ⠀⠀

Prep your cones ahead of time— trust me, if you have busy kids, this will be critical to your success and maintaining sanity! I cut my cording pieces to length, fold each in half, and tie a knot at the folded end, so that the two arms of the cord could be fed through the hole in the cone and then easily tied onto a branch. Next bite off the tip of the sugar cones (bonus snack!), and feed the two ends of your cording through from the bottom until you reach the knot. You may need to use a skewer to guide them through. Once all your cones are prepared, set up sheet pans for your kids with piles of Cheerios and birdseed. We found that it worked best for me to slather the peanut butter, and the kids do the decorating. (Please note how Isla is holding the cone in the first picture— using two fingers like a peace sign inside the cone is a great way to hold it steady and not get super messy) Once the peanut butter is applied in a smooth layer, press the Cheerios all around the tree, and then roll in birdseed, carefully packing the seeds around the cones with your hands. Or if you are Cole, skip all above steps and simply eat the Cheerios!⠀

Voila! Darling ice cream cone Christmas tree bird feeders! Hang them in a place where you can watch the birds and critters enjoy!