DIY: Bird food tree ornaments

We have always had flocks of birds around the house during winter because of our extensive feeding opportunities. We just love watching them come by, see them return every year and hear them sing. While the humans eat Christmas cookies inside why not share some love with the birds? Get out your cookie cutters and make some bird treats! This is a cute idea to not only do some good for the animals during the cold season but also decorate the empty trees outside.

What you will need:

- Coconut fat or beef tallow (if you are using tallow add about 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil)
- Bird food
- Cookie cutters
- Cutting board
- Toothpicks
- Cord

And here is how it works:

1. Put the cookie cutters onto a cutting board. 

2. Heat the coconut fat a little so that it becomes softer and workable (not too liquid though!).

3. Add the bird food to the fat and mix it well. Don’t use too much food or the cookies might crumble afterwards. 

4. Fill the mixture into the cookie cutters and poke a whole big enough for the cord with the toothpick. Make sure it’s big enough so that you can fit the cord through the whole comfortably. It is very hard to make the whole once they are hard because they will break easily. 

5. Put the cookies onto a big cutting board and leave them outside (in case it’s not freezing) for a couple of hours (best overnight). Once they are hard enough you can push them out of the cutters and pull the cord through to make little hangers. We put a little Christmas tree outside on the balcony and decorated it with the ornaments and a garland made of peanuts and dried & fresh apple slices.

Now you only have to lay low and wait for the first little bird to come pick on it! :)