How To Make A Mini Pumpkin Bird Feeder

How to Make a Mini Pumpkin Bird Feeder

Mini Pumpkin Bird Seed Feeder
by Grandma Pearl

This is a fun project to do when pumpkins are in season and plentiful, and it can be something your kids will enjoy helping with.  Just remember that knives are very sharp, and pumpkins can be very slippery--Be Careful!

Items needed to make mini pumpkin bird feeder
by Grandma Pearl

• A thickness of newspaper to protect your work surface
• mini pumpkin, approximately 6" tall
• pair of gloves to handle the prickly pumpkin stem
• ruler
• 3" square template (post-it notes work well because they will stick to the pumpkin while you trace around the square shape)
• permanent marker
• sharp knife
• large spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds and waxed paper to dry them on

Make a mark approx. 1-1/2" up from bottom of pumpkin.
by Grandma Pearl

1. After making sure your pumpkin is clean and dry, measure approximately 1-1/2" up for the bottom and make a mark with your permanent pen.
2. Put the bottom edge of your 3" sticky note, or other template, on that mark.
3. Trace around the template with permanent marker, and remove template.       

   

   Mark around the template and then mark an 'X' in the center of the 3" square.
   by Grandma Pearl

4. Use your marker to make an 'X' from inside corner to inside corner of the square you drew on the pumpkin.
5. Carefully insert the knife into the center of the 'X'  and cut from the middle to one corner.  Start again at the middle and cut from there to the other corner.     

   

   Cut on the 'X' marks with a sharp knife--Be Careful!
   by Grandma Pearl

6. Repeat this process for the opposite leg of the 'X'.
7. Remove the wedges of pumpkin and set aside on newspaper.
8. Repeat this step for the other side of the pumpkin     

   

   Take out the pumpkin wedges and set aside on newspaper.
   by Grandma Pearl

9. Use your spoon to scoop out the pumpkin seeds, and place on waxed paper to dry, or leave them for your birds to discover. 
10. Also scoop out some of the pumpkin from the inside bottom so you have a good spot to add bird seed.  
11. If you choose to leave the pumpkin seeds for your birds--just add a few sunflower seeds to the inside and around the outside of the pumpkin, once you have it in place on your platform or tray feeder.   

    

    Remove pumpkin wedges, and the seeds if you wish.
    by Grandma Pearl

Add your pumpkin to a tray or platform-style feeder, and fill it with sunflower bird seed.  Be patient, new things in their environment understandably make birds a little uncomfortable at first.  It won't be long before curious chickadees come to investigate.  Once the birds realize this is not a predator, they will make frequent visits to their new feeder.  

You can expect this to last at least a couple of weeks, and up to several weeks depending upon how cold the weather is.     

Curious chickadees will most likely be your first visitors.
by Grandma Pearl

Have a camera ready to snap a few pictures of your feathered friends and their new natural feeder!

Enjoy,

Grandma Pearl