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How to Make a Bird Seed Wreath
By: Julie Day 
Bird seed wreaths are easy to make and make great gifts
This holidays season, give a gift that’s sure to please both human and feathered friends alike! A bird seed wreath is an easy, fun project that makes a great gift. It’s a perfect project to do with kids, and there’s no limit to the possibilities of designs and colors. Here’s how.
Ingredients for Bird Seed Wreath
For a bundt-pan sized bird seed wreath, you’ll need:
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1 package unflavored gelatin
- 4 cups bird food (such as seeds, peanuts, berries, dried fruits)
- Bundt pan or other mold
- Nonstick cooking spray
If you don’t have a mold, shape the mixture by hand onto a piece of waxed paper or a cookie sheet.
How to Make the Bird Seed Wreath
Step 1: Mix Up Edible Glue
Stir the gelatin into the warm water until dissolved. Whisk in the corn syrup and flour. Stir well, until there are no more lumps. It will make a thick gooey paste.
Step 2: Stir in Bird Seed
Mix the seeds with the paste in a large bowl, using a spatula to stir and fold until all of the seeds are coated and the edible glue is distributed. The mixture will start getting very sticky. Make sure it’s well mixed to keep the wreath from falling apart.
Step 3: Mold Wreath
Spray the bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Using the spatula, press the seed mixture into the bundt pan. Be sure to press the mixture down firmly until it’s well packed and even. Set the pan aside overnight. The mixture will harden and turn white, and the surface will be firm and dry when it’s ready. Test by pressing gently on the surface, and allow more setting time if it’s at all soft.
Step 4: Add Finishing Touches
Once the wreath is hard, gently remove it from the mold by turning it upside down onto a plate. Tie ribbons, garnish with sprigs of greenery or berries, and hang it for the birds to enjoy!
Other Bird Seed Ideas
Once you get the hang of making the edible glue, there’s no end to possibilities:
- Make up some pretty seed combinations. For example, dried red cranberries with white safflower seed, or black sunflower seeds dotted with fresh blueberries.
- Line the bottom of the mold with berries or fruits in a pretty pattern. Carefully spread the seed mixture onto it to press the fruits into your wreath.
- Create “edible ornaments” using muffin pans, cookie cutters, or free-form shapes.
- Use a flower pot to mold bird seed bells. Tie a knot in a piece of ribbon, and thread it through the drainage hole in the pot. Add the seed mixture to the pot, making sure the knot is firmly imbedded in the glue mixture.
Flower-pot bell
Please Leave a Comment
9 Comments on “How to Make a Bird Seed Wreath”
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December 20th, 2010 at 1:19 pm
I just made this for a Christmas gift. I had some old peanuts in the shell that I shelled and used for half the recipe and the other half mixed birdseed. It was a good way to use the peanuts and not have to waste them. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Julie Day Says:December 21st, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Sounds pretty! These make great gifts. And the birds and squirrels love it – I made the one for the article photos last week, and it had birds on it by the next morning and is now munched to oblivion.
April 12th, 2011 at 4:23 pm
I made the wreath and the recipe worked like a charm. This wreath can tolerate warm weather, too.
July 1st, 2011 at 10:10 am
I made a wreath with a bundt pan. I let it sit for about 24 hrs and it felt hard. I hung it in the tree and within a few minutes had a chickadee on it. When I looked again it had fallen to the ground like it split in half. What did I do wrong? Anyone had this happen and found the fix? I don’t know if I didn’t let it sit long enough or maybe didn’t mix the ‘glue’ enough?
Will be trying again…
Julie Day Says:July 21st, 2011 at 8:28 am
JC, if you made the wreath in July, my guess is that the heat softened the gelatin, which made the glue fall apart. They work better in cool weather as a holiday treat.
December 7th, 2011 at 10:15 pm
I want to make some of these for Christmas gifts this year. Should they be kept in the fridge if they will not be used right away? Also, do you think they could be shipped? Anybody ever used food coloring in the recipe?
Julie Day Says:December 8th, 2011 at 11:54 am
Connie, they should stay hard at room temperature, but if you’re going to store them for a while, it wouldn’t hurt to keep them in the fridge or a cool garage. I imagine they could be shipped if they’re well-padded – you might want to wrap them in plastic to keep the seeds from rubbing off against the packing material. I haven’t tried coloring them, but be sure to use a natural (rather than chemical) food dye, to keep it bird-safe. Good luck!
January 7th, 2012 at 3:52 pm
OOOH, how sweet and cute – I love your ideas for making seed bells and wreaths and I am now anxious to get started and try and make some myself for my rosella’s and cockatiels and quails that I own. I spend a lot of time inside my outdoor avery with them, trying to spoil them in different ways with little treats.
I do have one question though! My birds really love their apples and mangos when I treat them with it, can I add these to the seed bell mixture as well?
Thankyou so much.
Julie Day Says:January 8th, 2012 at 10:20 am
Leila, I’ve never tried putting fresh fruit in these, but I’d definitely give it a try, especially to the smaller bells that’ll get eaten faster. If they spoil too fast, you could always substitute dried fruit!