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Seed from birdfeeders supplements the diet of a wide variety of birds through out the year.
By decorating a grapevine wreath with millet sprays, dried sunflower heads and native berries you and your local birds can enjoy a feeder that is both functional and beautiful.
Birds of a feather will definitely flock together at this beautiful bird feeding wreath...
Materials:
Grape vine wreath
Spatter screen slightly larger than the center hole in the wreath (Kitchen supply stores)
Several lengths of cut grapevine
3 two-yard lengths of waxed twine
Organic Fresh or dried millet sprays, sunflower heads and native berries
Unsalted Peanuts, currents, raisins and shelled sunflower seeds
1 large Pinecone filled with Peanut butter Corn meal mixture
1 screw eye
Tools:
Garden sheers
Directions:
1. Cut the handle off of spatter screen with a hack saw.
2. Lay the spatter screen flat on the center opening of the wreath. Weave the cut vine pieces back and forth across the spatter screen and wreath opening through the inner edges of the wreath until the screen is snugly held in place
3. Lay wreath flat on your work surface with the screen side down. Thread each piece waxed twine through the inner edges of the wreath so three pieces of waxed twine are evenly spaced. Each piece of waxed twine should be folded in half.
4. With the two ends of each piece of twine tie a tight knot against the wreath.
5. Gather and hold all pieces of waxed twine together and centered about 18 inches above the wreath. At the 18-inch point fold the ends of the waxed twine over. Tie the folded twine bundle in an overhand knot to create the loop to hang the wreath from. If the knot is not centered above the wreath the wreath will hang crookedly.
6. Braid the ends of the waxed twine until the braid is about 8 to 10-inches long and knot the end.
7. Hang the wreath overhead so it is at a good height to work on.
8. Cut millet sprays, sunflower heads and berry branches into 10-inche lengths and poke into the vine wreath in a circular pattern. Continue until the wreath is completely decorated.
9. Pick a location for the wreath to hang, put raisins, dried currents, hulled sunflower seeds and unsalted peanuts onto the spatter screen and enjoy the show.
Resources for additional bird feeding information:
National Audubon Society
www.audubon.org