Easy DIY Pinecone Bird Feeders

This project is a fun craft and creative way to feed the critters in your backyard. Kids will love making these DIY pinecone bird feeders using peanut butter and any type of birdseed.

We live a few minutes outside of town, and our neighborhood feels a bit like country living (even though we live 10 minutes from Walmart). We have lots of trees with birds and squirrels living in them. My kids enjoyed making DIY pinecone bird feeders using some of the pinecones they picked up off the ground. After just a few days, our backyard birds have picked almost all the birdseed off of them. Here’s how you can make these pinecone bird feeders yourself!

Pinecone Bird Feeder Materials

large pinecones
peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
string or ribbon
birdseed

To make DIY pinecone bird feeders, first select a few large pinecones that are in good condition. These pinecones will be the base of each bird feeder. Tie a loop of string or ribbon around the top of each pinecone so you can hang it up.

Next, spread each pinecone with a layer of peanut butter. The thicker the peanut butter is, the more the birdseed will stick.

Finally, roll each pinecone in loose birdseed.

It took my kids a few minutes to spread their pinecones with peanut butter. I had them work on little plates and use a butter knife to spread the peanut butter.

Creative Kids Project

Making pinecone bird feeders is a great afternoon kids project. We did this craft as part of our homeschool routine.

We have a lot of wildlife in our backyard, and it’s fun to find simple ways to feed our critters. Since birdseed is intended for birds, these pinecone bird feeders are a natural way to creatively feed them!

The peanut butter will harden over time and effectively hold the birdseed in place. When the birds started eating the birdseed off these pinecone bird feeders, I noticed they left a lot of the peanut butter behind.

Backyard Bird Watching

When your pinecone bird feeders are finished, use the loops of ribbon or string to hang them up on tree branches. After we did this project, my kids enjoyed watching to see if any birds were going to come. Making backyard bird feeders is a great way to teach kids about preserving the environment and feeding wildlife appropriate foods. Having a bird feeder in your backyard is also a fun way to enjoy bird watching.

The mix of birdseed we used had a lot of large seeds. I’d like to try this project again using the smaller seed variety, which I think would go on more densely. Nevertheless, the birds in our backyard have been visiting our pinecone bird feeders for a snack.

Pinecone Bird Feeder Tips

Choose large pinecones that will hold a lot of peanut butter and bird seed.
Tie loops of string onto the pinecones first. It’s harder to tie on the string once the pinecones are covered with peanut butter.
Spread a generous layer of peanut butter onto each pinecone. The more peanut butter, the better the birdseed will stick.
Finer birdseed may stick on the pinecone more densely than birdseed with larger seeds.
Have fun! There’s no wrong way to make these!

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Katie Wallace

Hi, I’m Katie! I live with my husband and 4 kids in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. I love Jesus, coffee, creative projects, photography, and traveling. I’ve previously worked as a web designer, journalist, and barista. I hope you enjoy our creative projects and family adventures!