Jules

Thank you!

Thanks for the replies.

Here's a recipe I found online. I've made 4 so far and all have turned out great - much like the ones I see in the stores. These are so easy to make! I can't believe anyone would pay $20 for them. I think each one is costing me $1.50! I have flexible silicone pans, which are extremely easy to use (my advice - GET SOME!), so I'm not greasing a pan. I'm also halving the recipe, because I'm not using a bundt pan. I'm using a kougloff (French pastry) mold. It's only about 1/2 the thickness of a bundt pan. I thought the bundt was too chucky to hang on a door. Of course, you could always use a bundt and only fill it halfway. Good luck!

Birdseed Wreath

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups water
4 1/4 ounce pkgs. Knox unflavored gelatin
8 cups birdseed

Boil 1 1/2 cup water.
Empty the 4 packages of gelatin into 8 tablespoons of cold water in a large bowl. Let the gelatin sit for 1 minute.
Add the boiling water and stir for 2 to 3 minutes or until the gelatin has dissolved.
Stir 8 cups of birdseed into the gelatin, mixing thoroughly.
Let the mixture set for a few minutes, then stir again. Repeat this process a few times allowing the seed to absorb the liquid.
Spoon the mixture into a greased bundt pan and put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
Remove the wreath from the mold by inverting the pan and tapping along the bottom. The pan may need to warm to room temperature before the wreath will come out.
Allow the wreath to dry overnight or longer if necessary. (I found it needs to be on a cooling rack to let the air circulate.)
Use several strands of raffia to form a loop to hang the wreath.

I plan on trying one of these today. I'll let you know how it goes for me.

I am only using a seed mixture for the first one. I get more creative with berries, etc... on the next one if all goes well.

I saw one of these online the other day and couldn't find one in a store, then I looked on amazon and was surprised at the price!

Andrea

This is a real easy craft that makes a beautiful gift. I added a raffia bow and glued on some miniature Christmas bulbs for decoration. I'm going to give them to my best friends as Christmas gifts, as they are bird lovers like me.

Thanks nrusinak!

Andrea

Andrea

2 cups shortening or drippings Image

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup bird seed

Spread mixture around and onto wreath, and push extra nuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, or any other edible into the suet mixture after it is on the wreath. It will be tacky enough to hold most small bits of food. If you are having trouble pushing the suet mixture into the wreath, simply work with it like clay, pushing the mixture in with your hands, and adding the seeds as you go.

Add 4 cups birdseed and peanuts, fruits, berries, raisins, or anything else the birds enjoy.
Put a little water in a container which can take the heat and sprinkle
on some gelatine. Wait a few moments and if there is still some free
water, sprinkle on more gelatine.

When all the water has been absorbed by the gelatine set the container
on a sand bath on an electric or gas burner and warm it up until it
is dissolved.

If that is too thick, simply stir in some more water.

Since I generally make only small batches of glue at a time I use a
custard dish. My sand bath is just an old 8mm film can full of sand.

I take the lid off and set the container in the sand. When the glue
is liquid I turn the heat off and let it set on the hot sand while
I use it.

When I'm done I pour any remaing glue out on an old Melmac (hard
plastic) plate and let it dry. When it's dry I pop it off and store
it in a Zip Loc bag until I need some more glue. If you don't
overheat it, you can re-use the glue a few times.

Thank you.
jumi

Thanks