Make a Fruit Garland Bird Feeder!

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My kids love to Make a Fruit Garland Bird Feeder to feed the birds and other wildlife! Most people are familiar with fruit garlands and they are so easy to make. You simply string fruit up on a string and hang it up in a tree. We added popcorn to our fruit string bird feeder to make it even more attractive to flying visitors.

Another fun way to feed the birds is with our Pine Cone Bird Feeder. It’s so easy to make even a preschooler can do it!

We added stale popcorn to our Fruit Garland Bird Feeder. You’ll want to use stale popcorn, because it tends to stay together better than fresh popcorn that breaks when you pass a needle through it. Just pop your popcorn the night before and let it stay out overnight like we did. I used a heavy thread and a needle to string our fruit up (you’ll want to tie a knot on the end so fruit doesn’t slip off). Here’s what you will need to make a Fruit Garland Bird Feeder:

Fruit Garland Bird Feeder

Supplies needed:

• heavy thread
• needle with eye large enough to pass your thread through
• fruit pieces (we used oranges, apples, whole grapes, and popcorn)

Directions:

First, you need to decide how long you want your fruit string bird feeder. About 3 feet is a minimum and will hold most children’s attention span. Cut your thread two-and-a-half times this length, double it on itself, and then thread the needle on and pass it to the opposite end. You should now have a double threaded string (this makes the fruit garland stronger for hanging). Tie a thick knot at the open end, leaving 4-6 inches of thread on the end for tying in a tree later.

Next, chop your fruit pieces into thick pieces small enough to thread, like so:

As you can see, we left our grapes whole.

Now it’s time to pass a needle through the fruit. I supervised my eight-year-old while she pressed the needle through our goodies, but your child may be able to do this step unsupervised. Alternatively, you can have younger children hand you fruit pieces and popcorn while you string the fruit on the thread.

When you get to around 4-6 inches left of string, stop and tie a knot in the thread.

Your Fruit Garland Bird Feeder is now ready to hang! Use the 4-6 inches left on each end to tie your fruit garland up in a tree or on a bush.

Enjoy watching birds and other wildlife visiting your homemade fruit string bird feeder.

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