As an avid bird watcher and nature lover, I’m always looking for new ways to attract beautiful birds to my backyard. One of my favorite methods is creating homemade seed balls that provide birds with a nutritious treat while bringing some hands-on creativity to my gardening If you want to make your outdoor space more bird-friendly, try your hand at crafting seed balls! In this guide, I’ll walk you through the simple step-by-step process
What Are Seed Balls?
Bird seed is rolled into balls, which are sometimes called “birdie bread.” These balls are held together with a glue-like substance. You can put the balls in your yard instead of filling up a traditional bird feeder to give birds a place to eat. The ingredients also include a fat source to give birds the energy they need. Seed balls are good for birds and add a fun touch to your garden.
Benefits of Seed Balls
There are many advantages to making DIY seed balls for your feathered visitors:
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Creative project – Making seed balls is a fun, hands-on activity for crafty types and kids.
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Nutrition: Depending on the season, you can change the ingredients to give the birds what they need.
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Convenience – Seed balls are easy to hang around your yard and don’t require a feeder.
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Cost savings – Making them at home is very budget-friendly compared to store-bought mixes.
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Supports birds – Seed balls attract various species, contributing to your local ecosystem.
What You’ll Need
Gather these ingredients and tools to make your own seed balls:
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1 cup of bird seed mix—try millet, safflower seeds, cracked corn, black oil sunflower seeds, and more. Mix and match favorites!.
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1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter – Adds healthy fat plus sticking power.
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1/4 cup flour – Helps bind everything together.
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1/4 cup cornmeal – Aids in tightening the mixture.
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1/4 cup quick oats – Further binding support.
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Mixing bowl, spoon, baking sheet, parchment paper or wax paper, and a skewer or twig.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps to whip up your own seed balls:
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In a mixing bowl, blend together the dry ingredients – birdseed, flour, cornmeal, and oats. Break apart any clumps.
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Add the peanut butter on top and using a spoon, mix thoroughly until a sticky, uniform dough forms.
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Lightly flour your hands then divide the mixture into golf ball-sized pieces and roll into compact balls.
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Place balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and insert a skewer into the top of each.
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Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until hardened then remove skewers. Your seed balls are ready for hanging!
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Hang balls from tree branches, fences, posts, or hooks around your yard – anywhere birds can easily access them.
That simple to make a batch of healthy seed balls for your feathered friends. Do some crafting and birdwatching with the whole family in the afternoon. Birds like chickadees, nuthatches, jays, woodpeckers, doves, grosbeaks, and more come to home-made seed balls. Enjoy seeing your new guests eat their tasty birdseed treats! Change the ingredients with the seasons to give birds exactly what they need.
Handy Tips for Seed Ball Success
Follow these tips for making stellar seed balls every time:
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Vary the birdseed to target different species – nuts for woodpeckers, millet for sparrows, safflower for cardinals, etc.
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Substitute the peanut butter for suet or bacon fat in colder months when birds need more fat.
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Add dried fruit, berries, mealworms, oats, or chopped peanuts for extra nutrition.
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For best results, use a 50/50 ratio of birdseed to binding ingredients.
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Form balls of consistent size and shape for even drying and hanging.
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Make lots of extra seed balls ahead of time and store in the freezer.
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Consider fun shaped cookie cutters when forming balls for seasonal varieties.
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Hang balls in open spaces near trees or shrubs for easy access and protection.
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Monitor balls and replace them frequently to avoid spoilage.
With a bit of creativity and a simple process, you can easily craft nutritious seed balls that will have birds flocking to your yard. Try customizing recipes and ingredients to make each batch unique. Homemade seed balls are a rewarding way to support local bird populations while enjoying a fun outdoor craft. So grab your supplies and get rolling – your feathered friends will thank you!
Step 4: remove the yoghurt pots
Let your fat balls set in the fridge overnight. The next morning, cut through the pot and peel it off. Tie a big knot at one end of the twine to secure the ball.
Step 1: mix the ingredients
The best ratio for this fat ball recipe is one part fat to two parts dry mixture. Mix all your dry ingredients together in a bowl.
How to make Supa-quick delish seed balls
FAQ
How to make homemade bird seed balls?
Combine one ounce of unflavored gelatin and cup of water in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Then add 1 cups of any combination of seeds the birds in your yard enjoy. Try half and half black oil sunflower and safflower seeds. Mix well, until all seeds are coated with gelatin.
What is one of the ingredients used to make seed balls?
What you’ll need to make Seed Balls2 parts sieved compost2 parts clay — if you don’t have any clay in your area, you can use regular artists claySeeds — we used Good Bug Mix from Green HarvestWater — as much as is needed.
What can you use to hold bird seed together?
Don’t have any corn syrup on hand? Use peanut butter instead! Equal parts peanut butter and flour will create a sticky substrate for your birdseed to bind to. This combination of ingredients will also allow you to skip the chilling step that gelatin requires.
Can birdseed be used as seed balls?
Still, you can give your bird the bird food in other ways, like by making seed balls. The traditional birdseed balls are usually mixed with lard as the primary ingredients, along with the others, to make nutritious seed balls for the bird. However, is there any alternative for lard as the fatty catalyst in making seed balls?.
How do you make bird seed balls?
Warm the suet like before and add the peanut butter. Add the bird seed, rolled oats and cornmeal and mix well until combined. Place the mixture in the fridge to set a little. Once the mixture is workable, shape into balls. Put the balls into the fridge again until they’re firm. Hang the seed balls outside and watch the birds having some fun.
Can you make bird seed balls with lard?
Lard is animal fat that is extracted from pork. It is a popular fatty ingredient for making seed balls for birds but for this article, we will give you bird seed balls recipes using alternative ingredients other than lard. Ingredients Tip: the ratio of suet to the bird seeds should be 1:2.
How to feed birds with seed balls?
You can put the seed balls on the bird feeder and go straight to where the birds are to feed them. Wait for the birds to consume everything before properly replenishing it with the other seed balls. Recipe No. 2 The next recipe is again will be using suet instead of the traditional lard as the source of fat.
How to make bird seed balls with vegetable suet & bird seeds?
The first recipe uses vegetable suet as the primary source of fat of the seed balls. It also needs bird seeds as the other ingredient. You will also need a cooking pan, mixing bowl, and stirring spoon for this recipe. The quantity of the ingredients will depend on you, but it should be one part vegetable suet and two parts bird seeds.
Can you put birdseed in a bird feeder?
But most of the birders just buy bird seeds and put them directly into the bird feeder. However, there are other ways to present the birdseed to your bird, such as making it as seed balls. The main ingredient in traditional birdseed balls is usually lard, which is mixed with the other ingredients to make healthy seed balls for birds.