DIY Pinecone Bird Feeders: An Easy Fall Craft That Brings Birds to Your Garden
Some crafts end up in a drawer. This one ends up hanging in a tree, covered in finches. Pinecone bird feeders are one of my favorite fall projects because they are cheap, fast, kid-friendly, and they actually do something useful when you are done. You roll a pinecone in something sticky, coat it in birdseed, hang it from a branch, and within a day or two you have a little crowd of feathered visitors in the garden.
Fall is the perfect time to make them in Arizona. The weather is finally cool enough that the sticky coating stays put, winter birds are starting to arrive, and pinecones are easy to find. Below I cover the materials (including a nut-free option for schools and allergy households), step-by-step instructions, which Arizona birds you are likely to see, where and how to hang feeders so heat, ants, and germs do not become a problem, tips for making this with kids, and a few fun variations.
Why Pinecone Feeders Are Worth Making
Birds are some of the best garden helpers you can have. Many of the same species that visit seed feeders also eat insects, especially when they are raising young in spring. A few feeders in fall and winter draw birds into your yard, and once they know it as a safe spot with food, water, and cover, they tend to stick around and keep working on aphids, caterpillars, and other pests.
Pinecone feeders are also a gentle introduction to bird feeding. You do not need to buy a fancy feeder or commit to filling one every day. Each pinecone is a small, temporary snack, and when it is picked clean, you can make another or move on. They also make great gifts. A little bag of three seed-covered pinecones tied with twine is a sweet holiday present for a neighbor or teacher.
If you like making things for the birds, our DIY gourd birdhouse project (https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/diy-gourd-birdhouse) is a nice next step, giving nesting birds a place to raise their families come spring.
Materials You Will Need
Most of this is probably already in your kitchen or garage.
Pinecones. Bigger, open cones with lots of space between the scales hold the most seed. Collect fallen cones from a park, the high country, or your own yard, or buy natural, unscented cones at a craft store. Skip cones sprayed with cinnamon oil or glitter.
A sticky spread. Classic recipes use peanut butter. For a nut-free version, use sunflower seed butter or plain solid vegetable shortening. More on these choices below.
Birdseed. A wild bird mix with black oil sunflower seed, white proso millet, and nyjer (thistle) seed attracts a wide range of birds. Black oil sunflower seed alone is also a great choice.
Twine, jute, or cotton string for hanging. Natural fibers are safer for birds than thin fishing line or plastic ribbon.
A butter knife or spoon for spreading.
A shallow tray, baking sheet, or pie pan to hold the seed.
Optional extras: cornmeal or quick oats to thicken the spread, dried unsweetened cranberries, raisins, or unsalted chopped peanuts (for the nut version only).
Choosing a Spread (Including Nut-Free Options)
Peanut butter is cheap and sticky, and birds love it. Look for natural peanut butter with no added sugar, salt, or xylitol, and avoid anything labeled "reduced fat" that has a lot of extra additives. Do not use flavored spreads.
If you are making these at school, in a classroom party, or in a house with peanut allergies, go nut-free. Sunflower seed butter works almost exactly like peanut butter and smells like what the birds are already eating. Plain vegetable shortening is another option. It is very sticky and holds seed well. Some people also use rendered suet or lard, melted and mixed with seed, which makes a sturdier, longer-lasting coating in cold weather.
Mixing a spoonful or two of cornmeal or quick oats into whatever spread you choose makes it less greasy and easier for little hands to work with. It also helps the coating hold up a little better when temperatures rise.
Step-by-Step: How to Make Pinecone Bird Feeders
Prep the pinecones. Brush off dirt and loose bits. If cones were collected outside, you can bake them on a foil-lined sheet at a low oven temperature for a little while to dry them and drive out any bugs. Let them cool completely.
Tie on the hanger first. Cut a piece of twine about 18 inches long. Wrap one end tightly around the top few rows of scales near the stem and knot it securely. Doing this first keeps your hands clean later.
Set up your seed tray. Pour about an inch of birdseed into a shallow tray or pie pan.
Spread the coating. Hold the pinecone by the twine and use a butter knife or spoon to press your spread into the gaps between the scales. Cover the outside, but you do not need a thick layer. A thin, even coat holds seed best.
Roll in seed. Roll the pinecone around in the tray, pressing gently so seeds stick into the spread. Use your fingers to sprinkle seed into any bare spots.
Chill to set. Lay the feeders on a sheet of wax paper and pop them into the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour. This firms up the coating so it is less messy to hang.
Hang them outside. Tie the twine to a branch, hook, or shepherd's crook, and wait for visitors.
Arizona Birds You Might See
The birds that show up depend on where you live and the time of year. Here are some likely visitors.
Low desert (Phoenix, Tucson, and nearby areas). Lesser goldfinches and house finches are often first on the scene. In winter, white-crowned sparrows arrive in flocks and forage on and below feeders. Gila woodpeckers and verdins may poke at a peanut butter or suet feeder, and curve-billed thrashers, Abert's towhees, and cactus wrens will check out spilled seed on the ground. Mourning doves and Inca doves clean up below.
Mid elevations and high country (Prescott, Payson, Flagstaff, and the White Mountains). Look for dark-eyed juncos in winter, mountain chickadees, white-breasted nuthatches, and pine siskins. Steller's jays and western scrub-jays may try to steal the whole pinecone, and woodpeckers will happily work on a suet-based coating.
A simple field guide or a free bird ID app makes it a lot more fun, especially with kids. Keep a list of who visits and when.
Where and How to Hang Your Feeders
Placement matters more than people think, and in Arizona it is worth thinking about heat, ants, and predators.
Pick a shady spot. Even in fall, afternoon sun in the low desert can soften peanut butter and shortening. A branch in dappled shade or on the north or east side of a tree keeps the coating from melting and dripping.
Make it a cool-season project. In the low desert, these feeders work best from about late October through March. Once days are consistently hot, the spread gets runny and can spoil. In summer, switch to a regular seed feeder instead.
Stop the ants. Ants find peanut butter fast. Hang feeders from a thin branch rather than against the trunk, keep them away from walls, and consider an ant moat (a small water cup on the hanger above the feeder).
Think about cats. Hang feeders at least five feet off the ground and several feet away from shrubs where cats can hide.
Avoid window crashes. Place feeders either very close to windows (within about three feet) or well away (more than 30 feet). The in-between distance is where birds can build up speed and hit the glass.
Add water. A shallow birdbath nearby is a huge draw in the desert. Keep it clean and refilled.
Keep It Clean: Bird Feeder Hygiene
When lots of birds gather in one spot, diseases can spread. House finches in particular are prone to an eye infection that passes easily at crowded feeders, and spoiled food can grow mold and bacteria.
Replace feeders every week or two, or sooner if they look moldy, wet, or rancid.
Take down picked-clean cones and either toss them or wash and dry them for reuse.
Rake up spilled seed and hulls under the feeding area regularly.
Wash your hands after making, handling, or cleaning up feeders.
If you notice sick birds (puffy, lethargic, or with crusty eyes), take feeders down for a couple of weeks so birds disperse.
Those small habits keep your garden a healthy place for birds.
Tips for Making These with Kids
This is one of the best garden crafts for kids because it is a little messy, very hands-on, and the payoff is real birds.
Do the twine first so kids are not trying to tie knots with sticky fingers.
Use a craft stick for spreading. It is easier for little hands than a knife.
Set up an assembly line: one tray for spreading, one for seed, and one wax-paper tray for finished feeders.
Lay down newspaper or work outside on a patio table to keep cleanup easy.
Go nut-free for classrooms, parties, and playdates.
Make a bird log. Give each child a notebook to sketch and record birds that visit their feeder.
Fun Variations to Try
Once you have the basic version down, try mixing it up.
Seed ornaments. Mix birdseed with plain gelatin dissolved in hot water, pack it into cookie cutters, push a straw through the top for a hanging hole, and let set overnight.
Fruit-studded cones. Press dried unsweetened cranberries or raisins into the coating for color and extra energy.
Orange cup feeders. Scoop out half an orange, fill it with seed, and hang it with twine. Pair it with a dried citrus garland (https://www.greenthumbhobbies.com/post/diy-dried-citrus-garland) for a festive tree.
Suet-style cones. Mix melted suet or shortening with seed and cornmeal, then dip and roll for a sturdier winter feeder in the high country.
Garden-grown seed. If you grow sunflowers, save the heads, dry them, and use the seeds in next year's feeders.
Final Thoughts
Pinecone bird feeders are proof that the best garden projects do not have to be complicated. A few pinecones, some seed butter, a pile of birdseed, and some twine are all it takes to bring finches, sparrows, and woodpeckers into your yard this fall. Make a batch this weekend, hang them in a shady spot, keep them fresh and clean, and enjoy the show from your kitchen window.
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