Seed Wreaths
By Cindy Naas
Many homes display a beautiful floral wreath on the front door, a cheerful way to greet guests and family alike.
Hanging a seed wreath can be just as attractive and will please both guests and birds, too.
Here are simple instructions for making a pretty seed wreath for your local birds.
You will need:
- 1 wire wreath form (do not use a foam form)
- fresh grapevine or Virginian creeper
- 2-3 small ears of corn
- several sprays of millet (pet stores carry these)
- sunflower seeds
- dried fruit such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, apple slices
- fresh cranberries
- about 10 small pine cones
- peanut butter
- bird seed to mix with the peanut butter
- florist’s wire
- velvet ribbon for hanging
Cover the wreath form with grape leaves. Wrap overlapping circles, tucking in the ends. If there are still grapes on the vines, even better, but plain vines will work nicely too.
After your form is covered, begin wrapping millet sprays around the form, allowing some to hang down. Secure millet with florist’s wire.
String sunflower seeds and cranberries on dental floss, and use these ropes of seeds and berries to twine throughout the vines. You can create strings of just seeds and then just berries, or you can alternate both on one strand. Be creative!
Add pieces of dried fruit, attaching with florist’s wire. The birds will especially go for the dried apple, and dried cherries if you have them.
Mix bird seed with peanut butter, smear into the pine cones, and attach with wire.
You can also gather local grasses with seeds, berries from native plants and add these to your wreath. The more you vary the kinds of seeds and fruits, the more different species of birds you will attract.
Watching birds hang onto your wreath is fun for your children (and indoor cats!). Take time to enjoy this when you hang it up, because it won’t last long. The birds will find it quickly and empty it, so this is a fleeting pleasure.
