Bird Seed Ornaments: Attempt #1

On Friday night I decided to make birdseed ornaments, using cookie cutters as forms, as a gift to some friends this year. I hopped on Pinterest and looked around for a recipe. Here's the one I decided to use as I found it in several places:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp. corn syrup
4 cups birdseed

The recipe stated to mix it all up and press firmly into molds, being sure to use a straw to poke holes in them. Sure. Simple. mmhmmm...

Mistake#1:  I didn't have corn syrup, so I searched for a substitute online and made simple syrup. NOT equivalent. I am assuming this is why The Issue occurred, but I cannot be sure.

Mistake #2:  I used my hands. The recipe also stated that the ornaments would have to 'set' for several hours. I read this to mean that I had some time before the Knox gelatin 'set.' Thinking this, I mixed it with my hands, which worked AWESOME and the mixture was perfect in 30 seconds. The problem? The seeds would not come off my hands - had to stop and wash with dish soap for about 5 minutes.

Mistake #3:  I had such a mess because I used my hands and the mixture was setting so quickly that I grabbed a small bundt cake/mold pan, sprayed it quick and filled it up with the remaining seed mixture. The next day, the seed would not come out without help of a knife and it all broke in half. Use lots of cooking spray if you use a mold.

Here's what I had at around 11:30 pm...

I was pretty happy, even with the seedy hands. I had remembered to line the sheet with wax paper and didn't really have much wasted seed, besides what I had to wash down the drain due to my hand-mixing fiasco.

So, following instructions, I put them outside in the freezing temps to 'set' overnight - this was said to give the best results and, of course, I wanted only the best results.

The Issue: Next day, the first one (I chose a round one) popped right out of the mold and I was thrilled! I tied a wide ribbon through and hung it on the display on the front porch. Literally 3 seconds later, it broke.

Not wanting all of my ornaments to break at the hanging point, I decided to just leave the cookie cutters intact and hang them, cookie cutter and all. Here is what I have on my front porch 2 days later:


A fat squirrel hauled away both sections of the busted bundt seed wreath and has not yet destroyed the rest of my work. I never got to give away my seed ornaments (from this batch, anyway) because I did not want to lose my few tin cookie cutters.

I need to go buy some corn syrup to give this another proper try, but I have to say that I love the look of the cookie cutters left on - gives a little sparkle.

You are supposed to keep these ornaments out of the rain as that will break down all of the stuff that keeps them stuck together. This display is on the south side of my front porch, so it's as protected an area as I have available. I lay the broken circle ornament on the pine boughs. Birds really don't care about 'best results.' We can certainly take a lesson from them. An offering is an offering, no matter how small or imperfect.

UPDATE: Day 3 - the squirrel took all of these, including my cookie cutters - I got home after dark & found only one. Thanks, rodent.

Back in the Saddle!

Hi, there! It's been quite a year, let me tell you! I've had three surgeries, the first of which was last November (2011) and then one in March ('12) and one in April ('12). Though I tried to get back to being my DIY girl self, it has been over a year since I have been able to do much along those enjoyable lines due to residual and new pain and staying afloat with my work. Well, I am happy to say that things are slowly and steadily changing for the better! Thank goodness I have a wonderful family and a few awesome friends that have helped me through it all. I almost feel like myself again.

Here's a ten minute project that I did tonight. Tired of losing my to-do list on my desk (under other papers and pads), I created this little beauty:

I took out the unwanted photograph and used the frame's cardboard oval to cut out the proper shape of paper. I wrote, "Today:" on top, and re-framed it all. When I put it on my desk tomorrow, I'll tie on a cute ribbon (to the top of stand portion) which I will tie around a fine point dry erase marker. No more paper (or lost marker), no more buried to-do list, and a happier, more productive me!

Frame your to-do list and share your results!

Tips for this project:

Pick a frame that isn't too small and isn't too heavy - this one held a 5x7 and is made of thin metal - the glass is the heaviest part. You could replace glass with plexi, but the point here is to save-reuse-share, so I kept my glass intact.You could also put in a piece of clear acrylic from some left-over packaging that you have around the house - clear boxes, etc.

There are some cork projects that I will soon be sharing with you, too.

Because I am so proud, I want to share that my class and me wrote personal messages in 1,364 Christmas cards that were sent to Holiday Mail for Heroes this year. Last year our number was almost 700 and the year before that 588, so I could not be happier for their volunteerism for such a wonderful cause! Please watch the video and get  involved next year! Here's a picture from our half-way point: