NCM Suggests Decorating a Holiday Tree for Your Feathered Friends

The winter season marks a time for chilly temperatures, visits from friends and family, and seasonal treats. Families can enjoy the most wonderful time of year with friends in nature, too! The National Children’s Museum offers ways to make the holidays special for the birds.

This year, dedicate a tree to your feathered friends! Hang some edible ornaments on your trees outside to help feed the little creatures in your area. You can make your own bird-friendly ornaments, wreaths, and garland. You can also slice some fresh fruit to hang for the birds to nibble on – oranges, apples, star fruit, and kiwi all work well, and look festive! Here’s what you can create easily at home:

• Peanut Strings: String shelled peanuts and wrap the garland around a tree. It will keep birds like chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, woodpeckers, and other seed-eating birds busy for weeks.
• Nut and Berry Garland: String popcorn, berries, dried fruit, nuts, or grapes together to form another edible garland. Let the popcorn sit for a day to get soft to better string. Or use raisins by taking a needle and string and creating small wreaths or long strings to hang.
• Bird Wreaths: A giant sunflower head can make a great wreath. Just remove the center, add a wire to the back, and hang it from a branch or at your bird feeding station. Add colorful fruit, millet sprays, or peanuts to the sunflower head to dress it up.
• Doughnut Décor: Get some day-old donuts, tie a string through them, and hang from a tree. Mmm!
• Fruit Slice Strings: Slice fruit, attach a string or wire, and hang from a tree. Oranges, persimmons, and apples are readily enjoyed by lots of birds.
• Pinecone and Peanut Butter Trimmings: Spread peanut butter on and into pinecones, roll in seeds, and decorate a tree.
• Suet Bag Decorations: Place suet in red mesh onion bags and hang from a tree. To extend the bags’ reach, cut them into 5-inch squares and wrap around small chunks of suet. Close with a twist tie or colorful ribbon and hang from a tree.