Country Lifestyle Rachel's DIY Bird Seed Wreath

A Christmas Present for Our Little Friends

Waking up on a frosty morning to the birds singing outside is a sound we will never tire of. While some of our little window chappers fly south many choose to brave out the British winter alongside us. So, why not treat those hardy chicks to a festive feast by making your very own bird feeder wreath.

What you will need

450 grams of Lard 800 grams of birdseed mix 150 grams of grated mild cheddar cheese Dried Fruit for decoration (suitable for birds e.g. Cranberries, blueberries, raisins, apricots etc.) Non-stick Cooking spray Bundt Mold or Tin Saucepan Mixing bowl and wooden spoon Ribbon in your favourite festive colour

Things to Avoid in Your Wreath

Avocados Fruit Pits and Seeds Chocolate Milk

Top Tip: You can always mix in your kitchen leftovers into the wreath too! Do you have Leftover sponge cake? Dried out bread? Stale biscuits? Roasties that you made way too many of last night? Gather it all and chop it up or Crumble them into your mixture and the birds will love it.

 

Step 1: Melt the Lard on Low Heat

In your saucepan heat the lard until liquid before transferring it into your mixing bowl. This wreath can also be made with gelatine and syrup, but this lard-based wreath will give them some much needed extra fat for the cold. Step 2: Mix the Birdseed and Grated Cheese into the Lard While your lard is still liquid, quickly mix in the bird seed and grated cheese until it is all coated evenly (don’t be afraid to add more lard if your mixture is looking a little dry).

Top Tip: Cheese is a great source of fat for birds, because it is a fermented dairy product it is safe for them to eat and grating the cheese means smaller birds can have a nibble of it.

Step 2: Prepare the Bundt Tin and Plan your Decorative Front

Spray your Bundt Tin with non-stick cooking oil and place your dried fruit into your desired patterns for the front of the wreath.

Top tip: Dried cranberries, blueberries and apricots make a festive colour combination.

Step 3: Pour the Mixture into the Tin and put in Fridge

Pour the mixture into the bundt tin and over the dried fruit, press the mixture down until it is compact then put it into the fridge overnight to solidify.

Step 4: Remove from Tin and Tie on a Decorative Ribbon

The trickiest part of your bird wreath is removing it from the tin, once you are successful, take a long piece of decorative ribbon and loop it round the wreath. Line up equal measured lengths of the ribbon and tie a double knot on the wreath as this ensures the wreath is secure. On the strand of ribbon closest to the front of your wreath, you can tie another piece of ribbon near the knot and create a decorative bow.

Top Tip: Embellish your wreath with some foraged decorations such as holly for that extra bit of Christmas magic.

Step 5: Enjoy!

Tie the wreath to wherever suits your viewing pleasure such as a garden tree, a window ledge or out in your local woodland. Our DIY wreath is simple to make, so feel free to add your own creative flair to your creation. We would love it if you do, we would love it if you shared your beautiful birdseed wreaths with us on social channels with #AHumeTakeMeHome.