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Holiday decorating can be great fun indoors and outdoors. This year, how about going beyond the traditional strings of lights and create some decorations that share the seasonal spirit with the local birds? Here are some charming and simple decorations you can make:
Edible orange ornaments.
For each ornament, you will need: One orange, long twist tie, and birdseed.
(1) Place the orange on your cutting board with the stem end facing up. Beginning cutting down from the top, as if you are cutting the orange in half, but make slice only half-way through orange. Then cut in from the side and remove this quarter section. Set this quarter aside to dry - it will be used for a different decoration.
(2) Hollow out the lower quarter of the orange, making a little cup to fill with seeds.
(3) Poke two holes through top of orange skin with kitchen skewer. Run twist tie down into one hole and up out the other. Twist ends to make a loop hanger.
(4) Fill the orange with seeds, and hang outside on a bare branch. You may want to add a festive outdoor ribbon bow to top of orange ornament.
Edible garland.
This is great for small pines and shrubs.
You will need: Popcorn, raw peanuts, cranberries, and dried fruits.
Using thin sharp needle and monofilament thread, string popcorn and fruit. It is better to make fairly short pieces of garland, not over two feet long, rather than trying to string long pieces. Be certain garland is securely fastened to bushes so birds do not carry off the thread or become entangled. I tie the end of short pieces to the branches and then secure them in several places along the string with twist ties. Again, you may want to add bright outdoor ribbon bows to the branches where short pieces of garland join.
Traditional Pine Cone Goodies
For each ornament, you will need: Large pine cone, peanut butter, bird seed, two twist ties, dried orange quarter left from orange ornaments, bright outdoor ribbon bows.
Use twist tie to attach orange to bottom (pointy end) of pinecone. Allow the orange quarter to "dangle" a bit to make a teardrop decoration. Smear pinecone with peanut butter and roll in birdseed. Coat pine cone thoroughly. Use second twist tie to secure pinecone ornament to bare branch. Decorate top of ornament with bow.
Recycled Candy Cane
You will need: One of the large clear plastic candy canes that come filled with candy and have a bright red hooked end. (You don't need the candy.) Birdseed.
Fill the candy cane with birdseed. Hot glue the hooked cap piece in place; you may want to add a bright bow where the red cap meets the seed-filled cane. Make ½ inch slashes in the clear plastic with an X-Acto knive, this will allow birds to get at the seeds. Hang candy cane decoration on a tree that has plenty of small branches to allow birds access to the seeds.
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