DIY - Simple TP Tube Bird feeder

by Mimi & friends
Skill level: kids & parents can do together
Time: 10 minutes (from start to hanging)

So winter is almost at an end (YEAH).  And I've noticed the amount of little birds coming back from their winter hiatus to warmer climates and MAN, are they hungry!  The ground is still frozen a bit and the trees don't really have any buds yet.  Crucially, my youngest noticed this. He asked me if there was a way we could help them birds, maybe feed them.  So I said let me check it out, because truthfully, I didn't really want a permanent feeder hanging out in my yard (I'm sorry I can hear my grandmother's voice in my head..."Dirty Birdies"). 
So I did a little research on a temporary way to help the birds out.  Turns out there is a such a thing and it is pretty simple. I found a lot of the information about them here. They are super easy and can be done with a majority of what you already have in abundance at your house, empty toilet paper tubes! 

Let's get started!

Materials Needed:

• Peanut Butter (non chunky)
• birdseed mix
• empty toilet paper tubes
• 2 pans (9 x 13") for rolling the tubes around in 
• 2 spreading spatulas
• wet rags (it can get messy)

1) Get your kids (age 3 and up)

2) Pour birdseed mix into 9 x 13" pans

3) Make sure toilet paper tubes are cleaned up of excess toilet paper

4) Use spatula to evenly spread peanut butter all over the outside of toilet paper tube

5) Place peanut buttered TP tube in birdseed pan and roll back and forth. (Kids 2nd favorite part)

6) Once thoroughly coated with birdseed, go find a tree branch and slide it onto the branch. (Kids 1st favorite part)

Noteworthy:  

We tried to place ours where the kids could see them from inside so we could observe who ate off of the tubes and the habits of the birds.  

And you should be prepared that squirrels can & will take off with them if they can. So make a lot.  Lord know we have plenty of empty TP tubes being produced. HA!