Junk Project: Orange Bird Feeder

So, this is the project I set out to conquer before getting distracted by my Sixteen Uses for Baked Orange Cup. I had to come up with something for that smaller half I accidentally created. It was too cute to waste. Had I cut the orange evenly, I could have had two bird feeders.

I was inspired to make the orange bird feeder from a recipe in Home Made by Alexa Lett. I had to make a few substitutions. She recommended setting grapefruits or oranges outside after cutting so that they could dry. That’s great if you have sunny, hot weather and low humidity, but I went with baked oranges because I’m impatient and bad (for using electricity). See my Very Versatile Baked Orange Cup for a recipe on baking orange cups.

What else — I used a lacing needle to make the orange holes instead of the ice pick, and I used kitchen string instead of the jute she recommended, but that was only because I didn’t have any jute. Also, I decided to spice up my bird feeder with a charm from a Burt’s Bees gift package I received at Christmas. The other decoration in the photo is a lapel pin I had. If you decide to decorate with a pin like that, remove the needle and use glue, or make extra sure you’ve fastened the back very well. You don’t want to traumatize any birdies!

What you need:
Orange or grapefruit
Sunny day with low humidity or oven with baked orange recipe
Jute or kitchen string
Lacing needle or something else to puncture the orange for tying

•J After you’ve baked or dried your precut, defleshed orange halves, simply poke holes with a kitchen lacing needle or ice pick, then tie it up for the birds.

The problem: I’m not sure the author of Home Made considered that dried oranges shouldn’t get wet. They aren’t like the wicked witch — no melting instantly. However, they will get soft and rot if repeatedly exposed to rain. So, as cute as it looks outside, I’d put it in a covered area like a patio or balcony if you want it to last. Even if this project isn’t totally practical, it would still be fun to complete with a child. And, what else are you going to do with the orange peeling?

(Images taken by Peggy Rowland.)