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Holiday Nature Tree
Use your creativity to treat your feathered friends to a festive feast. By using a variety of dried fruits, nuts, seeds and nesting materials you can create an inviting holiday banquet the birds can’t resist.
 SUPPLIES
- Artificial or real Christmas tree [any size]
- Flower pot, small clay saucers,
- Colorful craft paints and paint brush or spray paints
- Serving tray or platter
- Burlap or muslin
- Rocks
- Floral moss, floral straw, raffia
- Colorful yarn pieces, curly doll hair
- Craft bugs, birds and accessories
- Bird seed, nuts, fruit and peelings
- Clean egg shells and peanut butter
- Cuttings of fresh ivy or grape vines
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 STEP 1
Gather supplies for project. Craft Christmas trees and pots can often be purchased at dollar stores. These were. The size will depend on you. Paint pot and clay saucers with a colorful holiday color with craft patio paints or spray paint. Spread out the limbs of the tree. Place the tree snugly into the pot.
STEP 2
Place wads of burlap inside the pot around the base of the tree and add rocks on top of the burlap as needed to hold down the tree. Add moss around the burlap to create a cozy nest. Tuck in a generous amount of moss and straw in between all the limbs of your tree as this will grab and hold your fruit peelings. Now add your colorful fruit peelings also tucking them in between the limbs.
STEP 3
Decorate your tree by using raffia, yarn, doll hair and any other creative nesting materials that you may have on hand. Remember to keep these supplies in string pieces so the birds can easily pull them off the tree. Think in terms of colorful and natural. Complete your tree by adding any of your craft accessories for a festive look.
STEP 4
Be creative in decorating the feeding tray that the pot will set on. Spread moss over the tray then add your saucers tucking them into the moss. Add your plant cuttings around the base of the pot. Fill your saucers with seed, fruit, nuts or whatever special treat you have prepared. Put peanut butter into the egg shells then add birdseed on top. Make bowls of fruit by cutting fruit in half and digging out the fruit and cutting it up. Then place it back in into the fruit shells. Place the finished project in a protected area such as on a porch, patio or courtyard. It needs to be protected from severe weather but where the birds can still get to it. Be sure and restock your bird banquet on a regular basis.
Have your camera ready as the birds feast on your tree!
 TEACHER TIPS:
This project can be done as individual projects or as a large class project. This project cost me $2.50 as I used supplies that I already had. Even a large tree could be very cost effective if all of the students would bring supplies from home. This would make a great community service project. Trees could be donated to nursing homes to use in their courtyard. School and hospital courtyards and parks are some other good ideas. Brainstorm with your students and see what they can come up with. Depending on the size of your project this can be broken up into several sessions. This project took me an hour to do. Remember this project can be used on pre existing trees just be sure to use biodegradable materials if you decorate a live tree. This could be made into another teaching opportunity of biodegradable products and the environment.
CLEAN UP:
Simple soap and water is needed for clean up. I give it a 1 on a five point messy scale.
Developed By:
Sharon Abbott
Texas Master Gardener
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