My buddies at the Desert Wind blog did some ice baubles as a craft with the kiddos when they had some snow days. She mentioned that their fun ice baubles, alas, would only survive a day or two. Since mine could conceivable last until April, I thought I would do this project myself. As the day went on, I thought about what I would do to make pretty baubles. Then it occured to me that birdseed would turn baubles into high quality OutTV!
See Desert Wind’s blog for the real instructions. But here are mine:
Step 1: Find birdseed and muffin pans at the grocery store. Of course these are on completely separate aisles. Unless you have a really awesome grocery store.
Step 2: Apologize to The Boy for laughing hysterically and pointing at him like he’s ridiculous when he suggests that perhaps you are going to bake muffins.
Step 3: Have Kitten Thunder examine the muffin pan.
"Do you know the muffin pan? The muffin pan? The muffin pan."
Step 4: Have Kitten Thunder examine the birdseed.
"Once we plant this, how long will it take the birds to sprout?"
Step 5: Have Kitten Thunder help shape wire to hold the baubles on the trees.
"Why're you bending the wire, Girl?"
Step 6: Try not to poke anyone’s eye out when a Thunder errupts in your lap.
"Down in front! You're in the way!"
Step 7: Finish this project quickly while Kittens are Thundering. Have it completed when they return for final inspection.
"This birdseed soup would be better without the wires."
Step 8: Wonder, briefly, if you can just blame Obi for the birdseed all over the floor. Feel proud of yourself as you sweep up the mess…like a real live grown up.
"Why is The Girl looking at me like that? Am I about to get in trouble?"
Step 9: Pick a cold day to remove your completed ice baubles. So…any day between October and April in Wyoming.
"Move over Martha, THIS is a good thing."
Step 10: Hang the baubles on branches on various channels of OutTV. Await the glory. And wait. And wait.
"On this very special episode of OutTV..."
Step 11: Wait some more. And some more. Finally, when the weather turns nice and the baubles melt, then crash to the ground, see the birds eat the scattered seed.
"Well...not what I had in mind, but okay."
Step 12: Take the rest of the birdseed and make a pile on the porch. Enjoy immediate gratification as the flocks of birds and a couple squirrels descend.
Kitten Thunder: Life lessons and cat tales 
Boo – an idea as good as yours has no right to fail. For shame, bird seed baubles!
I am still laughing at the mental image of boy assuming you would, I dunno, make muffins.
In his defense, I have been saving bananas in the freezer for banana bread. But, seriously, I spelled this whole plan out for him and got the bird seed first…seriously.
I thought that was a great idea, particularly as the baubles would provide water and food for the birdies, I didn’t really think of them falling. If you wanted to make permanent ones you can substitute lard for water (this is supposed to work) Once when I was little my dad made half coconut circles of bird seed with me – like the ones you can buy, we spent an hour making them hung them up and as we went inside to enjoy them the whole mix slid out of the coconut shell and plopped on the floor, I think we got the consistency wrong.
I should also mention that The Boy got to laugh hilariously and point when our neighbor asked if I’d created homemade suet blocks for the birds. This project involved pouring ice and bird seed in muffin pans and I was almost too lazy to complete it…
Water, I suppose, is what I *actually* poured in the pans. :.D
Dear Sweet Mama and I used to make the ones where you smear peanut butter all over a toilet paper roll (the cardboard inside part) and then roll it in birdseed and hang it from a tree. What a cute, heartwarming moment — except this is ME we’re talking about… so I now know that birdseed is actually pretty tasty if you add enough peanut butter!
And why wouldn’t you try that out? Anything is good with peanut butter, or fried, or dipped in ranch dressing.
my personal theory is that there is no food in the world that cannot be improved wih either hot fudge, gravy/sauce, or melted cheese. This is directly responsible for the Build-a-Pant Empire…