Mila's pinecone bird feeder

Here's what you'll need.

  • Pinecones. (you can purchase these at most craft stores. Or, you can go and forage your own, which is much more fun.)
  • Sunflower butter (or other no-nut butter. Mila used Sunflower butter). *make sure you read the label to make sure it's peanut free.
  • Certified peanut free birdseed... Mila used our Something for Everyone 2
  • Jute twine (for attaching your bird feeder to a branch)
  • A container to work in, a paint tray works awesome.
  • A spoon or spatula for spreading the sunflower butter onto the pinecone.


Follow along with Mila!

  • 1

    Collect your pinecones and set up your workstation, a paint tray works great (fantastic idea, Mila's mom!). It's a good idea to tie a fairly long piece of jute twine around your pinecone before you go any further.

  • 2

    Stir your sunflower butter (or other no-nut butter) so it's easier to spread.

  • 3

    Switch up your tools, if you need to, use whatever works! Start spreading your sunflower butter all over the pinecone.

  • 4

    Keep going until you've covered the whole pine cone, make sure you get it into all the knooks and crannies.

  • 5

    Take a second to make sure you didn't miss any spots.

  • 6

    Start sprinkling birdseed onto the pinecone, it helps if mom props it up a bit.

  • 7

    Keep going, turning the pinecone so the seed gets into all the cracks.

  • 8

    Once the pinecone is covered in seed and you can hardly see the sunflower butter, pat the seeds down.

  • 9

    Make some more! Start back at step one.

  • 10

    Find a branch and tie up your bird feeder.

  • 11

    Inspect the positioning and your handy work.

  • 12

    Job done. Nice work!

  • Enjoy the birds!
Get the seed Mila used

Below is a few (or 20) of the birds that will love a bird feeder like Mila's!

Welcome to your (peanut free!) backyard full of birds!

Shop the (peanut free!) birdseed that's loved by and attracts all these birds

  • American Goldfinch

    These beautiful, acrobatic little songsters will brighten your yard any time of year, and they often bring (lots) of their friends with them. They tend to come and go for no obvious reason, but keep your feeders full, they'll be back.

  • House Finch

    Once the cheerful house finches discover your feeder, they're likely to bring a flock of friends with them next time. They have a delightful twittering song.

  • Chickadee

    Dear, sweet chickadee, how we love you so. There is nothing not to love about this reliably cheerful, friendly and inquisitive little bird. They'll make you grin with their swooping flight patterns and joyful chirps and squeaks.

  • Northern Cardinal (male)

    He's a shy, loyal fella. First you'll hear him - a glorious sound you'll afterwards never want to be without - then when you spot him, you'll know you've just been graced by something special.

  • Northern Cardinal (female)

    She's a beauty, spectacularly so. She and her mate (for life) prefer eating off the ground under the safety of a large tree, but they'll also venture to platform and tube feeders.

  • Indigo Bunting

    What a treat if you spot this stunning, brilliant blue bird passing through your yard (during migration months). They'll sing for you from dusk till dawn.

  • Evening Grosbeak (male)

    They're not likely to visit your feeders every year, but they're worth the wait and they tend to travel in large flocks, so when you do see them it's a pretty stunning sight to behold.

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female)

    It's most likely that you'll only see her during migration months, but the songs her and her mate sing to each other as they take turns incubating their nest is the sweetest of outdoor operas.

  • Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male)

    Even if you only see him when he's passing through during migration, it's worth it. Early twentieth-century naturalists reportedly said that their song is, “so entrancingly beautiful that words cannot describe it”.

  • White-breasted nuthatch

    We dare you to hear their song and not grin. They're a bit bigger than the red-breasted nuthatches, but just as energetic, quirky and delightful. You'll often see them at your feeders alongside chickadees and titmice (cuteness overload when that happens).

  • Red-breasted Nuthatch

    These tiny, quirky and friendly little birds are a joy to watch as they scurry down a tree trunk - top to bottom. They're quick, but seeing them at your feeder is a delight. It's not uncommon for them to eat seed right out of your hand.

  • Downy Woodpecker

    These adorable little acrobats (they're only a bit bigger then a nuthatch) often join flocks of chickadees and nuthatches. It's pure delight when you see all three of them at your feeder.

  • Song Sparrow

    This is the most familiar of the North American sparrows, their song filling a backyard will take you back to those care-free days as a kid playing in the backyard, and its accompanying soundtrack.

  • American Tree Sparrow

    These little cuties and their sweet song are regulars at feeders all winter long. Despite their name, they prefer to forage on the ground (and on seed heads in the winter) but also happily visit hopper and tube feeders.

  • House Sparrow

    These little songsters can overwhelm, but, we think, you just need to learn how to live with them, the reliable sounds and sight of them are worth it. Leaving seed heads on plants (especially native ones) should help keep the balance, and seed in your feeders.

  • Pine Siskin

    Is it a sparrow? A finch? A ? If a shimmer of yellow catches your eye and you're trying to figure out what you're looking at, it might just be a Pine Siskin. They're elusive little birds, there one month (or year) and not the next, enjoy them when you can.

  • Mourning Dove

    We can't imagine being without the soothing, comforting sounds of these peaceful birds. They seem to reassure that everything will be ok, that it all works out in the end. No matter the day or the troubles, their song remains the same, thankfully.

  • Dark-eyed Junco

    These elegant little snow birds tend to make their first appearance close to the first snow fall. The beautiful silver and dark grey streaks they make as they fly about are a welcome and peaceful sight.

  • Tufted Titmouse

    These absolutely adorable wee birds are regulars at backyard bird feeders, especially in the winter.

  • Blue Jay

    The thing about having a peanut free yard is that it's a little less attractive to these handsome, but a little bossy, birds. Not so unattractive that one or two won't grace you with their beauty, but unattractive enough that they don't overstay their welcome.

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Shop the (peanut free!) birdseed that's loved by and attracts all these birds

Loved by all the backyard birds!

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