DIY Frozen Bird Feeder Ornaments for Kids (Easy Winter STEAM Project)
A simple winter STEAM project the whole family will enjoy
Looking for an easy, affordable winter project that gets kids outside, helps local wildlife, and are stunning? These frozen bird feeder ornaments are made by freezing bird seed and nature finds (like berries, citrus slices, and pine needles) into beautiful ice shapes.
Hang them on a tree branch and watch what happens over the next few days as the sun melts the ice and winter visitors stop by for a snack. It’s a GlueStick-style win: kid-led, low-prep, and full of sneaky STEAM learning.
Why we love this winter STEAM project
Low prep: water + a muffin tin + items found in the garden, pantry, or fridge
Inexpensive: Most of the supplies can be found around your yard. The rest provide a perfect way to use up leftover cranberries or that last orange that’s a little past its prime
Kid-led: every ornament is uniquely beautiful
Great STEM tie-ins: Encourage kids to explore temperature, surface area, buoyancy, and animal behavior
Artistic moments: Art can be temporary, and temporary things can still be beautiful
About GlueStick
GlueStick is an ad-free, subscription app designed to inspire kids to be creative with the supplies they already have. Kids 3-12 can explore a library of child-led projects independently with step-by-step instructions that guide them from setup to cleanup. Kids can explore our library of over 275 projects written by educators, influencers, and parents in a supportive, completely ad-free environment while earning digital rewards for real-world creativity.
Even in cold Minnesota, these ornaments eventually melt away or get nibbled by our animal neighbors, but that’s part of the magic. It’s a gentle nudge to appreciate beauty in the moment.
Supplies
Here’s what you’ll need to make these beautiful frozen feeder ornaments. Bird seed is a great, safe filler, but we know you can find excellent additions in your garden, fridge, or pantry.
Muffin tin or silicone molds (any shape works)
Water
String, yarn or ribbon
Scissors
Natural and found materials, like leaves, twigs, pine boughs, berries, seeds or seed pods, nuts, dried flowers, unpopped popcorn, sliced citrus or store-bought cranberries
Tip: Some of our favorite ornaments used echinacea seed pods, dried hydrangea heads, and unpopped popcorn. Winter leftovers can still be stunning—and the ice makes everything sparkle together.
How to make Frozen Feeder Ornaments
Collect your materials
Head outside and gather a handful of nature treasures. Leaves, twigs, pine needles, berries, and seed pods all work great.
Grown-up note: When possible, encourage kids to use what’s already fallen. It’s a simple way to respect nature while you create. Many public parks have strict rules about collecting natural items. Please respect your local rules.
Fill your molds halfway with water
Muffin tins are perfect, but silicone molds are extra easy for popping the ornaments out after they’re frozen.
Decorate your ornaments
Place your found objects into the water and arrange them like a collage.
Add a hanger
Place a loop of yarn or ribbon into each mold so you’ll be able to hang the ornament later.
Freeze
If it’s below 32°F, place your molds outside for at least four hours somewhere protected from squirrels and birds.
If it’s not below freezing, pop the molds into your freezer.
The temperature, shape, and size of your molds will all influence how quickly they freeze. Make this into a fun STEM experiment using our suggested prompts below.
Remove from the molds
Let the tray sit on a warm countertop for a few minutes, then gently tug on the ribbon or yarn to release the frozen ornaments.
If they don’t pop out easily, run the bottom of the molds under warm water until they release
Hang outside and observe
Hang your ornaments on tree branches and watch what happens over the next few days as sunlight, wind, and hungry winter visitors shape them and the neighborhood around them.
Cleanup (GlueStick-style)
No project is truly done until all our supplies are picked up and put away. Here’s a quick cleanup checklist:
Return any unused natural items outside
Put all other supplies away where you found them
Wipe up your work table
Throw away any trash
Did you know: in the GlueStick app, kids earn digital avatars and other rewards for cleaning up their creative spaces when a project is done!
STEM questions to ask while making ornaments as a family
One of the best parts of this project is how easy it is to inspire kids to think like scientists while they’re making something beautiful.
If you really want to lean into the science, have kids draw their ornament on day one, then check it each day and draw what changed. Hanging it in view of a security camera can also give you a peek at which critters came to visit.
Observe: Which objects float? Which ones sink? What do all the items that float have in common?
Our family noticed that most of our objects floated, but popcorn kernels sank. Before trying a new ingredient, ask your child to predict if it will float or sink. It’s great practice stating and testing a hypothesis!Predict and test: Will molds with more water freeze faster or slower?
In general, more water takes longer to freeze because water is an excellent insulator, but mold shape matters too: shallow molds have more surface area, which can help them freeze faster.Predict and test: Do any ingredients seem to change how quickly the water froze?
Some ingredients (like store-bought sunflower seeds) may contain salt, and salt lowers the freezing temperature of water. Sugar can also lower the freezing point a bit, so ornaments with more fruit may take longer to freeze than those with mostly leaves and seeds.Which nuts or berries will the animals eat first?
Why do you think they choose those first? What does this tell you about the kinds of things the animals in your neighborhood like to eat?
A teaching moment: Temporary can still be beautiful art
These ornaments won’t last forever and that’s okay, but it’s a concept some children may struggle with: Why make something beautiful if it’s just going to melt?
So often, we think of art as something meant to last, like a painting in a museum or a statue designed to stand the test of time, but art doesn't have to be monumental to matter. Artful moments can be found whenever a creative work inspires you to feel something, think a new thought, or connect with another being.
These ornaments, though ephemeral, inspire kids to do just that. Just like the leaves and flowers they’re made with eventually whither and fade, these ornaments will also melt away. They are temporary, sparkling reminders to slow down and notice the tiny details. The shape of a seed pod, the pattern of a leaf, the way ice catches the light may seem small, but their form and structure are an important part of what makes this world beautiful.
Want more projects like this?
If this project made your family pause, observe, and create together, you’ll love GlueStick. Founder Abby Allen designed the app to be screen time parents can feel good about—ad-free, kid-safe, and inspiring kids to use tech as tools, not just distractions.
Need a last-minute holiday gift or a plan to keep the kids engaged over the loooong winter-break? Start with the free tier, no credit card required. Plans begin at $9.99/month or $79.99/year, and you can cancel any time with no fees.\
We can’t wait to see what your kids make with GlueStick.
