During the winter months, it’s always nice to give an extra treat to the little birds that stick around to brighten up our gray days.
Suet is a cold-weather goodie much appreciated by our feathered friends, and this week’s project will help spruce up those green and black suet holders that can be found in most garden shops.
We put some extra thought into this project, as we didn’t want to do anything that would be potentially harmful to birds or other wildlife — even those evil squirrels that mercilessly torment our dog, Bowie, by sitting just out of his reach while grooming themselves. (We don’t really think they are evil, but Bowie does.)
That said, we believe our suet holders are safe and don’t pose a threat to the critters as long as care is taken to avoid such things as loopy wires and materials that can be easily detached. If there is something we’ve overlooked, we invite bird and wildlife experts to contact us and we’ll gratefully pass the information along to our readers.
We made three different samples for this week’s column, but there are several important things to remember when making any suet holder.
Leave the outer edges of the holder free of beads so that birds can easily access the suet without fear of catching their toes on beads or wire.
Make sure that all wire is either hidden within the beads or very tightly wound (no loops or sharp ends) around the frame.
Don’t use thread, yarn or anything that is “chewable,” as squirrels find the suet alluring and can — and will — chew through the soft stuff.
In fact, keep in mind that both squirrels and birds are a lot stronger than we might think and can be pretty destructive. The main issue here isn’t so much that the holder will be ruined, but that flimsy materials and shoddy construction might be harmful to the critters.
Although there are constants for making the suet holders, there are different methods of attaching beads.
Green holder
To make this holder, you’ll need green wire and green glass beads of different sizes and shapes. Attach the beads in a pattern of your choice by stringing a bead onto the wire, securing it in place at an intersection on the frame, then wrapping the wire very tightly around the frame until you reach the next intersection; repeat until all the beads are added. Go back and check each bead and pinch in any obvious large loops in the wire that may be present.
Wooden bead holder
This holder, made with wooden beads that may not hold up as well as the glass bead variety, might be better suited to a more protected location. To attach the beads, string several beads onto the wire, secure to the frame with a few tight wraps, then run the wire back through the same beads securing with a few wraps in between each bead; repeat until your pattern is finished.
Multicolored double holder
For this one, pick up a bonus-buy pack of multicolored glass beads of all shapes and sizes. Attach the beads by stringing one, two or three beads onto the wire and securing diagonally across one square in the frame (from intersection to intersection). Working from square to square, repeat the same process until your pattern is completed.
Beginning and ending wire: To attach your wire, bend about 1 inch around an intersection and twist it around itself; slide a bead over the wound part to secure. To end off, run the end of the wire back through two or three beads and trim so that it’s hidden.
Hang your fancy holder in a place where you can enjoy watching the birdies as they enjoy their winter suet treat.
Note: We wrapped the suet in plastic wrap and covered it with a white paper towel for photographing. If you give a holder as a gift, it’s best to leave the suet separate in its own sealed package.
Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.
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