Spring is finally here in the UK but it can still be cold at times (like the crazy snow this week!) which can make it tough for wild birds, as natural food sources such as insects and berries might still be in low supply. Birds need lots of energy-rich food to maintain fat reserves so their bodies can use them when temperatures drop suddenly.

Providing a food source for birds is not only a great way to help your local wildlife; encouraging birds to visit your garden will supply you with lots of beautiful birds to watch while your garden starts to awaken from winter.

We’ve used our Tender Leaf bird on this free template to make a simple bird feeder. All you need is a natural string, a marker pen, a skewer, scissors, cardboard, bird seed and peanut butter.

Did you know peanut butter is a good high-protein food for birds, and they can eat any of the same types as we do. If you’re buying it specifically for birds, look for natural or organic types. You could also try a crunchy peanut butter for an extra nutty treat. It’s best to avoid low-fat varieties, which may not have as much nutritional value for the birds.

Here’s how to make yours:

Print out the template here. Printing out at 100% will make a small bird feeder which is fine, but we went big and printed it twice the size onto an A3 sheet, making it easier for small hands to work with.

Next carefully cut along the dotted lines then grab your cardboard to start drawing round the templates. We used a thick, black sharpie so that the marks would show on our bird feeder, giving it a nice, bold edge.

You will then need to cut out the shapes from the cardboard as this is probably too stiff for your child to do. Next let your child spread the peanut butter all over the cardboard wreath and bird. You could do this on both sides but we recommend just one as it can get very messy! Then grab your bird seeds and sprinkle them all over the peanut butter.

Use a skewer to make a hole in the top, middle of the wreath and bird. First, thread a piece of string through the bird and attach it to the middle of the wreath. Then thread another piece of string through the hole in the wreath and tie at the top ready to hang in your garden and watch the birds enjoy it!