
Image: Marie Vonow
Decorative robins can be made from the seed pods of the kurrajong tree. The seed pods are shaped like a bird, complete with ‘beak’ and ‘tail’. These birds can be hung up, given two legs to twist around a branch or simply wedged between the trunk and branch of a small tree in a pot or a decorative branch. The birds can be used individually to decorate a present or a basket of pine cones or gum nuts. They make fun Christmas tree decorations.
Materials
• Dry kurrajong pods
• Cotton wool
• Red paint
• Paint brush
• Craft glue
• White paint
• Cotton buds
• Wire (picture wire or flexible wire strong enough to support the robin) or fishing line

Dry pods collected from under a kurrajong tree. Image: Marie Vonow
The seeds need to be removed from the pod.

The seeds are covered in fine hairs. Image: Marie Vonow
As the seeds are covered in fine hairs which can make you itch, wear a pair of disposable gloves to protect your hands. Scrape out the seeds using a pop stick or other disposable item. Carefully dispose of the seeds, the item you used as a scraper and your gloves.

Pod once seeds have been scraped out. Image: Marie Vonow
• Using a cotton bud, add a dot of white paint for each eye.

Give your bird eyes by using a cotton bud dipped in white paint. Image: Marie Vonow
• Let the eyes dry.
• Drill a hole in the top of the pod using your smallest drill bit.

Drill a hole in the top of the pod. Image: Marie Vonow
• Tie a knot in the end of a piece of flexible wire used for hanging picture frames or fishing line.
• Thread the wire through the hole with the knot on the inside of the pod.
• If you prefer to give your bird legs, drill a small hole on each side of the pod.

Drill a hole in each side of the pod. Image{ Marie Vonow
• Put a piece of thin wire strong enough to support the ‘bird’ through each hole to form legs.

Make wire legs for your bird. Image: Marie Vonow
• Spread some glue inside the pod using a piece of sponge or brush. Fill with cotton wool to form a ‘breast’.

Fill the hollow with cotton wool. Image: Marie Vonow
• When the glue has dried, paint the cotton wool red. You may want to paint the whole ‘breast’ or you may prefer to leave a border of white.

Paint the cotton wool red. Image: Marie Vonow
• Allow the red paint to dry.
• The birds can be hung from a dry branch secured in a pot. If you used picture wire twist it around the branch. Fishing line can be tied around the branch in a loop.

Twist the picture wire around a branch. Image: Marie Vonow
• If you have given your bird wire legs twist each piece of wire to the branch.

Twist the two pieces of wire around a branch. Image: Marie Vonow
• A group of kurrajong pod birds can look effective.

Four birds. Image: Marie Vonow
Have fun making these whimsical birds.
#Birds
#Decorative
#Natural Material
#Seed Pods