Making Birds from Kurrajong Pods

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



The seeds need to be removed from the pod.



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.



• Using a cotton bud, add a dot of white paint for each eye.



• Let the eyes dry.
• Drill a hole in the top of the pod using your smallest drill bit.



• 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.



• Put a piece of thin wire strong enough to support the ‘bird’ through each hole to form legs.



• Spread some glue inside the pod using a piece of sponge or brush. Fill with cotton wool to form a ‘breast’.



• 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.


• 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.


• If you have given your bird wire legs twist each piece of wire to the branch.


• A group of kurrajong pod birds can look effective.


Have fun making these whimsical birds.

#Birds
#Decorative
#Natural_Material
#Seed_Pods


%decornotes