At Mommy's Block Party, we've talking a lot about birds lately. I think we're all so ready for spring to finally arrive, that we're soaking in every little thing related to spring, even a few weeks ahead of time. I can't help it- spring is my favorite season, tied with fall, of course. At my house, we love watching the birds year round, and we've started to notice that we're having lots of backyard visitors lately.

One of the ways we like to enjoy the birds is to watch them eat! We have a beautiful pair of cardinals who have taken up residence in bushes right outside our dining room windows. We put out bird seed for them in one of the nearby trees, so we can watch them from the kitchen. The robins and sparrows are plentiful, as well, and soon, they'll be making their nests in our yard.

We feed the birds with traditional window bird feeders, but we also love to make our own bird feeders from toilet paper tubes. It's so much fun, and it's an easy craft and activity that the kids can make and enjoy, too.

To make paper tube bird feeders, you will need:

*Toilet paper tubes

*Peanut Butter

*Bird seed

*String

To make the tubes, spread peanut butter on the outside of the toilet paper tube, making sure to cover the entire thing.

Next, roll the tube in bird seed. I like to place parchment paper on a sheet pan, and then spread the bird seed over the paper, and then roll the tube around in the seed. I try to make sure the peanut butter is entirely covered by the bird seed.

Once the tube has been rolled. place a long piece of string through the tube and tie the ends together. You should wind up with a cute little triangle feeder.

Place the tube (hanging) in a tree or bush- preferably where you'll have a nice view of the birds. Watch the birds come to your homemade feeder and enjoy! You can also add a dish of fresh water nearby for the birds to drink from. As it gets warmer, they will likely want a place to splash and clean themselves, so having a bird bath or fountain is a great idea, too!

I'm looking forward to watching the birds return as spring pops up.

What types of birds visit your yard?