- 1). Collect all the ingredients, biodegradable string and containers, large needles and heavy thread and the utensils for preparing the treats. Assemble a work crew of local elves to help create the decorations. Spread old newspapers or a washable plastic cover over a large work table and assign the messiest tasks to the littlest workers who will end up covered in ingredients anyway.
- 2). Thread the needle and string popcorn and fresh cranberries into long garlands to drape around the tree. Make a lot because these garlands get nibbled fast. In fact, make lots of everything to satisfy creatures who burn massive amounts of energy just to stay warm in winter weather.
- 3). Stuff muffin tins and citrus bowls with a special suet mix. Blend together one to two cups of suet -- rendered beef fat, one cup of chunky peanut butter, and two cups of coarse yellow corn meal. Then mix in birdseed, raisins and other dried fruits, leftover pumpkin seeds and roasted nuts. Pack the mix into the muffin tins and stick a pipecleaner for a hanger in each "muffin." Put the tin in the freezer until the suet muffins harden.
- 4). Cut grapefruits and oranges in half and scoop out the pulp to eat later. Pack the citrus shells with suet mix. Poke three or four evenly spaced holes around the rim of each shell and tie string to hang it on the tree. Make extra shells to fill with birdseed and nuts.
- 5). Wrap string around the scales of dried pinecones to create a loop for hanging. Thin peanut butter slightly with vegetable oil and add sesame seed or birdseed to the spread. Smear it over the pinecones and then roll each peanut-buttered pinecone in more birdseed. Slice day-old bagels into thick rounds, smear with the peanut butter-seed mix and loop a piece of string through the holes for hanging.
- 6). Loop heavy thread through apple slices and tie string around carrots so they can hang from the branches. Take all the decorations out to the tree and festoon every available branch. Drape the popcorn garland over the tree last. Then head back inside for some hot chocolate and watch from the window as the holiday party begins.
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