This is a sample of what you can do with
your creativity and our pine cones!
Click the picture to view full size.
Pinecone Flowers - After treating the cones, use a saw to cut the stalk - depending upon the size of the cone, you could get one or two good "flowers" plus the top. Finishing touches: To add a nice touch, spray a very light application of a lacquer or acrylic spray to "seal" the cut area and to enhance the appearance of the flower. If you have a brush-on type of sealer, mix a little glitter with it and apply just to the ends. Mix these flowers with a silk pine spray and you have a wonderful Christmas or winter centerpiece.
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Pinecone Pin Cushion - Take a pine cone and
pull a few of the stalks out here and there. Cut some circles of material
and sew a running sitch around the outside edge. Then as you draw them
up, stuff some wadding in to make a soft ball. Using a glue gun, put some
glue in the cone where you have pulled out the stalks and stuff the soft
ball in. Cut a felt circle bigger than the base of the cone and glue on,
and you have a pin cushion for a crafty mum or nana. We made these for
our Mother's day stall and they were loved.
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Pinecone Easter Decoration - Last Easter I took
several large, 8" to 10" pinecones, spray painted them white. Took several
coats to cover completely. I then added a large, full, (6", 8 loop), bow
to the flat end by hot glueing once I found the way the pinecone would
be stable and not rock when placed on the table. Then added tiny colored
easter eggs, scattered and wedged or glued along the top. Also added some
tiny carrots and a 2" rabbit. This idea came from a large pinecone that
we had painted gold and decorated for Christmas many years ago. This idea
can be used for any holiday, just by using a different color of paint and
appropriate decorations.
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Thanksgiving Turkey - The pinecones that are
flat on one end and cone shaped would make little turkeys for Thanksgiving
decorations. The flat end would be the tail after you stick in a few feathers
or feather shaped cutouts. On the pointy end a question-mark shaped cutout
for a head and twigs or chenille stems for legs.
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Christmas tree using several pinecones - With
pinecones standing on their widest end (the base), glue the "sides" of
them together in the form of a circle Some of the petals can interlock
w/each other to help hold it in place. Just use hot glue to secure. When
you have the size of circle you need to form the base of your Christmas
tree (obviously this can vary, depending on the size of tree you want),
repeat that step, only making the circle smaller. Glue that circle onto
the base, using the same technique as mentioned above--allow some of the
petals of the base of the smaller circle to interlock with the tips of
the larger circle. Keep repeating these steps until you reach the "top"
of your Christmas tree. The very tip should be just one (1) pinecone, the
"layer" beneath that should be three (3) pinecones, and so on--forming
larger and larger layers--depending on how large you want the entire tree.
Decorate then with glitter, lights, miniature garlands, ornaments, etc..
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Christmas tree by gluing a single pine cone
into a small flower pot. I put gold glitter on the tips of the "branches",
a small star on the top and wrap a piece of rickrack around the flower
pot. You can add touches of glitter to the flower pot as well. You can
even tuck some cotton into the branches for snow. This is just one suggestion
for decorating your tree - the possibilities are endless!
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Angel ornaments - If you have some of the long,
narrow variety of pinecones, they make great angel ornaments. Turn them
upside down, and glue a little wooden ball to the flat part (for the head),
glue two big silk rose leaves to the back for wings (or anything else you
have that looks like wings), let dry and spray paint the whole thing either
silver or gold. Attach a string to the back for a hanger. You'll be surprised
how cute these are. I have one hanging from my rearview mirror in my van,
right next to my strawberry walnuts. They are also pretty on a christmas
tree.
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Santa ornaments - use a long pinecone, turn
upside down. Scrape off the "leaves" at the top on one side. Use clay to
form a face. Paint the bottom of the pine cone white for his beard. Glue
a little felt hat on the top and hang from your tree.
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Wax / glitter ornaments - tie a cord around
the top and dip into wax. Set in egg cartons to dry. Decorate with glitter
when still moist and hang from Christmas tree. (To just wax the tips, pour
wax into a shallow pan and roll the pinecone in it.)
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Pine scented potpourri
Combine:
1/2 cup bayberry leaves
1/2 cup snipped balsam needles
1/2 cup miniature pine cones
1/2 cup rose hips
2 tsp orrisroot
2 drops pine-scented fixative
Mix the bayberry, balsam, pine cones and rose hips in a
large bowl. Add the orrisroot
and fixative and stir gently. This makes a great Christmas
potpourri!
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Pine cone owls
Ordinary pine cones, of any size, can be made to look almost exactly
like tiny owls simply by
adding "eyes" which can be purchased at any hobby or craft shop. The
cute stylistic little
creatures can then be mounted on stained or burned plywood plaques,
a hanging device or
hook added, and they sell like hotcakes.
Mount the little birds on a small limb or twig, glue the whole scene
onto a plaque
background of any kind, display them and people will want them.
Sell them singly or in groups. Start with one large "mama" owl, then
add two or three "baby"
owls for an attractive grouping. They are cute.
Find an old limb with a knot hole, or an old board. Mount a small bird
just inside the hole, or
on a twig just outside of the hole. You have a scene people will love.
The idea of using natural products to make nature scenes appeals to many people.
One person sells more of these than he and all of his grand kids can turn out.
Combine cones, pods, twigs, old wood, boards, dried flowers and leaves.
Be creative and
use your imagination. You can make money from ordinary pine cones.
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Decorate small Christmas trees - Removed because of potential fire hazard
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Christmas centerpieces - Sprinkle lightly with
pine scent and display in a basket, bowl, or aluminum pie tin. Lay fresh
pine branches in the container, to make a nest. Add some Christmas ribbon
(make bows or crinkle some wired ribbon all around) and then nest the pinecones
in the center. Add colorful candies around the edges, or small Christmas
ornaments.
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Mini Bird's Nest - Take baby pinecones and start
gluing them together Starting with two or three to form bottom of nest
Then keep adding one forming a circle using your hand as a guide. Layer
it about 3 to 4 inches high. Put glue down in the middle of nest and stick
a bird (I like to use the birds on a wire) through the nest to secure,
cut off excess wire at bottom. Add flowers and ribbion around the bird
and you have a beautiful ornament to set in tree or to use as part of a
centerpiece
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Pinecone Wreath - I use the wire frames and
insert the pinecones around each section. I soak the cones outside in a
large bucket overnight which causes them to close up and any bugs will
come out. After they are closed they are easy to insert in the wire frame.
After the frame is completed, I hang them in a warm spot for a few day
and as the cones open up, they are permanently in the frame. Then spray
with acrylic sealer and decorate as you choose. (be sure to wear gloves
as the pine tar is very hard to get off your hands :-)
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Decoration on a wreath - instructions
Fill a basket with them to hold dried flowers in place
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Mini Bird Feeders - instructions
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Fire starters - instructions
Add them to your fire untreated for kindling or extra fuel.
Fill a basket with them to hold dried flowers in place
Treat them and toss in the fire to create colorful flames - Instructions for treating here