I've mentioned this in passing before, but I want to share the information again for those who may have missed it. I so enjoy using natural pine cones, hemlock cones, etc. in crafting for Christmas. The teensy cones in the ornament above are hemlock cones.
Larger pine cones work well in decorating or centerpieces.
Sometimes I like to brush white acrylic paint on the edges of larger pine cones and sprinkle with glitter to give them a snowy look. These can then be hung on the Christmas tree, strung up as a garland, or piled in a basket.
Another idea for larger pine cones is to use them to make fire starters. I made my own that looked just like ones I'd seen in a catalog by collecting my own pine cones. I colored melted paraffin red and green with broken crayons, poured this into muffin tins about 1/4 full, and stuck a pine cone in each one. When the wax hardened, I just popped out the fire starters. A basket of these, tied with a ribbon, costs close to $20 in a catalog and is practically free when you make your own. These make a great gift for people who have a fireplace or those who have fire pits in their back yard.
The one caveat in crafting with natural cones is to make sure they are not harboring any insects. To that end, when you bring harvested cones home, be sure to bake them (on a foil-lined cookie sheet) in a 300º oven for half an hour to kill
any insects, before crafting with them. This procedure also has the added benefit of opening the pine cones up in an attractive way.
If the pine cones you've found have pitch on them, this baking maneuver will give them a pretty glaze as the pitch melts. When dry, it will not be sticky to the touch.
While out and about this summer, you might find the perfect cones to use in Christmas crafting. Try my #1 tip and you will be all ready to use them in projects when the time comes!
Great tip, thank you! I like to decorate with pine cones too. I usually buy the cinnamon scented ones at the store (since we don't really have many pine trees in the Phoenix area). I really like the fire starter idea.
ReplyDeleteLove decorating with pinecones. I have a few at certain places all year long.
ReplyDeleteMaybe I need to stop raking the pine cones into the ravine. 😳 Those wee hemlock comes are darling. I think they must be harder to find than my ubiquitous spruce cones. The scotch pine cones...stubby tough things are all over the side lawn. Sometimes I mow over them and what a racket. I try not to because they are hard on the blades.
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