As I was taking my lunchtime walk to Starbucks on a crisp, fall day (okay, it was 85 degrees) I came across some perfect pinecones laying on the sidewalk. I continued on my way and got my iced caramel coffee, but as I walked past the pincecones again a light bulb went off in my head—DIY decor! Maybe I’ll paint them gold or I’ll dip them in glitter or make a garland, the possibilities were endless! Needless to say, I walked back into the office with a purse full of pinecones. I felt pretty ridiculous, but also a little proud of my thriftiness. So I took to Pinterest and the ideas were flowing!
Before deciding on what project I wanted to attempt, I made sure to clean and de-bug the pinecones. I soaked them in a sink filled with warm water and about 1/2 cup of white vinegar. While they were soaking, I took a toothpick to scrape out the debris stuck between the layers. After about 20 minutes, I rinsed them off and set them on a towel to dry.
I tried both air drying and baking them. I preheated the oven to 250F then placed the pinecones on a baking sheet lined with foil and let them bake for about 45 minutes. I didn’t want to burn them so I erred on the side of not dry enough. I let the other batch air dry for a couple of days. Both ways worked just fine! Once they were completely dry, I began making some glitter pinecone ornaments for our Christmas tree. Here is how to make your own woodland-inspired ornaments in three easy steps.
Supplies:
- Pinecones
- Elmer’s glue
- Extra-fine glitter (I used copper and gold)
- Screw eyes (and electric drill to predrill the hole)
- Ribbon
- Ornament hooks
Directions:
- Using an electric drill, predrill a hole into the bottom of the pinecone, right in the center. It just needs to be deep enough for the screw eye to be twisted into it. Screw in until only the eye is outside of the pinecone.
- Holding the pinecone by the screw eye, coat the tips of each scale with glue, then sprinkle on the glitter. It’s best to do this over a plate or baking sheet so that you can gather the remaining glitter and funnel it back into the container.
- Thread the ribbon through the screw eye and tie a bow. Then use an ornament hook to hang it on the tree.
