Crafting Basics: Pinecones
Pinecones are one of my favorite natural treasures for crafting.
They come in all sizes, and they are paintable, glueable and
pretty. These are just a few of the things you can do with pinecones
to accent your crafts.
Spiced Pinecones
You will need:
Pinecones
Ground ginger
Ground cinnamon
Or any crushed dry spice you wish
craft glue
foam brush
Mix 1 part glue to 1 part water. Use foam brush
to paint the pinecone. Mix equal parts of the
spices in a bowl. Sprinkle spice over the pinecone
and roll in spice. When coated, allow to dry.
Uses: You can use these in baskets, glued on
wreaths, or even solo, as an ornament. Hot glue
a ribbon the the very top of the pinecone. Add
accents to the top, such a spanish moss, raffia
or dried flowers.
Bleached Pinecones
You will need:
Pinecones
household liquid bleach
large bucket
glass plate
a rock or brick
foil lined baking sheet
Best done outside in a well-ventilated area.
Do not splash bleach. Work carefully. Place
pinecones in bucket; add bleach to cover.
Place plate on top of pinecones and weight
with rock or brick to keep the pinecones
covered with the bleach. Allow to sit for
five hours. Remove pinecones from bleach
(use gloves) and place on baking sheet covered
with foil. Place in 250 degree oven for several
hours until they reopen completely. The time
will depend on how large the pinecone is.
Uses: You can use the same as above.
Also they are pretty placed among your
garland or even on the Christmas tree itself.
Scented Pinecones
You will need:
Pinecones
paraffin
doubleboiler
tongs
crayons with paper removed
cinnamon oil, or other scents
newspaper
Cover work area with newspaper. Melt
paraffin a double boiler over hot water
(heat BEFORE adding paraffin). Add
pieces of crayon to paraffin after it
has melted. Red or green would
be good for Christmas. Add until the
color is as you would like it. Add
scented oil. Holding pinecones with
tongs, dip in paraffin. Allow to dry
between coats. Continue coating
until fully covered. Allow paraffin to dry
completely before storing or using
pinecones.
Uses: These can be given and used as
firestarters or placed in bowls to scent a
room.
