Truth: I have a pinecone obsession, and they’re usually on display in our house year-round. In the winter, the sparkle comes out.

I started turning our pinecone collections into homemade ornaments years ago, first for teacher and small hostess gifts, and now we craft them for family and friends, each year, adding to their collection, too (whether they like it or not!).

We make two varieties; (1) smaller pinecones get loops for ornament hanging; and (2) larger pinecones for grouping for home decor.

We love this project because it’s homemade, kid- and budget-friendly, and it’s impossible to mess up perfectly imperfect pinecones. Here’s what you need and how we do it.

MATERIALS

• Pinecones: we collect them in our neighborhood and bring them home from trips up to the Sierras = free! You could also purchase from a craft store.

• Craft supplies: Glitter (we like: crystal clear, gold and silver); Spray Adhesive (one can of this gets us through a couple of years)

• Optional craft supplies for ornaments: Twine or wired ribbon (1/8” wired ribbon in gold is my preference when I can find it); hot glue gun and a couple of toothpicks

• Helpful to have but not necessary: protected work surface, like butcher paper or newspapers (also helpful for cleaning up / re-using spilled glitter that will inevitably get all over); and disposable gloves to protect your hands from the spray glue

• For gifting: tags, twine, and clear cellophane bags (like these). I do sometimes nestle the pinecones in shredded crinkle cut paper, like this.

HOW TO

1. If collected from the outdoors, clean off pinecones with hose and let dry completely in the sunshine. Do a final clean with a keyboard duster (or just shake them a bunch to get out any loose debris).

2. Grab your gloves and spread pinecones out on a protected surface and one a time; (1) spray with adhesive glue; and (2) immediately sprinkle with glitter, rotating the pinecone for an even coating. A little goes a long way - especially if you have kids helping with this step - but you may opt to repeat this if you prefer more glitter.

3. Set aside to dry completely.

4. For ornaments: heat up the glue gun and prep the twine or ribbon by cutting several pieces of about 3” each in length.

5. Find an inconspicuous area at the top of the cone to make dabs of hot glue, and use a toothpick (to prevent burns!) to nestle the ends of the ribbon in the glue, creating a loop.

6. When everything is set and dry, tag and wrap in individual clear cellophane bags and gift away!

Let me know if you give this a try and if you have any ideas on how to improve the DIY!

About Simplified Seasons: in this series, less is more, and I’ll be sharing simple traditions and my favorite projects that honor the changes that come with the flip of the calendar, preserve my sanity and bring the joy!