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.