Pine cones are natural items that look great as natural Christmas decorations.
If you are lucky enough to have a pine tree in your yard, you should have no problem collecting pine cones.
If you collect pine cones from another location, make sure you have permission because many parks and forests do not allow you to remove pine cones.
Here are a few tips for decorating your home for Christmas using pine cones.
Clean
Whether you buy them at a store or collect them from your yard, your pine cones may have bugs in them, so you need to get rid of the bugs before putting them on display.
The easiest way to kill the bugs is to bake them in your oven.
Line a baking sheet with foil and put the pine cones in an even layer on top.
Bake the pine cones at 200 degrees for 45 minutes.
Make sure to keep an eye on the pine cones to ensure they do not burn and the sap does not drip.
Let the pine cones fully cool before touching them.
Bleach
For a more modern look, you can bleach your pine cones.
Bleaching might turn your pine cones a tan color or might just lighten the original brown color a bit.
In order to bleach your pine cones, make a mixture of 2 parts bleach to 1 part water. Use caution with bleach since it is a chemical and can cause damage if not used properly.
Submerge your pine cones in the mixture. You might have to weigh them down so they are fully submerged.
After about 24 hours, remove the pine cones and let them dry fully. The color should lighten as they dry.
Protect
If you want to protect your pine cones from splintering, make them a bit more durable, and give them a bit of shine, you can spray them with polyurethane.
If you are using your pine cones indoors, then this step is not necessary, however you should consider protecting your pine cones that you use to decorate outdoors to keep them from deteriorating.
You can choose a glossy polyurethane for a shiny finish or a matte polyurethane for a less glossy appearance.
Spray the polyurethane in several thin coats, letting each of the coats fully dry before applying the next coat.
Brushing them with liquid polyurethane is also an option, however much more time consuming.
Decorate
Natural looking pine cones are great to decorate your home, but many people like to add something extra for the Christmas holidays.
Consider painting the tips of the pine cone scales a fun color or covering them with glitter.
For a snow look, you can cover parts with glue and sprinkle epsom salt on top.
You can also paint the scales different colors, such as silver, gold, and copper.
Another idea is to dip the pine cones in paint - either part of the way or the entire pine cone.
Spray painting pine cones is an easy way to add color - especially metallic, glitter, or bright colors.
Display
There are many ways to display your pine cones during Christmas.
You can make them into Christmas tree ornaments by adding a gorgeous ribbon to be used as a Christmas tree hanger.
You can use them in a Christmas wreath.
They can be place card holders for your dining table or in the dining table centerpiece.
You can use them as a trinket on top of wrapped Christmas gifts.
Consider putting a large amount of pine cones in a large glass jar wrapped in a big Christmas bow.
You can have children decorate them like they are mini Christmas trees.
You can even use them in a flower arrangement.
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