Winter Craft: Snowy Crystal Pine Cones

If you are lucky enough to live in an area with lots of pine cones, like in my beautiful state of Maine, you should collect some pine cones and make some pretty crystal pine cones. This is a fun craft for all ages, including adults. Even the very little kids can get in on the fun! Decorating your pine cones is a great way to spend some quality family time together. And in the end, you will end up with some beautiful decorative pine cones to bring some winter spirit into your home!

Your first step is to collect your pine cones. You will find them in the fall on the ground under pine trees. Before you collect them, make sure you have permission. Try to find pine cones that are open. They will make the prettiest ornamental cones. Collect more than you think you need because once you get started on this craft, you may not want to stop!

The other supplies you will need are white poster paint or white acrylic paint, white glue such as Elmer's glue, chunky crystal or white glitter, paint brushes, zip lock bags (large enough to hold one pine cone at a time), wax paper, and a quick drying spray varnish. If you want to hang your pine cones as ornaments, you will also need some ribbon or cord for a loop and a hot glue gun.

Give everyone a pine cone, some white paint, and a paint brush. Have everyone paint the pine cones with little bits of white here and there. It's good to put some white paint on the tops of each scale to make it look like snow. But you can choose to add just a bit of white or a lot. You can add paint all around the entire cone, or just do one side. There are no rules, just add some white! Then put the pine cones down on wax paper to let the snow dry while you paint more pine cones.

After the pine cones are painted, it's time to add the crystal. Pour some of the chunky glitter into a zip lock bag. Then pour out some white glue into a small dish. Have everyone apply some glue onto the pine cones using a small paint brush or a paint sponge. You can decide whether or not you want to apply a lot of glue so it will hold a lot of glitter, or just a little bit of glue to hold just a bit of glitter.

After you have applied the glue, drop the pine cone into the bag of glitter, zip the bag shut, and shake! This shaking step is perfect for the little kids to do. Shake until the glitter has attached to the pine cone then open the bag, tap the pine cone inside the bag to release any loose glitter, and place the pine cone onto wax paper to dry. Do this to each pine cone.

After the pine cones have all dried, take them outside and spray them with a light coating of quick drying varnish. This will keep the glitter from falling off and making a mess later. After you spray the pine cones, lay them on wax paper until they are dry.

If you want to turn the pine cone into an ornament (they look wonderful in the tree), take a piece of ribbon or cord and form a loop. Use hot glue to attach the loop to the pine cone.

You can also use colorful glitter for this craft. And if you want to really get decorative, you can use hot glue to glue little gem stones or beads on the scales of your pine cones. And you can make a nice pine cone wreath by attaching the pine cones, either with hot glue or craft wire, to a styrofoam wreath.

For more easy crafts, please check out these articles:

Homemade Cookie Cutter Soaps

How to Make a Button Up Dress Shirt Pillow

Crafts for Kids: Newspaper Slippers