Pine cones are a traditional material for New Year's decorations. It's best to assemble them yourself. You can start stockpiling much in advance - for example, in the summer. It’s easy to find them in forests, parks, and arboretums. Autumn is also good for harvesting natural materials.
When snow falls, finding and obtaining pine cones will become much more difficult. However, you can buy them at landscaping or craft stores. You can purchase cones of different sizes, decorated or natural looking.
Try to choose symmetrical, beautiful specimens that are suitable in size for decoration. The ideal option is smooth, defect-free fruits from coniferous trees (pine, cedar, spruce).
Additional materials for DIY crafts from pine cones
To create jewelry you need to prepare:
- PVA glue;
- wire;
- felt;
- scotch;
- paper, cardboard, newspapers;
- salt;
- glue gun and rods for it;
- dry snow;
- twine, threads;
- brushes;
- pieces of foam rubber;
- acrylic paints, gouache, nail polish, spray paint.
Christmas tree made of pine cones
You will need: pine cones, cardboard, glue gun or superglue, decorative elements: pine branches, tinsel...
Master Class
- Decide on the size of the future Christmas tree.
- Make a cone out of cardboard.
- Glue the pine cones.
- Decorate to your taste.
The tree of cones is ready! I recommend watching the video master class!
DIY Christmas tree made from pine cones. Master Class
Preparing for work
If the cones are collected in the forest and not bought in a store, then they must be pre-processed. You need to get rid of resin and bacteria.
First, pour water into a container with the addition of dishwashing detergent. We immerse the selected specimens there and leave for 20-30 minutes. Afterwards, rinse well with running water and boil for 3 hours. In this case, the water must be changed periodically - 2-3 times during the event.
You can place the buds in chlorine bleach (for example, White) for a day, and then rinse thoroughly with clean water. After this procedure, they will become significantly lighter and will be easier to dye.
The next stage is drying. You can do this on a radiator or in the oven at minimum temperature (just cover the tray with foil). During this process, the buds open up.
If you need them to be closed or partially open, wrap them with thread before drying.
To keep the pine cone in shape, take it with tweezers and dip it, base down, into wood glue (Titbond, Titanium, etc.) several times. It is necessary that the adhesive mass covers all the scales. Place the pine cone on the oilcloth, and after 15 minutes turn it over to the other side. After this treatment, it should dry for three to four days.
If you have a well-opened cone, but you need a closed one, do not despair - place it in water and hold it until the scales close. After this, dip in glue and dry.
To get a beautifully curved shape, place the beauty of the forest in boiling water and cook until it becomes soft and pliable. Give the desired bend, tie with thread and dry. At the end, be sure to treat it with glue.
Sometimes you need to drill out a lump. This should be done very carefully. Direct the drill clearly to the center of the rod, trying to deepen without strong pressure. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will fall to pieces.
Coloring
In winter, you especially want a riot of colors. You can start by painting the cones.
The easiest way is to cover them with acrylic paints or gouache. Several layers can be applied. Then after the first painting, take a break of at least half an hour to allow the paint to dry.
If you purchased a can of paint, bend a piece of wire so that it securely holds the workpiece at one end and looks like a hook at the other. Submerge the pine cone completely in the paint. Take it out and hold it over the jar for a few minutes to let the excess drain off. Hang the craft above the newspaper. Once dry, remove the wire and your gorgeous winter decoration is ready.
To quickly paint only the ends without brushes, you can do the following. Take a can of water-based paint and a piece of foam rubber. Be sure to wear gloves! Apply a little paint to the foam and roll the pine cone over it in a circular motion. You will get a decoration with evenly colored tips. If you add golden or silver grass to the paint, you will get a sparkling decorative element.
Sometimes white cones are needed for a composition. There is an opinion that they can be bleached with Whiteness. However, experienced needlewomen refute this version. It’s better not to waste your energy, time and health (chlorine is a rather dangerous substance). Immediately use white paint (acrylic, gouache, spray paint, etc.).
You can easily and quickly cover the composition with spray paint. All you need to do is place the cones on newspaper/paper/oilcloth and spray paint from a can from a safe distance, evenly covering the craft.
If painted cones are coated with wood varnish, they will acquire a glossy shine.
Interesting options are also obtained after using artificial snow.
Buy dry artificial snow and PVA glue. Pour snow into a paper plate. Apply PVA to those flakes on which you want to see white flakes, and lower the workpiece into the snow. You will get such a miracle.
You can also create snow using fine salt. You can add sparkles to it and it will turn out even more impressive. Apply glue with a brush and sprinkle with mixture. Wait until it dries completely and shake off anything that doesn't stick.
New Year's crafts made from pine cones coated with salt.
You can create an incredibly wintry and fairy-tale effect by covering the dry pine cones with fine salt. To do this, apply PVA glue to the scales and sprinkle with fine white salt. Dry and then spray with hairspray on top to set the snow.
Winter cones prepared in this way can be used to create New Year's compositions.
Christmas trees made of pine cones
The simplest forest beauty will be made from a large symmetrical cone (best of all - a cedar cone). The main thing in this craft is to install and secure the “Christmas tree” evenly. This can be done using a stand and a glue gun. The craft will stand well in a flower pot of suitable diameter.
As decoration, use colored beads of different diameters, small pompoms, pieces of cotton wool, and other interesting little things. All this is attached using hot glue.
If you attach a star to the top of such a tree, you will also get a Christmas decoration. It looks great on a holiday table, fireplace, windowsill, etc.
A more labor-intensive process is creating a Christmas tree from individual elements. They are attached to a foam cone, which can be purchased at a craft store.
You can use a regular glass bottle as a base. A paper cone will also work. To give stability, the inside needs to be stuffed with crumpled newspapers.
We begin to attach the cones using a glue gun - from bottom to top in a circle.
Trees made from cones glued with the tops down look unusual.
You can build a Christmas tree without an internal cone. To do this, you should make a base of thick cardboard (like for a wreath) and glue the cones from the base in a circle upward, making the diameter of each next level smaller than the previous one. The main thing here is to make such a “herringbone” symmetrical.
Another option is a tree made of scales. First you need to carefully cut off the plates with a sharp knife.
Then carefully attach each element to the cone with hot glue.
The result will be such an extraordinary miracle.
All that remains is to paint the resulting “tree” and decorate it in a festive way.
A large spruce tree needs a stronger frame. It can be purchased at a flower shop.
We carefully screw a screw into each cone and fasten it to the cone with wire.
You will get a real New Year's tree that you can show off to your neighbors and guests.
DIY Halloween wreath
To make a wreath you will need a frame. The frame can be made from cardboard, foam plastic, wire and even a metal clothes hanger. The frame should have a round shape.
Now glue the pine cones to the frame as thick as possible using a hot glue gun. The finished composition can be painted with any color paint. In our case, this is bright green paint.
And since we have a wreath for Halloween, it should be scary, which means it will look like a monster. We make the monster’s eyes from foam balls, cut out teeth from colored cardboard and don’t forget about the fashionable accessory, the butterfly.
To decorate a Christmas and New Year's wreath, you can use Christmas tree decorations, tinsel, candies, decorative paper, gold and silver paint, fir branches, artificial snow, etc.
New Year and Christmas wreaths
Thick cardboard is suitable for the base. Draw a circle on it. You can use two available bowls of different diameters. Attach them to the cardboard and trace them with a pencil. Using a knife or scissors, cut out the base for the wreath. To add volume, we tape the crumpled paper to it with masking tape.
This is what the result should be.
We take a wide burlap ribbon and wrap it around the prepared base. Periodically secure the tape with a glue gun.
We attach the decor tightly to the base.
If you want to add glitter, spray the wreath with adhesive spray and sprinkle it over it. The result will please you.
You can make a simpler version where wire hangers are used as the base. Unbend the trempel so that you get a circle with a hook. Glue plastic rings to the cones and string them onto a wire. It couldn't be simpler. Add a wide satin ribbon bow.
A ready-made foam base will greatly simplify the work. They are usually sold in white. You can make the base gold or silver. We attach the decorative elements using hot glue. You will get such a wonderful wreath.
The base can be created from ordinary newspapers. Take a few pieces, twist them into a tube, and close them into a ring. Wrap in white paper. You can also decorate the top with colored mesh and New Year’s rain. We attach the decorative elements using a glue gun. It turns out simple and tasteful.
Crafts from pine cones for the New Year's table
While mom is busy preparing holiday dishes, the children can start decorating the table. This basket looks quite impressive, and its cost is quite small.
Paint the cones with spray paint, acrylic, or a mixture of gouache and PVA glue.
Then paint the basket. In the data for the basket, the same paint is used as for the cones, but you can use a different color, or even leave it in its original form.
Lay out the cones to form a composition and secure them with hot glue.
The decoration is ready! You can also add a fancy ribbon, a few beads or a cinnamon stick to it. If you are planning not just New Year's family gatherings, but a large party, this is an original way to mark the place of each guest at the table.
Fairy lights
This is another traditional New Year's decoration. A garland of gilded or white cones looks very stylish.
Before starting work, you need to purchase small self-tapping screws with rings at a hardware store. Screw self-tapping screws into the parts that attach the cones to the branch. String them onto the base, securing each with a knot.
You can attach decorative elements more tightly. In this case, it is better to use thin ribbons or strong threads or twine.
These garlands look gorgeous.
Crafts from pine cones and plasticine
It is quite difficult to fasten the cones together tightly. Ordinary plasticine copes best with this task. In addition, the flexible material can be used to decorate crafts or as the main element in a composition.
Turtle
Mold the torso, legs and walrus of a turtle from plasticine. Cones should only be used to create a beautiful shell.
Christmas balls
It is best to use round foam blanks. They can be purchased in different diameters in stores that sell decorative or handicraft products.
Select cones of approximately the same size and shape. Using a glue gun, attach them to the ball, circle by circle, placing them as close to each other as possible.
We get this result.
To fill the gaps, you can use twigs, beads, fancy flowers, berries, etc.
If you don’t have a foam blank, you can make do with improvised materials. Inflate the balloon, wrap it in toilet paper soaked in a solution of water and PVA glue (2:1), and dry for about a day. Paint the workpiece and dry it again. Glue the cones as described above. But keep in mind that such a blank is much more fragile than polystyrene foam. You need to work very carefully.
Garland of pine cones for the New Year:
Making a garland is not at all difficult. It will look equally beautiful if you make it from fir cones or pine cones.
To do this you will need:
- leg-split
- satin ribbons or burlap
- bumps
- glue gun
Using satin ribbons, attach the pine cones to the twine.
If you have burlap, cut it into thin strips.
You can secure the cones using a glue gun. You can decorate this craft from Christmas tree cones with your own hands using beads. You can also cover the cones with white paint and add artificial snow to the edges.
As the holidays approach, New Year's crafts made from pine cones for kindergartens become relevant. Here your imagination can run wild, because you can do anything. It could be a simple Christmas tree made of pine cones or a wreath.
Stars
For this decoration we will need elements of different sizes, strong wire, and wire cutters.
The most important thing is to make the base. Using wire cutters, cut off 5 pieces of wire of the same length. We form a five-pointed shape by bending each piece in the center.
Now it's time to string the prepared cones. This is not easy to do, so choose very strong wire.
Another option for an asterisk. Pick 6 approximately identical cones. Fold the thin ribbon in half and tie the loose ends in a knot. Pierce one piece from the base to the top, stretch the tape so that the knot is at the base. Glue the pine cones together with hot glue to form a five-pointed star. To hide the junctions, attach another pine cone, flower or snowflake right in the center of the composition.
New Year's gnomes
To make these cute fairy-tale characters we will need:
- pieces of felt;
- open cones;
- large wooden bead;
- glue gun;
- brushes for washing nipples.
To cut out the cap, draw a circle on paper. Cut it out, fold it in half, and roll it into a cone. We try the resulting figure on the bead and adjust it so that the cap fits tightly. Using the adjusted pattern, cut out the cap from felt and carefully sew the edges together.
We attach the beads with hot glue to the top of the craft. If you don't have beads, you can make a chestnut head.
Glue the cap to the bead. Let's start making handles.
We cut out two parts in the form of mittens from felt. We cut off the handles of the nipple brushes. We attach the fleecy parts to the scales using hot glue, and attach mittens to them.
You can make handles from thin rope, and instead of mittens, take wooden beads of small diameter. Make a knot at one end and put on a bead, glue the other end to the scale as close to the rod as possible.
Cut out the legs from felt and glue them to the pine cone.
The final touch is to paint the face with a thin brush and acrylic paints. This is your imagination - the gnome can smile, be sad, stick out his tongue and even sleep.
You can decorate the gnomes with felt scarves.
If you sew a bead to the cap, you can thread a thread through it and hang the gnome on the tree.
You can make gnomes without arms simply by attaching, for example, a gift, a Christmas tree, mushrooms, etc. to the scales. The beard and hair can be made from synthetic fluffy material (sintepon, holofiber, etc.).
But such a gnome is very easy to make. Sew the cap wider, pull it lower over the pine cone, and secure it with hot glue. Also use a glue gun to attach a nose bead or a small cotton ball. Pull the thread through the top of the cap and make a loop. The magic man is ready.
Fantasize, and you will get your own unique New Year's gnome that makes wishes come true.
Animal figurines for the Christmas tree
The pine cones make wonderful funny little animals and birds.
For example, an owl. You can make many variations of this bird. For creativity you will need:
- felt scraps;
- plastic eyes;
- glue gun
From pieces of felt we cut out droplet-shaped wings, a triangular beak (if we want to get an open version, we cut out a diamond shape), and round “bowls” for the eyes.
We attach it all to the base with hot glue.
This is the basis. And then - your imagination: you can replace the plastic eyes with buttons, add a few natural feathers, cut out paws, eyebrows, a hat, etc. from felt.
New Year's peacocks look no less impressive. They are very easy to make. Use hot glue to secure the eyes and triangular beak made of felt (choose the color yourself). We place the tail feathers in a semicircle at the base of the cone. To cover the places where the feathers are attached, cut out a circle of felt of the appropriate diameter and glue it to the base. These are the bright magical birds you get.
You can also please children with little mice. We make sharp faces from acorns, antennae and tails from threads (floss, silk, etc.). We cut out the ears from felt or use pistachio nut shells. The eyes and nose are large black beads.
We cut pieces of thread of the same length for the mustache. We put it together, pull it through the bead, and drip PVA glue inside the bead. We wait until the nose hardens. During this time, cut out the ears from felt.
Glue the ears, eyes, and nose to the acorn. To make a beautiful bang:
- without tightening, wind the floss threads onto the ballpoint pen refill;
- coat one side with glue;
- attach to the acorn, press down, carefully remove the rod;
- wait until it dries completely.
Attach the finished head with hot glue to the body - the bump. Fold several strands of floss in half and twist to form a ponytail. Attach it with glue to the base. Adorable mice are ready.
There is nothing easier than making a moth. You need to cut out heart-shaped wings from felt. Make a head out of a wooden bead, painting it at your discretion.
Fold the thread, secure the ends with a knot and thread it through the bead so that the knot is at the bottom of the head. Attach the blanks to the pine cone with hot glue.
You can complement the moth with a beautiful headband and a felt heart.
Alternatively, you can make wings from wire for decoration. You need to bend it in the shape of wings and attach it to the pine cone with hot glue.
What would New Year be without deer! You can quickly make such an unusual head using twigs, felt, a long pine cone, plastic eyes, and a glue gun.
We cut out two blanks for the ears from felt. As a nose, you can use a square dark bead or a piece of the same felt. We attach the blanks to the “head” with hot glue. We place the branches under the scales at the base of the cone, trying to make horns. Secure with glue. The work is finished.
This is how you can make any animal from scrap materials. Work together with children. You will get extraordinary pleasure from creativity.
Crafts from pine cones for kindergarten
If you have small children who are still in kindergarten, then you are very lucky. During the New Year's Eve, you can start making crafts and animals for kindergarten.
As a rule, the cone acts as a base - the body. And then other parts are attached to it using glue or plasticine - tail, ears, legs, eyes, nose.
To decide exactly what your pine cone will look like, turn it in your hands, look at it carefully, and then start making winter crafts from pine cones for kindergarten.
For example, an owl from pine cones is made very quickly and simply. For the tail you will need feathers, eyes - ready-made, and a beak made of felt.
Another option to make an owl craft for kindergarten is to make multi-layered colored eyes and beak. Even these characteristic details will be enough to make it clear that this is an owl.
To ensure that the birds stand well at a craft exhibition in the garden, they can be mounted on stands - saw cuts from narrow tree branches.
Cover the birds with shiny spray paint and crafts made from pine cones for the New Year will look very impressive. Such birds can become wonderful Christmas decorations for decorating a Christmas tree.
A great idea to add an angel to kindergarten. It is associated with Christmas, so gentle and pure like our children.
