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- Pinecones
- Cinnamon Oil
- Powdered Cinnamon (optional)
- White Glue
- Glitter
- Parchment Paper or Old Newspapers
- Baking Sheet
- Paint Brush or Dipping Bowl
Since we live in the grand state of North Carolina and pine trees are all around us, why not go out and collect your own? A simple walk through the woods, or your neighborhood for that matter, should provide you with an abundant supply of pinecones. It is important to only collect pinecones that have already fallen to the ground and that no longer have pine nuts inside. The pine nuts are an important source of food for squirrels and many other creatures, so leave those cones with nuts inside behind. Also, be sure the pinecones you select appear to be open; that is the spines are not against the side of the cone, they are spread apart.
Bake the pinecones on a baking sheet at 200 degrees F (if your oven does not go down to 200F, set on lowest setting available) for one hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Now comes the fun part! Fairy Glitter! You can either take a formal approach and neatly paint the tips of your cones with white glue, or go crazy and have a bowl of glue to dip your cone into. You definitely want to lay some parchment paper or old newspaper down! Once your cone is “glued,” sprinkle with glitter. If you choose to dust with powdered cinnamon, you also want to do that at this step. Let your decorated cones dry overnight on paper.
After your cones have dried, spread a few drops of cinnamon oil on your cones and viola! You have homemade cinnamon pinecones (with fairy glitter!). Have fun and most of all, have a wonderful Christmas
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