Fun With Pine Cones

PineCone Fire Starters

You can use candle wax from the craft store, old candle stubs or paraffin blocks from the canning department of your local grocery. This is the Stuff you need to make these:

PineCones
Wax
Wax Paper
Wax-Coated Wicks OR String
Muffin tin(s)
Non-stick Spray
Essential oil for scented firestarters (Optional)
cinnamon stick bits. (Optional)
1. Melt wax in top of double boiler over boiling water, or melt the wax in a coffee can in a pot of boiling water on the stove.
2. Make sure you have enough wax to submerge an entire cone.
3. Add color and/or essential oil when wax is melted.
4. Lower heat a bit.
5. Pour some of the hot wax into each muffin cup, covering wick and set a pinecone upright into wax right away!
6. Let harden completely! Pop each cone out, one at a time.
7. Melt more wax in the top or can if you need to.
8. Take your tongs, grab a pinecone bottom and dip the cone in the wax. Turn it to coat all over.
9. Lift the cone over the wax for a few moments to allow the wax to harden. Dip again until well coated.
10. Repeat with all the pinecones. Add more wax and scent as needed.
11. Place pinecones on waxed paper to cool. Sprinkle cinnamon stick bits on wet wax (if using).

To Use:

To light a fire, put a pinecone firestarter under kindling and light the wick.

Colorful Flame PineCones With Wax

These pine cones will make colored flames when they burn.

Table salt burns YELLOW
No-salt substitute burns VIOLET
Borax burns GREEN

Dip pinecones in wax to coat them, then dip in chosen ingredient so plenty sticks to the pine cone. Use it to start your fire as above.

Little Trees

Paint your pine cones dark green. Add glitter or glitter glue to decorate. Glue tiny pine cones to large, painted ones.

PineCone Birdfeeders

Pine Cones (Large ones work best)
Peanut Butter
Bird Seed
String, Twine or Yarn

Apply the peanut butter to the pine cone, pushing the peanut butter in between the petals of the cone. Roll the cone in a bowl of bird seed. Shake off the excess. Tie a string around the base or top of cone. Hang up outside. Cone may be re-used.

Pinecone Picture Frame

Hot-glue pine cones (whole or in pieces), shells, dried flowers, etc. around the edge of a picture frame. Apply a coat of shellac to seal it.

Bottle Topper

Attach wire to the painted, unpainted or shellaced cone, then push the wire into a cork bottle top.

Dogwood flower

Take several "petals" off a large pine cone. Paint them white. Glue them to a base. Put a blob of white glue in the center and sprinkle mustard seeds on it. It looks just like a Dogwood flower. Make it on a circle of leather or very heavy fabric and put a safety pin on the back to make a brooch.

Bleaching PineCones

Place pinecones in the bucket and pour in household bleach to cover the cones. Don't splash or breathe in fumes. Leave them overnight, for at least 8 hours, to get a good bleaching effect. Find a spot where you can leave the cones to dry naturally. Lay out some newspaper. Use gloves to remove the cones. Place on newspaper. May take up to two weeks for cones to dry.

How to remove Pitch / Sap from Pinecones

Bake on a foillined cookie sheet in 220慚 Oven for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the pitch melts. Makes a beautiful glossy glaze.

Finishing and Cleaning Projects

Spray polyurethane or brush on shellac on finished crafts. In time, when the cones get dusty, you can just rinse them in water, and the dust and dirt comes right off.

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