Everywhere I look around my house, I see pine trees. While they can present a hazard in terms of falling on houses in ice storms, they provide useful things like pine straw and pine cones. I love finding ways to use pine cones around my house. I have stumbled across some really creative things to do with pine cones in the last few weeks and thought I would share. If you have a lot of pine cones in your yard, here are a few ways to use them.
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8 Things to do with Pine Cones
Gift decorations:
Wrap a Christmas gift in a natural paper or a brown paper bag. Add some pretty ribbon or stamp a pattern onto the gift. Then, creatively attach the pine cone to the gift box with either more ribbon, some yarn or even glue. You could pass on a list of things to do with pine cones to your gift recipient if they are the creative type!
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Pine Cone Bird Feeders:
I am pretty sure that kids have been making pine cone bird feeders since the beginning of time. Just smear the whole thing with peanut butter and roll it in bird seed. Add a loop of string at the top of the pine cone and set it out for the birds.
Make a decorative centerpiece:
This is one of my favorite things to do with pine cones during the holidays. Combine them with other aromatic ingredients or seasonal pantry items for a centerpiece that looks and smells wonderful. Your holiday guest will love sitting down to a fancy dinner with the natural smell of pine in the air. Check out this simple fall centerpiece on Confessions of an Overworked Mom.
Natural air freshener:Â
Place your pine cones in a decorative bowl. Add a few drops of essential oils and use as a natural air freshener. You could add pine to accentuate its natural smell but personally, I love cinnamon and cloves to add a wonderful aroma to the house!
Pine cone crafts for kids:
If you are the mom of young kids, you will love how creative they can get with pine cones. They can turn them into pine cone Christmas tree ornaments, tiny hedge hogs, or a number of other creative pine cone crafts. Check out these pine cone crafts on Pinterest for inspiration!
Pine Cone Wreath:Â
If you want to add a warm and inviting touch to your front porch, try making a pine cone wreath. Check out the pine cone wreath ideas on Pinterest for inspiration.
Pine Cone Fire Starters:
Pine cone fire starters are great if you are into camping or just enjoy a nice fire in the fire pit in the back yard. (consider making your own fire pit as part of your next backyard landscaping project). All you need to do is melt candle wax in a double boiler and carefully dip your pine cones in it. Let them harden on wax paper and use them in your fire pit. For full directions, check out these pine cone fire starters on the DIY Network.
Pine Cone Place Setting:Â
For your next fancy holiday meal, use a pine cone place setting to tell people where to sit. Paint the pine cone and attach a small wire loop to the top. Add a small place card to the top with your guest’s name. Get the full directions for this pine cone place setting on HGTV.
Do you know any other ways to use pine cones?
Here’s another post you might like!
10 Uses for Wood Ash When Your Campfire is Finished!
Diane has a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Health Management and Policy. She spent many years working in cancer research, academics, and biotechnology. Concern over the growing incidence of human disease and the birth of her children led her to begin living a more natural life. She quickly realized that the information she was learning along the way could be beneficial to many others and started blogging as a way to share this knowledge with others. While passionate about health and the environment she can’t quite give up her favorite Cheetos and Diet Coke! Learn more about her HERE.