Perfectly Prepped Pine Cones

I love decorating my home with items from mother nature herself. Her colors and designs come unmatched to anything you will find in the store. For this holiday season, I am using pine cones from my very own front yard.

I began gathering bags of pine cones and spreading them across newspaper for a misting of pearl paint. When I came outside to check the paint, I noticed little bugs crawling everywhere...eeek! With a little research I was able to prep my pine cones for use inside the home.

How to prep pine cones for crafting:
There are two ways to prep pine cones, soaking and baking. I don't have the patience for soaking and drying, so I went with baking.
1. cover baking sheet in tin foil
2. preheat oven to 200 degrees
3. collect pine cones in a bag
4. lay pine cones in a single layer on the baking sheet
5. bake for 30 minutes watching the pine cones closely
6. remove and set outside to cool
7. lightly mist with spray paint for extra shine. I used Rust-Oleum Metallic Pearl.

Not only does this take care of the bug problem, it dries the sap so you aren't left with a sticky mess.

Now your pine cones are ready for use. Fill glass jars or liven up a tired wreath (remember ugly bow wreath from my yard sale misfits?) I love her simple new look with the added pine cones.

Happy crafting this holiday season!