by Trudy Brown

Created on: October 28, 2009   Last Updated: October 31, 2009

During the fall and winter months there is no other craft supply that is so abundant, versatile, or affordable as a pine cone. There are many simple crafts for kids of all ages that you can do this holiday season with these prickly little seed pods, so take your kids for a walk and be sure to bring along a bucket or a wagon to fill with pine cones. Half the fun of crafting with natural supplies is gathering them up.

*Ornaments

Some glitter, some glue, and some holiday ribbons and a pine cone are all you need you for a tree ornament that is sure to add sparkle to your tree. It doesn't get any simpler than this. Use this craft with even the smallest members of your family. If your kids want to paint their pine cones also, start with that step. Use smallish paint brushes that you can stick between the spines. Before the paint dries, sprinkle with glitter. If you choose not to paint, use Q-tips to rub glue among the spines and sprinkle with glitter. When the paint and glue is dry, tie a ribbon among the spines and hang from the Christmas tree. Add a homey, welcoming smell to the air by coating your pine cone in potpourri instead of glitter.

*Wreaths

Find eight or ten pine cones that are relatively symmetrical and well open. You want them to be fairly flat on the bottom. If you need to, file the bottom. Set them in a circle so that you are looking down on the pointy tops. Hot glue them together in a circle. Use hot glue to attach a holiday ribbon to the bottom of the wreath so that you can hang them on your front door. Decorate by gluing bows or plastic sprays of holly or mistletoe onto and amongst the cones.

*Snow men

Look for a nice fat, round pine cone. Paint it white and glue a white pompom to the top of the pine cone. Glue wiggly eyes onto the pompom and a mini orange pompom for a nose. Cut a hat and scarf out of felt and glue onto the snowman. Use small twigs from the yard for arms. If you'd rather, use pipe cleaners to make arms. Mini black pompoms can be glued on to look like coal buttons down the front.

*Mini Christmas trees

Let each of your kids have their own Christmas tree in their rooms. Paint the pine cone green and let it dry. Glue the broad end of the pine cone to a soda bottle cap so that it looks like a tree stand. Let the kids decorate with bits of broken jewelry and sequins amongst the spines. Let them personalize it with letters cut from construction paper of craft foam to spell their names.

The possibilities are as abundant as the supplies. The main ingredients (pine cones, energy, creativity, love) are all free so get going and have some crafting fun for Christmas.

Learn more about this author, Trudy Brown.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.