DLTK's Christmas Crafts for Kids
Pinecone Ornament

Thanks to Melissa for sharing this idea with us!

Melissa wrote, "I have a wonderful craft idea that I couldn't find anywhere so i would like to share it with you. I do daycare and care mostly for 3-5 year olds and so we paint a lot. For Christmas we are painting large pinecones (that a parent brought me) green and then sprinkling glitter over the wet paint and hanging it by the string we put on the pinecone before we began painting. The glitter makes the cone shimmer and very pretty. It will most likely go as a tree decoration to give to their parents as a gift that THEY made and it is so simple that my one two year old did a fantastic job. I hope you will share this with the others as it is cheap and easy and appropriate for all ages. The cones can be made more elaborate with those little balls that you put on the cakes and tinsel from the tree!"

Thanks to Barb for contributing her variation on the same craft:

Barb wrote: "I just did a similar thing with my grand daughter. Instead of the glitter, I stood the pinecone up in a milk cap that I had put plaster of paris in after I had painted the pine cone green. After it was dry she put little pompom's on it to make it look like tiny ball decorations. The milk cap helps to keep the pinecone sitting up and looks like a mini tree."

Materials:

pinecone,
string,
regular washable children's craft paint or acrylic paint,
paint brush with large bristles,
glitter
Optional: Cake decorating silver balls or tinsel

Instructions:

Tie the string to the pinecone.
Paint the pinecone by pushing the brush into the pinecone.
Tip: If using acrylic paint, thin it out a litle bit with water. I find it goes onto the pinecone a bit easier when it's thinner.
Note: If using acrylic paint, please remember that it washes out when wet but DOES NOT wash out once it dries.
Sprinkle glitter on the wet paint and add whatever other decorations you would like.
Let dry.

Printable version of these instructions