WREATH MADE OF PINE CONES

I saw this beautiful white pine cone wreath with red trim and decided to make one because I thought it would show up better on my brick.

I used a pool noodle, closing it by getting a stick the right size out of the yard and hot gluing it into the open center of each end of the noodle and then duct taping it for security.
I didn't know if the paint would keep the pine cones from sticking well so I waited and sprayed mine later. I laid it on its front and sprayed the back first, let it dry and then sprayed the front. it was not too difficult to spray down between the pine cones...I just put the nozzle close and sprayed.





Pine cones are washed in water & vinegar, spread out and let dry over night, then baked for 2 hours in a 200 degree oven. Then sort by size and start filling in. I laid out the thin taller ones around the outside and inside edges and went from there.
My son cut some tops out to use as smaller filler pieces and that left "flower" looking pieces which I added here and there...no real pattern.
Don't panic when your pine cones close up while draining! They will open when baked!





I had some small pine cones I had collected from previous projects that I painted red and added glitter. I then added silver glitter to the "flowers" on the wreath...here is a night photo but it does not show the sparkle!





You can wear gloves while washing and baking pine cones and laying them out. However, they are difficult to wear with a hot glue gun. Get some wooden skewers or a pair of wooden chopsticks (I keep everything I think I can use later) to hold a hot edged pine cone in place! Also, if one gets wobbly, you can hold it close to a firmly held one and pump in a little hot glue to secure it.
Use as many cones with flat bottoms as you can! It is sort of like a puzzle! HA! Have fun!






Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/11494707/wreath-made-of-pine-cones site