Make a Pine Cone Pixie Ornament
My Pine Cone Pixie
Turn a Pine Cone into a Christmas Ornament
Decorate your Christmas tree with this easy-to-make pine cone pixie ornament and make some to give to friends too. They make great decorations for Christmas presents. You can gather the pine cones and acorns from your yard or a friend's yard and you're ready to start on your craft.
The one shown here was made for me by my friend, Jaye Rexford. She lived on an island in the Casco Bay off the coast of Maine. I delight in it because Jaye took the time to find the pine cones and acorns, assemble the ornament and mail it to me.
I love seeing handmade Christmas ornaments and ones made from natural materials. A homemade Christmas is pretty special. Every year when I get out the pine cone pixie ornament, I think of my friend who lovingly created it.
Gather the Pine Cones and Acorns
(a good excuse for a walk)
- Look for acorns that still have the top on them.
- Look for pine cones that aren't too large in proportion to the acorn. Chunky, stubby pine cones look best.
- Wash them off if there's any dirt or leaf debris on them.
- Let them air dry so the pine cone opens up again.
Lots of Acorns
These are the real deal, acorns that have been dried and are ready to use for crafts. If you don't have time to hunt for acorns or don't live in an area where oak trees grow, you can order them online.
Attach the Acorn to the Pine Cone
- Turn the pine cone upside down. You want the acorn attached to the wide part of the pine cone.
- Glue the acorn to the bottom of the pine cone. This is the pixie's head and body.
- Let the glue dry thoroughly. Either a glue gun or good old Elmer's Glue or a craft glue works for this.
Oops, Wrong Way
Enough Pine Cones to Make 3 Pixies
Need a Glue Gun?
This is the glue gun I've been using for my crafts. Use caution when children are around, so they don't grab the glue gun and get burned by it.
You'll also find on Amazon the glue guns that are cool to the touch. They cost a bit more. I think my next one will be one like that, but for now, this one is working fine, I just have to be careful not to touch the tip.
I always cover my work table with newspaper, so if I accidentally drip with the glue gun or spill a jar of paint, it isn't a disaster.
Red Felt for Christmas Crafts
You can cut lots of pinecone pixie scarves out of this red felt and still have plenty left over for other craft projects. You can usually find red felt around the holiday time in stores like Walmart. I'm featuring this here to show what you'll need (and for the convenience of those who like to order online instead of trekking around to the stores hunting for it)
Make a Scarf for the Pixie Pine Cone Ornament
Cut a strip from red felt for the pixie's scarf. You could also use a red ribbon for this. A strip of red fabric doesn't work as well since it would have raw edges that would ravel over time. Felt or ribbon won't have that problem.
Cut each end in a "V" shape. Add glue around the base of the head and press the scarf to it.
Add the Face to the Acorn
Draw the eyes and the mouth with the black and red markers onto the acorn.
If you are making more than one pine cone pixie, you can personalize each one by changing the eyes or the smile to get different expressions. Try out your ideas on paper first.
You can also buy those googly eyes and stick them on instead of drawing the eyes.
Add a Loop to Hang the Pine Cone Pixie Ornament
Make a loop of gold thread (or other color that you like). Tie a knot. Work the knot into the upper part of the pine cone with the the open loop at the back by the head. Hang it on the Christmas tree. Now, you are done!
Further Ideas for Pine Cone Christmas Crafts
Make Pine Cone Reindeer Christmas Ornaments - A 2-minute video for another pine cone craft
You'll need googly eyes, a hot glue gun, brown felt, a red pom-pom, pipe cleaners.
If you liked the craft in the video above, here are some googly eyes for it. Use your imagination and come up with new creative creatures using pine cones and googly eyes.
Tips for Preparing Pine Cone for Crafts
- How to Clean Pine cones for Holiday Crafts | eHow.com
With the Holiday season quickly approaching, you can save money on craft projects by cleaning your own pine cones vs purchasing them.
- How to Bleach Pinecones | eHow.com
Pine cones make great decorations for autumn by themselves or in wreaths, potpourri or other crafts. Bleaching them white can give them a nice, frosty look for winter. Just follow these steps in this article.
More Pine Cones, Acorns and Craft Ideas - Available from Amazon
Don't let a lack of pine trees keep you from making nature crafts. Here's a nice batch to get you started.
More Ideas for Your Pine Cones
- Pine Cone Decorations
Pine cones decorations are easy to make and low cost or free if you have them in your back yard, or know a friend or neighbor who has a pine tree or other evergreen. You can leave your pine cones in their natural state, or paint them, decorate... - Pine Cone Crafts and Decoration Ideas for the Holida...
In order to kick start the holiday season, I did some scented pine cones recently and I am loving the sweet and spicy holiday smell that is lingering in the air in my apartment right now. This started me thinking about more wonderful things that can. - How to Make a Pine Cone Angel
Pine cone angels can be made in less than an hour with materials that are easily obtained. I work with the residents of my Mom's memory unit once a week and do different crafts with them. I am always on the lookout for a new craft each week and I... - Easy Pine Cone Craft Projects: Christmas Ornaments, ...
Do you enjoy making crafts with natural materials? This fall and winter, use pine cones to make a wide variety of easy craft projects including wreaths, Christmas ornaments, turkeys, and more.
One More Idea for a Pine Cone Christmas Decoration
© 2010 Virginia Allain
Are You Ready to Start Making Pine Cone Ornaments?
These are really cute, I love the little acorn faces:) I should really learn how to make pine cone ornaments because I have four huge pine trees in my backyard. I have enough pine cones for the whole neighborhood!
I love these pine cone ornaments and I shall certainly be making a few. thanks for sharing.
I love this! So cute. I added a link to my Pinecone Crafts lens. Thanks!!
How very cute. Thanks for the lovely clear instructions.
When I lived in Virginia we had the perfect trees in our yard for making these.
Congrats on being one of our Crafty Christmas lensmasters!
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