Make a Pine Cone Pixie 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.

(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.

• 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.

Draw the eyes and the mouth with the black and red markers onto the acorn. The eyes for mine are sort of like commas. Easy! Anyone can draw a comma.

The nose and eyes are black, and the mouth is red.

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.

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.

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!

You'll need googly eyes, a hot glue gun, brown felt, a red pom-pom, pipe cleaners.

The video below guides you through the steps for making this pine cone reindeer.

• 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.
• If you don't have pine trees growing anywhere near you, you can order some from Amazon or look in the craft supplies at Walmart for a bag or in a craft store like Michael's.

• Pine Cone 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.
• Pine Cone Crafts and Decoration Ideas for the Holidays - 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 be made from this natural, easily-gathered item.
• How to Make a Pine Cone Angel - These 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 the angel was a big hit.
• Easy Pine Cone Craft Projects: Christmas Ornaments, and More - 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.