Pinecones, I got pinecones. Just finished raking out back, and I have a wagon full on cones. There must be people out there who use them for crafts. What am I to do with all these cones? DH does not want them <img border="0" alt="[tongue]" title="" src="graemlins/tongue.gif" /> for fire starters. Suggestions?

Lightly daubed with white paint on the edges and then sprinkled with sparkles they make great christmas tree decorations. The also make great center pieces for the table if you are willing to coat them with some type of varnish/polyrethene first. If you are willing to crunch some up that aren't very pretty you can add them to old batting for outside deck chair cushions. Of course as an added decoration on christmas and fall wreaths they are great.

you can feed the birdies!! slather peanut butter on them and roll them in peanut butter! and tie a piece of yarn or string or something to the end and hang from a tree or somewhere where the birds can find your yummy treat!

ButtonsMom,
You and me both, I have a boat load of them,
must have been a really good year for pinecones..

I was just wondering the same thing myself today, had the oldest one raking my yard, my mom's yard, the neighbors yard....

Here's my 2 cents worth, at Christmas time, I always see bags of pinecones that are cinnamin scented and have gold glitter on them for decorations.....
So, find yourself some cinnamin sticks and/or oil and them them soak or ferment or what ever and douse them with some glue on the ends and sprinkle with glitter.....

And in our Bible School classes, my sister used to find colored popcorn seeds, and the kids would take a wee~drop of glue on the ends of the pinecones, and glue the popcorn seeds on, and it
looked like the pinecone was a pinetree with colored lights on it...
So cute.....

And TK and Miss Jamie both gave you some great ideas!!!

Weezie

If you have acess to a chipper/shredder you could chip them up and use them for mulch.

connie

Oh, yeah!

Go to Wal-Mart and buy a grapevine wreath...about 3 bucks...and a bag of potpourri. Use a hot-glue gun and glue those pine cones here and there all over the wreath. Then glue some potpourri here and there...add a raffia bow, and you've got a beautiful wreath and it smells good, too!

Very nice inexpensive Christmas presents!


Cindy

Thanks for all the great ideas guys!

one last reply... daubed with glow in the dark shirt paint, some multi colored beads stuck in the shirt paint, a star bead glued on top, and a circle of red felt glued to the bottom and you have a christmas tree for a college student, office worker with no room, nursing home resident and/or staff, etc... great gifts for those you think of but can't afford!

You could also find a local girl scouts troop and see if they could use them for arts and crafts projects.

My troop has made wreaths and pine cone Christmas trees for VFW Posts and nursing homes.

Perhaps as a table centerpiece, or just scattered around in bowls? Add some evergreen tips or dried orange rind for a little color contrast, and then some form of oil, such as pine or (my favorite) an orange cinnamon combination.

Rich

I found some this, hope it helps and gives you some idea's.
http://www.ioffer.com/i/Pine-Cone-Christmas-Craft-Booklet-Pinecones-Crafts-8070254

make tiny Christmas trees. Glue cotton to a circle of cardboard that is a little bigger than the base of your pinecone. Spraypaint or paint (with a paintbrush) the pine cone green. Buy Metallic/shiny beads from the dolar store and glue them randomly into the little grooves. Hot glue a star bead to the top and you're done! You could even spray some fake snow onto the tree, but DON'T overdo it!