Published on December 10th, 2014 Updated on January 10th, 2023 By Linda McGurk
As much as I love Christmas, I can’t stand the over-the-top consumerism and commercialism that comes with it. So when it comes to decorating our Christmas tree, I (and my kids!) tend to gravitate toward homemade, nature-inspired or upcycled ornaments. I like the look and feel of natural materials, plus they generate less waste. Last year we made a wooden Santa, which turned out to be a lot of fun. This year the girls and I decided to make an upcycled pine cone ornament using some leftover beads and a few pretty pine cones that we collected during a recent hike. These pine cone ornaments make for a great teacher gift or Christmas present for the grandparents!
Aside from the pine cones, I wanted to use materials that we already had on hand. I knew the girls had a lot of beads lying around from bracelets and necklaces that have torn, so I figured we could do a little upcycling.
Upcycled Pine Cone Ornaments
Materials:
- Pine cones
- Beads
- Metal wire
- Pliers
How to do it:
- Measure how much wire is needed. Loop the wire around the bottom of the pine cone (the end that doesn’t have the stem) and then continue to loosely wrap the wire around the pine cone. Make sure to leave enough for a hanger and add in a little extra for attaching the beads.
- Cut the wire and thread the beads on the wire, one by one. We spaced them out about an inch apart but if you have a lot of beads you can put them closer together. Secure the beads in place by twisting the wire around each bead.
- Once all the beads are on (we used 10-12 per pine cone) all you need to do is secure the wire at the bottom of the pine cone and continue to wrap it around the pine cone.
- Twist the wire a few times around the stem and bend it in a U-shape to make a hanger. Voìla – you’re done!
My girls (3 and 6) loved picking out the beads and threading them on the wire. Both needed a little assistance with securing the beads on the wire and wrapping it around the pine cone, but they were very pleased with the result. And the grandparents? They loved it too.
I’m in LOVE with this easy upcycled pine cone ornament! Thank you for adding it to the “It’s Friday We’re in Love Link Party!” You are being featured in this weeks pine cone round up! Thanks for joining the party 🙂
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for featuring my post:o)