Pinecones and Glitter… Lots and Lots of Glitter {{DIY Ornament}}

Normally when we travel we make it a point to pick up a Christmas ornament from where ever our travels have taken us. I love pulling out each ornament and reminiscing about our trips and conjuring up memories that are sometimes filed to the back of our memory bank. Sadly, on our last trip, to Mammoth Lakes, we didn't bring an ornament back. *GASP* 

Lucky for me, we did bring home one of the large pine cones that peppered the mountain. 

Upon returning home and realizing we were sans ornament I immediately channeled my inner DIY. I gathered up a few supplies and went to work. 

These pinecone ornaments were super easy to make, and I'm sure any kid who is old enough to handle spray glue and glitter would love to help.

Warning:There is an excessive amount of glitter used, but I'm not apologizing - they sparkle nicely on our tree. 

Supplies you'll need (listed as pictured, from left to right, top to bottom)

1. Pinecones 

2. Spray glue

3. Screw eyes (found in the hardware section of your home improvement store)

4. Ribbon (the wired ribbon works best for bow making)

5. Small picture frames (can be found at any craft store) (optional)

6. Spray glitter - optional (found in the spray paint section of any home improvement store)

7. Loose glitter, lots and lots of loose glitter

8. Scissors

9. Floral wire

10. Decorative floral wire (optional)

Assembly

The steps to assemble are pretty self-explanatory, but I broke them down a bit…

1. This is perhaps the most important step, therefore it's number one. 

Securely screw in the screw eyes to the bottom of the pinecone. It will make every other step of the ornament-making-process much easier if this is done right away. 

2. Find a "safe" spot to apply spray glitter, spray glue, and 1.7 tons of loose glitter. This is probably not something you want to do in your kitchen or living room - trust me on this one. Spray a generous amount of spray glitter, a generous amount of spray glue, douse that pinecone with loose glitter. 

Oooh, pretty. 

3. Since you're already covered in glitter, go ahead and knock out finishing up the picture frame. It's pretty simple. Apply glue to edges, lather in glitter. Allow to dry.

4. While the glue and cloud of glitter dust are settling, get to work on the ribbon. I quickly learned I am TERRIBLE at making bows, and each bow took approximately 693 attempts before it didn't look like a flaming hot mess. For a good (and quick) tutorial head >>here<<, I am not one to give tips or pointers on bows. Again, just trust me.

5. Next, with the floral wire, you'll want to create a hook to attach to the screw eye. Make sure your hook is long/large enough that it extends PAST the bottom of the pinecone. If it's shorter it will be difficult to add the ribbon.

6. If you're adding decorative floral wire, you'll want to cut a few strands to your desired length and attach that to the floral wire hook you created in step 5.

7. (Optional) To attach the picture frame use a snippet of floral wire and tie it around the floral wire hook.

8. (Optional) Print off your vacation spot and month/year and insert it into the picture frame. 

9. Using a bit of floral wire, tie the bow onto the floral wire hook. 

10. Arrange the bow, decorative wire, and picture frame as you see fit. I place the bow and decorative floral wire in front, and moved the picture frame toward the back of the pinecone.

11. Your finished product may look something like this:

And, on your tree it may look a little something like this:

And, there you have it, DIY Pinecone Ornaments.

There is a good chance Scott isn't the biggest fan of the glitter. I mean, it is kind of everywhere. But, what's Christmas without the sparkle? A little glitter never hurt anyone, even if we are crunching on it at dinner… 

Happy Ornament Making!