Decorate your home sustainably this festive season by making these easy and eco-friendly natural Christmas decorations from pine cones.
Christmas may feel like it has become synonymous with plastic. Whether it’s the baubles, the tinsel, or even the wrapping paper (yup, many types of wrapping paper are blended with thin layers of plastic, making them unrecyclable) – it feels like there’s no escaping the stuff at this time of year.
However, it doesn’t have to be that way. I’ve been on a mission to show you how to make decorations from all kinds of natural, recycled, and recyclable materials. Whether it’s making dried orange slices or festive decorations made from toilet roll tubes. I’ve even rounded up stylish decorations made from tomato paste tubes.
As part of this plastic-free mission, I wanted to turn my attention to the pine cone. As well as being all-natural and readily available, pine cones are incredibly versatile. They easily lend themselves to all sorts of festive creative projects.
Whether you’re looking to make sustainable baubles for your tree, create a natural and eco-friendly wreath for your door, or make a plastic-free garland, pine cones are the perfect starting point.
10 Sustainable Pine Cone Christmas Decorations To Make
To help you get started, I’ve got ten great ways to make sustainable Christmas decorations from pine cones for you to be inspired by. Whether you’re a crafting novice, crafting with kids, or looking for something a bit more advanced, there’s something to suit every craft level.
Pine Cone Gnome Decorations
The blog Ruffles & Rainboots has a great DIY for making these cute gnome decorations. They’re easy enough for kids to make (with supervision), and require minimal additional materials. The hats can be made from scrap felt or any other scrap fabric or old clothes you have lying around, to make this craft as zero-waste as possible.
Felted Pine Cone Gnome Bauble
If you’re looking to make something a little more advanced, try this beautiful felted pine cone gnome DIY by The Magic Onions.
Supplies are minimal. You need some natural felt balls and a piece of felt – although you can use an old wool jumper that’s shrunk in the wash. The only other thing is a tiny button, but try raiding your button tin if you have one.
Pine Cone Angel
The blog Willowday has a fantastic DIY to make this pretty angel. And if you are into crafting, you may already have the supplies you need on hand. All you need is some air-dry clay, some thin wire, an offcut of gold ric rac, and a little bit of tissue paper. It will look so good dangling from your tree!
Easy Pine Cone Angel
If you’re looking for an easier way to make pine cone angels – particularly if you are crafting with kids – then try this pine cone angel DIY from the blog The Best Ideas For Kids.
It’s a much more child-friendly DIY (no wire to bend!), but looks just as sweet. And if you don’t have any dried flowers to hand, feel free to customise. Use pens or paints to colour in the cardboard, or decorate the wings with scraps of wrapping paper, magazine paper, or similar.
Pine Cone Penguin Tree Decoration
The blog Hello Wonderful has a great DIY for making this cute penguin tree decoration. Really easy to make by kids and adults alike – these just need some wooden beads, felt and string to come together.
Natural & Eco-Friendly Garland
If you’re looking to make an eco-friendly garland for your home, then try this pinecone garland by Sincerely Marie. It makes a beautiful, sustainable, and plastic-free statement. Plus all you need – apart from the pine cones – are twine and ribbon.
What I really like about this tutorial is that it doesn’t use glitter. I’ve found that so many tutorials involve the use of glitter. But even the biodegradable stuff isn’t good for the environment. It’s best to avoid it where possible.
Festive Scented Natural Potpourri
If you’re looking for a natural and non-toxic way to scent your home, or are looking for an easy yet sustainable homemade gift idea, then try this homemade potpourri tutorial from A Beautiful Mess.
Made using pine cones, dried orange slices, orange peel, and herbs and scented with festive essential oils, it’s a lovely way to make your home smell festive. Plus, you get to avoid all the synthetic chemicals associated with conventional air fresheners.
Mini Christmas Trees
These cute mini Christmas trees by Domestically Blissful make for another easy festive craft. They’d look so lovely on your table or mantlepiece. And there’s no need to buy any new beads – you could use any broken costume jewellery. Alternatively, try wooden beads or recycled paper rolled into balls to avoid plastic.
Pine Cone Wreath
Erin at the blog Clever Bloom has a great eco-friendly DIY to give your front door the festive treatment. This beautiful festive wreath is made using some pine cones, tree clippings, an old wire coat hanger and some floral wire.
I love how simple and elegant it looks, but if you want to up the festive factor, attach some old decorations with the wire, or wind around some LED lights. Alternatively, a big bit of ribbon would also look wonderful.
Festive Pine Cone Place Card Holder
Finally, if you’re looking to bring a touch of nature to your festive table, try these pine cone place card holders by It All Started With Paint. All you need is some jewellery or picture wire and some card.
The wire is attached to the pine cone using spirals created by wrapping the wire around a pencil. This means that, provided you don’t paint the cones, you can remove the wire and compost the pine cones after the Christmas celebrations are over.
Pine Cone Foraging Tips
Whilst crafting with pine cones is a great alternative to using plastic to decorate your home, foraging for them can still have an impact on the environment. As such, it’s important to tread lightly. There are a few guidelines to follow to be an ethical forager:
- Check where you can and can’t forage. The Woodland Trust, for example, have some sites where it specifically asks you not to forage at all. Foraging is also often prohibited in protected areas, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).
- Only collect pine cones where they are in abundance.
- Only take what you need, leaving plenty behind for wildlife that rely on them for food or shelter, and to allow for woodland regeneration. The Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland suggest that you only take 1 in 20 when foraging.
- Harvest from the ground rather than pulling cones off trees to prevent damage.
Pine Cone Cleaning Tips
You may want to clean your pine cones before you start crafting your Christmas masterpieces.
If you do want to give them a clean, here’s an easy technique:
- Start by gently brushing off any dirt and insects with a soft brush. I find an old toothbrush is ideal for this.
- Prepare a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water in a bowl, and add your pine cones. Allow them to soak for 30 minutes before rinsing.
- Lay them out on a tray and allow them to fully dry out before using them in your craft projects.
Alternatively, some people like to bake them in the oven to kill off any mould spores. Here’s a handy guide to baking pine cones in the oven to help keep you right.
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