Nature Crafts

Well it fell to me to add something to the blog this week and after much looking and thinking I decided to share some nature crafts with you. I like to make things from "found" objects especially things that I find in nature. Since Fall is upon us and pinecones abound this time of year here are some things I have done with pinecones. They make beautiful ornaments when spray painted gold or silver. They look nice piled up in a bowl in their natural state or painted, you can spray them with pine scent and they smell wonderful all throughout the house. I have used them as decorations on gifts, plain or spray painted. Pinecones make great bird feeders, add some peanut butter or suet into the spaces and roll in bird seed. Add a hanger and hang in a tree or on a shepards hook. The pinecone looks so pretty mixed in with dried wildflower arrangements using a floral pick and a little wire. I have spray painted them green and decorated them with little "ornaments" to look like Christmas trees and hung them on the tree.

Here is a little craft you might enjoy using a pinecone.

Things you will need:
Any size pinecone
sheet moss
dried or silk leaves
wooden disk or wooden ball
white glue
flesh colored craft paint
fine tipped black permanent marker
pink marker, crayon, blush makeup or lipstick
small length of gold rickrack, wire edged ribbon or metallic cord
optional - spray sealer, decoupage medium, or spray paint- invisible thread or fish line
Pinecone Angel Nature Craft Project Instructions:1. Choose a pine cone with open petals and a flat bottom that will stand up fairly straight when placed on a table. 2. You can use two dried leaves as the angel's wings, or four leaves, as shown in the photo. If you use four leaves, glue them together in pairs, using small dots of white glue between the leaves. If desired, protect the leaves with a coating of decoupage medium or spray sealer, or decorate with gold spray paint.Glue the leaves in place at the back of the pine cone, near the top where you will be placing the angel's head.3. Paint the wooden disk or wooden ball in flesh toned paint and let dry. Draw on the facial features in pencil, then trace over the pencil marks in fine tipped black permanent marker. If desired, add pink cheeks using a small dab of pink marker, or a small smudge of pink blush makeup or pink lipstick.4. Glue small pieces of sheet moss all around the edge of the wooden disk, or all around the face on a wooden ball. 5. Cut a small length of gold rickrack, gold cord or even thin gold wire and form this into a circular halo at the top of the angel's head. Secure with a dab of glue at the back.6. If necessary, break off a petal or two at the top of the pine cone to make room for the angel's head. Glue the head in place.7. If you wish to hang the angel from a Christmas tree or in the window, tie a length of invisible thread or fish line to one of the pinecone petals near the head, at the back. You can also add potpouri in between the petals on the pinecone.

Anybody have a nature craft to share? We would love to hear from you. Kay at The Natural Gait