I’m not sure why I leaved my favorite ornaments for last, but this is by far one of my favorites. The greatest thing about dipping pinecones in paint is that they aren’t limited to being Christmas ornaments. I can actually keep these out year round since I’ve used soft natural colors. I expect these will end up in vases and bowls throughout the house for the next 12 months.
Step 1:
Collect your supplies.
- Pinecones
- Push Pin
- Basic Wire Ornament Hanger
- Various Cans of House Paint
- Paint Stir Sticks
- Nail/Hammer
- Paint Tray
- Ribbon
Step 2:
Using a push pin, make a hole in the pinecone.
Thread a wire ornament hanger through the hole you just made.
Step 3:
Set up a paint station.
Using a nail and hammer, put several holes near the sides of the paint sticks. Balance them across the paint cans. Set a paint tray underneath the paint stick to catch any paint that drips from the pinecones.
Step 4:
Hold onto the wire hanger and dip the pinecone into the can of paint.
Tip: Use a soft brush or towel to brush any dirt off the pinecone before dipping it. This will minimize any stray dirt that gets into the can of paint.
Be sure to dip the pinecone slowly, holding it over the paint can for a few moments to let it drain a bit.
Step 5:
Hang the pinecone from the holes you put in the stir stick.
Step 6:
Continue dipping all the pinecones in the paint and hang to dry.
Step 7:
Allow the pinecones to drain/dry for at least 24 hours.
Step 8:
For those that you want to hang from the tree, use the hanger that is already hooked into the pinecone. For decoration, add a bow or ribbon around the hanger.
For all the rest, remove the hanger and decorate anywhere you like. The possibilities are endless.
Project Cost Breakdown (per Ornament):
Pinecones (Found – Already Owned) = $0
Push Pin (Already Owned) = $0
Basic Wire Ornament Hanger (Already Owned) = $0
Various Cans of House Paint (Already Owned) = $0
Paint Stir Sticks (Already Owned/Free from Lowes) = $0
Nail/Hammer (Already Owned) = $0
Paint Tray (Already Owned) = $0
Ribbon (Already Owned) = $0
Total Project Cost: $0
I know that I originally said I would complete 20 ornaments; however this will be the last one of the series for this year. I have more ornaments than my little 3 foot tree will hold; and that least two will not be dry enough to share over the next few days. I hope you enjoyed the series, it’s been a blast to share it with you. If you missed any of the DIY Ornaments this year, you can see a full collection recap here.
How do you keep the pine cones from closing up after they’re painted? Mine were huge and open but after I dipped they closed up. I tried cooking in the oven for an hour with now luck. It’s been over 24 hours :0(. Help!!
Pine cones will close up due to the moisture, in this case from the paint. I don’t know that you can really avoid it when dipping the cones, mine did the same thing. You may have more luck keeping them open if you apply thin coats of spray paint instead of dipping them.
We have not tried this yet, however, rarely do you see closed pine cones for sale, you should be able to get more money for them. The closed state is fresh, as we have stored them they open up and overflow the boxes. Hope this helps somehow
Typo: ‘I left…’ not ‘I leaved…’. My cones took 3 weeks to dry, but the result using thick paint was well worth it.
I still have painted cones from 30 years ago – it’s a family thing to enjoy ‘the poppy red front door at our old house’, ‘the beige back room window sill’, ‘the green radiator at mum’s house’, all preserved in memories from reusing the paint on pine cones and still decorating our christmas tree each year.
First, you must spray the cones with an acrylic spray, let them thoroughly dry and THEN drip them into the paint to keep them open.