Easy DIY: Painted Pine Cones

This is so ridiculously easy there's almost no reason for me to write a tutorial for it! Although there is a trick to making tipped pine cones look more natural.

You will need:

1. Pine cones (I got mine from the tree in my yard but you can buy them for cheap in craft shops)
2. Paint in whatever colors you wish.  I went with white tipped, gold, silver and copper.  Craft paint is pretty cheap or you can probably use spray paint if it's not freezing where you are outside.
3. Small and cheap paint brush, unless you use spray paint.
4. Glitter glue, optional.  I tipped the gold and silver ones with glitter glue for some sparkle without the mess.  Most dollar stores carry this if you need some.
5. Paper towels and water.  I make giant messes, I need lots!

Lovely copper!

Before you start painting think of how you want to do them.  There's oodles of ways.  You can tip them with color, paint the whole thing or make them multi-color.   I wanted a variety, like I mentioned so I tipped some with white, and painted the rest solid in copper, silver and gold.  If you paint them solid, make sure to get in all the little nooks!

Mr. Birdie says...

If you want to paint just the tips there is a little trick to make it look more natural.  Hold your pine cone sideways and using a light hand, paint just the outer tips, your brush stroke will gently brush the top part giving it a dusted look as you see in mine.  Let it dry before flipping it over and doing the rest.  Then give it a light brushing underneath for a gentle highlight once the rest of it dries.

I tipped the silver one with silver glitter glue for some sparkle

If you'd like to glitter them then of course let the paint dry first if you want them painted.  I used glitter glue and applied it just to the outer tips like I did the white tipped ones.  Glitter glue is easier and less messy but you can always put glue on them and sprinkle or roll them in a glittery mess.  Have fun cleaning that up! Haha!

All done and piled neatly in my little wicker wagon basket!

Now you have a bunch of painted pine cones, what to do with them?  Put them in a basket, bowl or large vase for a festive winter display; hot glue a bow and ribbon to make them into ornaments; hot glue them to thicker knotted ribbon or twine for garland; or glue them to pretty wrapped presents with some ribbon for a lovely presentation!  The sky is the limit!

Feel free to pin this using the Pin It button below!