December - DIY Frosted Pinecones

I based this project on an idea I saw on Pinterest when I was looking for Christmas crafts that I could do. I thought it looked like a really simple but effective way to add another decoration to our home. There are a few different ways to do this - I tried spray snow but it never dries (maybe I'm doing something wrong?) and fake snow (basically shredded/flaked cellophane) but it doesn't look very realistic. (You could also paint the ends with white paint but, personally, I didn't think that looked very good either.) We then got some Epsom Salts and I tried that and it looks realistic and dries properly! Although it was a bit messy trying to get the glue on the cones (there isn't really anything to hold on to), I think the end result is well worth it!

You will need:
Pinecones
Epsom Salts
Glue
Old paintbrush
Kitchen paper (or something to leave them on while they dry)
Glass vase/jar

If you are collecting your own pinecones, you need to line an oven proof tray (e.g. large swiss roll tin) with tin foil and bake the pinecones at 200F/100C for 30- 45 mins to remove any "wee beasties" before you can do the next stage.

Once the pinecones had been baked and cooled, I mixed some PVA glue with a little water and used the paintbrush to apply it to the pinecone (do one or two cones at a time otherwise the glue might dry before you get the Epsom Salts on them).

I then dipped the pinecone into a small pot of Epsom Salts until the glue was covered. Gently shake off any excess and set aside to dry completely. Repeat for all the pinecones you want to have frosted.

When they are all dry, it's time to display them. I used two matching glass vases that we have on a mantlepiece, but you could use an empty fruit bowl or a "hurricane jar".

And there you have it - Frosted Pinecones! Please leave a comment below if you have any questions or if you give this project a try...