Collecting & Preparing Pine Cones For Crafting: Why You HAVE to Bake Them First

I don’t know about you, but I love picking up pine cones in the fall when I’m out walking in the woods. They’re the perfect pocket-sized piece of nature to take with you and bring some of the forest into your home. While they look great au natural in a basket or bowl, they’re a wonderfully useful crafting material, too.

Whether you’re looking to make Halloween decorations, Thanksgiving centerpieces, or unique Christmas gifts this year, there are a few things you need to know. When to collect pine cones is pretty important. But there’s one big one that many people don’t do (and often regret it later). Keep reading to learn how to make the most of this abundant crafting resource.

When Is the Best Time of Year to Collect Pine Cones?

The best time to collect pine cones falls between late summer and early fall, specifically from August to October. Around this time, pine cones have ripened (yup, they’re a fruit) and have recently fallen from the trees. Collecting them in the fall, when they’ve just fallen, ensures you’ll find a variety of shapes and sizes, as well as cones that are still intact and free from excessive moisture.

Go for a walk after a good windy and rainy fall day. You’re likely to find lots of pine cones knocked down in the storm. Plus, who doesn’t love a walk in the woods in the fall after rain?

Don’t worry if they aren’t completely opened up; we’ll take care of that later. Likewise, some crafts look nicer with a closed pine cone. Having a mix of both opened and closed pine cones gives you more options to work with.

Do I Really Have To Go Out In The Cold To Collect Pine Cones?

A wet and windy walk in the woods not for you? Or maybe you live in the city without easy access to pine cones for collecting. Don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out. You can buy pine cones for crafting on Amazon and it’s really not that expensive.

This is the best listing with approximately 24 pine cones of varying sizes.

Which Pine Trees Have the Best Cones for Crafting?

Luckily, there are so many different species of pine trees that have great pine cones for crafting. Here are a few of the best options:

• Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus): Known for its long, slender cones, Eastern White Pine cones are often used in holiday wreaths and arrangements. Eastern White Pine tends to be quite sappy in some years. If the cones are tightly closed and sticky with sap, you may want to skip them for that year.

• Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa): These cones are larger and have that characteristic cone shape that makes you think of rustic cabin décor. Naturally, they’re well-suited for those types of crafts as well as wreathes and centerpieces.

• Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris): While Scots Pines are harder to find in the wild, if you have them as part of your landscaping, take advantage of their beautiful cones. With its unique spiraled structure and smaller size, Scots Pine cones are excellent for a variety of crafts and can add an interesting visual element.

• Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana): Lucky you if you have access to Sugar Pines, for they are well known for producing the longest cones of any pine tree. Sugar Pine cones are perfect for statement pieces and large decorations.

• Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta): Lodgepole Pine cones look great, open or closed, and they’re quite sturdy. Like the White Pines, Lodgepole Pines can be especially sappy some years.

Now that you have a lovely basket full of pine cones take a moment to admire their natural beauty – then chuck ‘em in the oven! Yup, baking pine cones is an important step if you want to use them for crafting in your home.

Preparing Pine Cones: Baking is Best

Once you’ve collected your pine cones, you have to bake them. Otherwise, they taste awful. I’m kidding; we aren’t eating them.

Baking serves two purposes: the heat will help to open up the cones and kill any unwanted stowaways hiding inside them. Not only do insects like to hang out in pine cones, but they like to lay eggs in them, too. So even if you don’t see any bugs now, you might end up with a nasty, wriggly surprise months from now. Better baked than sorry.

Baking Process:

• Set your oven to 200°F (93°C). This low temperature will effectively open the cones without causing them to burn or lose their lovely color. (Your house is going to smell great, too.)
• Place your collected pine cones in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can line the sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easier cleanup. You really don’t want the experience of trying to clean pine pitch off your Nordic Ware baking sheets. Ask me how I know.
• Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for about 30 to 60 minutes. Keep an eye on them; you’ll notice the cones gradually opening up as they heat. If they’re still closed after an hour, give them additional time, checking every 15 minutes.
• Try not to freak out if you see any dead bugs.
• Once the cones have opened and all critters have been extinguished, remove them from the oven and let them cool completely.

Sap Removal Tip:

If you get any sap on your hands or cookware, use cooking oil (I always grab my olive oil) to remove it. Gently rub the sap with an oil-soaked paper towel or dishcloth to remove it from your baking sheets. You can rub the oil into your hands and then follow up with hand soap to remove it from your hands.

Fun Craft Ideas with Pine Cones

Now that your pine cones are prepped, here are some fun crafting ideas for fall and winter.

Pine Cone Ornaments

Create charming ornaments by painting pine cones in vibrant colors, adding glitter, or embellishing them with ribbons and beads. Hang them on your tree or use them as gift tags. Pinterest is loaded with adorable pine cone ornament ideas.

Wreaths

Use pine cones to make autumnal or holiday wreaths. You can add them as embellishments to an evergreen wreath or make the entire wreath out of pine cones. Mix pine cones with acorns and golden leaves for a stunning fall wreath.

Table Centerpieces

Because they’re already beautiful on their own, pine cones look great in a large clear glass bowl or vase in the center of your table. Add sprigs of evergreens or rosemary or colorful Christmas baubles. There are so many ways to use pine cones to dress up your holiday centerpiece.

Pine Cone Garland

I love making pine garlands. My favorite one hangs at my daughter’s house year-round. You can keep it simple and rustic using only pine cones, felt and twine or get really creative and add them to an evergreen garland with lights and other trimmings. Again, Pinterest is a great resource for ideas.

Pine Cone Animals

Get creative by turning pine cones into adorable animal figures. Use craft supplies like googly eyes, felt, and pipe cleaners to make owls, hedgehogs, or other creatures. Spiders are an easy DIY Halloween decoration, while reindeer are especially festive and an easy kid-friendly project.  

Pine Cone Fire Starters

For a practical twist that makes a thoughtful gift, wrap a cotton wick around the pine cone, then dip it in melted paraffin wax. While the wax is still soft, roll the pine cone in sawdust. These handmade fire starters are perfect for a cozy winter evening in front of the fire.

Naturally, there are so many other crafts you can make with pine cones. Here are a few more fun Christmas-themed ideas.

Storing Pine Cones to Use Later

If you don’t use all of your gorgeous pine cones and want to use them for other crafts in the future, here are a couple of storage tips.

Store them in a breathable container, such as a cardboard box or paper bag. You don’t want to use plastic bags. If the pine cones still have any moisture in them, they will get moldy in plastic bags. Keep them somewhere cool, dry and dark. Don’t put anything heavy on them, or you’ll end up smashing them and breaking off individual ‘petals.’

You may find that some years will be abundant with pine cones, and others will be a bust. Regardless, if you head out each fall with a basket in hand, you’ll always have pine cones ready for beautiful, nature-inspired holiday décor and gifts.