12 Popular Pine Cone Crafts to Make This Fall

Fall is the perfect season to bring a little bit of nature indoors. As pine cones begin dropping from evergreen trees, they provide an inexpensive and versatile material for creating beautiful autumn decorations.

Whether you collect pine cones from your own backyard or gather them during a fall walk, there are plenty of creative ways to turn them into seasonal décor. From adorable woodland animals to rustic wreaths and centerpieces, pine cones can add warmth and natural charm to your home.

Here are 12 popular pine cone crafts to make this fall.

1. Pine Cone Owls

Turn ordinary pine cones into cute woodland owls using felt, craft foam, googly eyes, or small pieces of colored paper.

Use the pine cone as the owl's body and add large eyes, a small triangular beak, and wings along the sides. You can make several different sizes and display them together as an owl family.

This is an especially fun fall craft to make with children.

2. Pine Cone Turkeys

Pine cone turkeys are perfect for decorating your home around Thanksgiving.

Place a pine cone on its side or upright and attach colorful felt or paper feathers to the back. Add a small head, eyes, beak, and red wattle to complete the turkey.

Try using traditional fall colors such as orange, red, yellow, brown, and burgundy for the feathers.

3. Pine Cone Fall Wreath

Create a rustic fall wreath by attaching pine cones to a grapevine or wire wreath form.

Mix different sizes and shapes of pine cones to create a natural appearance. Fill empty spaces with acorns, dried leaves, berries, small twigs, or miniature pumpkins.

Finish the wreath with a burlap or fall-colored ribbon and hang it on your front door.

4. Pine Cone Mini Christmas Trees

It may still be fall, but pine cones are great for getting an early start on holiday crafts.

Stand a large pine cone upright and paint it green. Once dry, decorate it with tiny beads, pom-poms, ribbons, miniature ornaments, or other craft supplies.

A small wooden star attached to the top completes your miniature Christmas tree.

Make several and use them as decorations throughout the holiday season.

5. Pine Cone Candle Holders

Combine pine cones with candles to create a cozy centerpiece for a dining room table, mantel, or entryway.

Arrange pine cones around candles placed inside glass jars or lanterns. Add acorns, dried leaves, cinnamon sticks, or evergreen sprigs for additional texture.

For safety, keep dried pine cones and other flammable materials away from open flames. Battery-operated LED candles are an excellent alternative.

6. Pine Cone Hedgehogs

Pine cones naturally resemble the spiky backs of hedgehogs, making this one of the easiest woodland crafts to create.

Use felt, clay, or craft foam to make a small face that fits over the pointed end of the pine cone. Add tiny ears, eyes, and a black nose.

Create several hedgehogs in different sizes for an adorable woodland display.

7. Pine Cone Garland

A homemade pine cone garland can add rustic fall charm to fireplaces, stairways, shelves, windows, and doorways.

Tie pine cones individually to a long piece of twine or sturdy string. Space them evenly or group several pine cones together for a fuller appearance.

Add dried orange slices, wooden beads, cinnamon sticks, acorns, or fall leaves between the pine cones for extra color.

8. Pine Cone Flower Bouquet

With a little creativity, pine cones can be transformed into beautiful rustic flowers.

Cut or trim pine cones to reveal flower-like shapes and paint them in fall-inspired colors. Burgundy, orange, mustard yellow, cream, and deep red work especially well.

Attach the finished pine cone flowers to sticks or floral stems and arrange them inside a mason jar or rustic vase.

Unlike fresh flowers, your pine cone bouquet can be displayed year after year.

9. Pine Cone Fire Starters

Pine cones can also become useful homemade fire starters for fireplaces and outdoor fire pits.

One popular method involves carefully coating dry pine cones in melted candle wax and allowing them to cool completely. A short piece of natural-fiber wick or twine can be incorporated for easier lighting.

Only use homemade fire starters in appropriate wood-burning fireplaces or outdoor fire pits, and never use wax-coated pine cones in gas fireplaces or other appliances where the manufacturer advises against them.

10. Painted Pine Cone Decorations

Painting pine cones is one of the simplest ways to turn them into seasonal decorations.

Use craft paint to highlight the tips of the scales or cover the entire pine cone. Fall colors such as orange, cream, gold, burgundy, brown, and yellow can create an attractive autumn palette.

Once dry, place the painted pine cones in a decorative bowl, basket, wooden tray, or glass container.

11. Pine Cone Pumpkin Decorations

Transform round pine cones into miniature pumpkins for an easy fall project.

Paint the pine cones orange and allow them to dry. Add a short twig at the top for the pumpkin stem and attach a small green felt or paper leaf.

Arrange your finished pine cone pumpkins with real pumpkins, gourds, acorns, and colorful leaves to create an inexpensive fall display.

12. Pine Cone Table Centerpiece

One of the easiest ways to decorate with pine cones requires very little crafting at all.

Fill a rustic basket, wooden bowl, or decorative tray with pine cones. Mix in acorns, small pumpkins, dried leaves, cinnamon sticks, evergreen branches, or other natural materials.

Place the arrangement in the center of your dining table for a simple decoration that celebrates the colors and textures of fall.

How to Clean Pine Cones Before Crafting

Pine cones collected outdoors can contain dirt, insects, sap, and other debris, so it's a good idea to clean them before bringing them into your home.

Start by shaking and brushing away loose dirt and debris. You can then wash the pine cones in warm water with a small amount of mild dish soap. Rinse them thoroughly and allow them to dry completely in a well-ventilated area.

Pine cones often close when they become wet. Don't worry—they generally open again as they dry.

If you choose to dry pine cones in a low-temperature oven, supervise them continuously, place them on a lined baking sheet, and keep them well away from the heating elements. Because pine cones contain resins and are combustible, air-drying is the simplest option if you're not in a hurry.

Supplies to Keep on Hand

You don't need many expensive supplies for pine cone crafting. A useful basic collection includes:

• Clean, dry pine cones in several sizes
• Craft paint and paintbrushes
• Felt or craft foam
• Googly eyes
• Twine or jute
• Craft glue
• Scissors
• Ribbon
• Wooden beads
• Small twigs and acorns
• Dried or artificial fall leaves
• Pom-poms

A hot glue gun can also be useful for adult projects, but the glue and gun tip can cause burns and should be handled carefully.

Collect Pine Cones for Fall Crafting

One of the best things about pine cone crafts is that your main material may be completely free. Look underneath pine, spruce, and other cone-bearing trees in your yard or anywhere you have permission to collect natural materials.

Choose pine cones that are relatively clean and intact. Collect several shapes and sizes because different crafts work better with different types of cones.

You can even save extras for winter and Christmas projects.

Get Creative With Pine Cones This Fall

Pine cones are one of nature's best crafting materials. Their rustic appearance works beautifully with autumn colors, and they can be transformed into everything from owls and turkeys to pumpkins, wreaths, garlands, flowers, and miniature trees.

The next time you're cleaning up pine cones around your yard, don't throw all of them away. Set aside a basket of your favorites, clean and dry them, and turn them into homemade decorations that you can enjoy throughout the fall season.