As Opposed to Shake 'N Bake Chicken!
I like bringing nature inside. Let me rephrase that. We have recently had signs of a mouse in our house and I do not like that one bit. I'm terrified of hearing a mouse get caught in a trap. Yuck! Anyhow, I like bringing things inside that make me think of the outdoors for simple decor. It's cheap, easy and more personal.
Did I tell you that we went to the beach over Thanksgiving? It was a wonderful break from reality. I certainly found my share of sea shells (no sand dollars - so surprised aren't you?) but that isn't all I collected this time! The house we stayed in was surrounded by tall pine trees and there were beautiful pine cones sitting all over the ground. I collected a bag full to try and get crafty with them!
Above are the pine cones I gathered. They're prickly suckers so careful with your fingers!
First I put them in the sink and soaked the pine cones to clean them. Next I baked them using a throw away pan I bought and never used for anything else. I baked them at 200 degrees for thirty minutes to kill any critters. After they came out of the oven the pine cones looked like they shrunk up a good bit. I was disappointed but I let them dry for a couple of days and they were back to their regular size. After they dried I prepped them and did the shake down on them!
Once dried I painted on a mix of Mod Podge and water covering the pine cones.
I mixed Cinnamon, Pickling Spice that I ground myself and Ground Nutmeg in a Ziploc bag.
I shook each pine cone separately in the Ziploc bag and added more spices as I went.
I let the pine cones sit overnight and gently shook off excess spices before displaying them in a bowl.
They smell great and make for a warm centerpiece for any room in your house.
