Scented Pine Cones

 Since the weather around these parts has turned rather gray and cold,
I have been itching to put some touches of fall around the house.
I love the rugged look of pine cones (and the fact that you can find them for FREE!) so I thought it would be fun to make my own scented pine cones and use them as fall decorations.

So the kids and I gathered up some buckets and headed out to the park to do some pine cone collecting.

Turns out they weren't too interested in collecting pine cones. 

Chasing geese was far more fun.

So as they played, I ended up collecting a ton of pine cones by myself.

Once we got home and I put the kids down for their nap (thank you, God, for naps!), I got to work on my pine cone scenting project.

First, I washed them off in the sink. 

I was afraid I woke the kids up when I shouted "EEWWWW!" as bugs came crawling out of the wet pine cones, but thankfully they managed the sleep through my shrieking :)

Then I laid them out on a foil-lined pan and baked them at 200 degrees.

This ensures all of the bugs die and melts the sap. 

I baked them until they opened up, which took about 45 minutes.

They looked like this once they were done. See how it opened up?

Then I placed the pine cones in a  plastic bag, added several drops of cinnamon essential oil, sealed it up and shook it to distribute the oil. 

I read that you should keep it sealed for 2-7 days. 

Since I am impatient, I waited the minimum amount and opened it after 2 days.

If you don't have any essential oil at home, you can try this method after baking them:

Spread your pine cones out on layers of newspaper. 

Use a foam brush to apply glue. 

Mix cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in baggie.

Add pinecones in spice mix. 

Shake to cover. 

Allow to dry overnight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They smell absolutely delightful.
There's something about the scent of cinnamon that makes me feel 
so cozy and happy to be home.

I put some in a wire basket (I couldn't resist throwing in a starfish!) in the entryway so that all who enter are given a fragrant cinnamon greeting.

And I put the rest in a hurricane jar that sits atop the mantle.

I saw a small bag of cinnamon scented pine cones at the craft store yesterday for $5.00.
They looked and smelled just like the ones I had just made!
And I did it for FREE!!!
WU HOO - I LOVE THAT!

Linking up to:

The DIY Show Off: Fall Festival