DIY Sparkle Pinecones

One beautiful quiet night as I prepared a delicious dinner which required a lot of involved prep I threw my husband under the bus by suggesting that the girls ask him to help them make glitter pinecones...hahahahaaa.  Well, that's what you get when you have me make dinner.  Surprisingly I didn't hear a peep out of him other than a stifled sigh as acquiesced and gathered all the supplies while the girls' eyeballs almost popped out of their heads in anticipation...

Supplies

- Gather Pinecones

- Elmer's glue

- Glitter

- Paper plates

- Paper bowls

- Small Brushes (expect to throw away or save for other craft projects if you don't mind the glitter forever)

- Patience if doing with children; Glass of wine if doing with adults

Steps

Optional Step 1: Convince your children who, naturally, are also wearing glitter princess dresses in order to get into the glittery mood, to wear bibs lest they get glue all over themselves.  If you have a curious babe in a highchair as we do I also highly recommend giving him or her a paper plate of their own and a pinecone minus the glitter of course.  It will alleviate any crying which will inevitably take place happen later on once they realize that they are not an active participant in the ensuing glitter-bomb mayhem...hahahahaa!

1.  Take the pinecones and cover in glue.  The glue covering in my house consisted of brushing the glue on with tender patience at first...and then eventually deviated to drizzling on the pinecone with wreckless abandon.  Both methods work, I suppose it depends on how particular you are!

2. Hold the pinecone over a paper bowl and sprinkle glitter over your gluey pinecone.  My children decided that it was more fun to "paint" the glitter on with their now gluey brushes...I am not sure how effective that was but they thought it was great so we let them have at it!

3. Place your now glittery pinecone on a paper plate for drying.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 and if you are a *don't throw anything away* type of person like I am you will eventually take the glitter in your glitter bowl and use that to sprinkle over your pinecones over another bowl.  Yes, I even took a funnel and put all the extra glitter back into the container because that is how ooh we could use that again I'm sure I am.  :p

For those of you who are wondering or who have a natural aversion to mess -- yes, this will absolutely result in your house being covered in glitter for at least a week or any time you move any of the pinecones or the bowl they are set in.  This is not for the faint of heart.  For those of us made of stouter stuff (i.e. mess isn't going to kill anyone or let's face it, half of the items owned by my daughters are decorated in glitter so what is a little more going to hurt any of us?) these pinecones and the ridiculous joy it gave the girls in making them is totally worth sweeping up glitter throughout the holidays.  

The girls and the Mr. made enough pinecones to have a beautiful centerpiece and a small accent bowl in the bathroom.  I smile each time I look at them!

I know I've been missing in action but we've had a serious gastrointestinal bug that keeps getting passed between us...believe me when I say that it Has Not Been Pleasant.  I am a tad late but I am linking up this week with Making Christmas.  Go check out Erin's tutorial!

- rebecca lynne