After gathering on your fall nature walk come home and make pinecone crafts for fall with kids. Look at my Fall Season Unit Study and Free Lapbook for more ideas!
And if we are going to make crafts with them, we might as well work in some teachable moments.
First, it is a good idea to establish what pinecones are.
Talk about some ways they are used besides just for crafts (although that is a perfectly lovely use for them).
Pinecones help the tree life cycle.
And when they fall they provide homes for small creatures and can provide snacks for bird and squirrels.
Too, you can paint on them.
Too, pinecones are the seed-bearing structures of pine trees.
Pinecones are not just forest treasures but a vital part of nature’s cycle.
First, look at some of these living books about trees.
TREE BOOKS FOR KIDS
I like to look at a few with my kids when we start a craft.
Too, add a few of them to your home library.
9 Tree Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
You'll love using one of these books as a science reference or to use for art to inspire life science lessons.
Some trees have lived many lifetimes, standing as silent witnesses to history. Some are remarkable for their age and stature; others for their usefulness. A bristlecone pine tree in California has outlived man by almost 4,000 years; a baobab tree in Australia served as a prison for Aboriginal prisoners at the turn of the twentieth century; and a major oak in England was used as a hiding place for Robin Hood and his men (or so the story goes…).
The fourteen trees in this book have earned the title "Celebritrees" for their global fame and significance. Both in fact and in legend, these fascinating trees remind us not only how much pleasure trees bring, but what they can tell us about history.
Spectacular illustrations rendered in oil paint, and a rhyming text that describes a tree’s activities from its roots to its branches, introduce young readers to the amazing activities that go on in a tree. Acorns nibbled by chipmunks, ants scurrying across a trunk, a spider spinning a web, leaves “breathing out air for all to breathe in”—everything adds up to a “busy tree” for all to “come and see.”
This is a fantastic reference book to have on hand for tree studies.
It has great illustrations and covers everything from how a tree “eats and drinks” to types of trees, seeds, how they change in the seasons, why we need them and more
Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
An introduction to the world of insects, caterpillars, and butterflies including identification information, educational activities, and fun facts.Invites young naturalists to spot wildlife.
Tree Full of Wonder is a vibrant, rhyming, educational and unique picture book showing the unbreakable bond between people and trees. For children ages 3-8. Kids will fall in love with nature and will become Protectors of the Trees.
From the highest branch and leaf down to the complex “wood wide web” of roots, it’s no wonder every part of a tree plays an important role in its own growth and the habitat of the whole forest or woodland. The Magic & Mystery of Trees is a nature book that takes children on a fascinating journey of exploration, showing them just how special these mighty organisms are.
Learn and Play: These figurines provide a fun and educational way to learn about different tree species, promoting environmental awareness and appreciation.
Bringing the world of TREES to your fingertips, FANDEX presents a foolproof field guide. Four visual keys--die-cut leaf, bark pattern, flower, nut or seed, and photo of the full tree--plus descriptions of habitat and more combine to give a complete picture of North America's forest and backyard trees.
In addition, TREES is a cultural history--of the mighty White Oak, California Redwood, Aillanthus, the tree that grows in Brooklyn, and the stately White Ash, as important for the bows of early Native Americans as for the baseball bats of today.
WHAT ARE PINECONES
Pinecones are the reproductive parts of pine trees that grow right at the top of the branches.
They’re made up of overlapping scales that protect and look after the pine tree seeds until they’re ready to be spread around, which happens in a variety of ways.
Pinecones open and close in different weather conditions to protect their seeds and help them grow into trees.
In cold wet weather they close to protect their seeds from freezing and to prevent animals from eating them.
They come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny and round to big and long.
They can be bright green, earthy brown, or even a cool purple.
But they do a lot more than just help reproduce pine trees and look pretty-animals like squirrels, chipmunks, and other small creatures eat pinecones.
Also, Native Americans used pinecones to start fires, ate pine nuts from the cones, to make baskets, tools, and even houses.
Today we are going to use them to make scented pinecone crafts to make your house smell amazing.
Too, you can also give them as hostess gifts throughout the fall and winter season.
As you collect your pinecones stop to take a closer look at the bark and needles as well, comparing them to other types of trees.
5 COOL PINECONE FACTS
- Pinecones can stay on the tree for a long time, sometimes up to two years, before they fall off.
- Methuselah, a Bristlecone Pine in California is thought to be the Oldest Living Organism on Earth. Look at my post Famous and Historic Trees Fun Nature and History Homeschool Unit Study to learn more about this tree.
- Pinecones can float on water, which helps them travel far and wide and spread pine tree seeds to new places.
- Pinecones are a symbol of fertility and new life in many cultures including Greco-Roman mythology, Ancient Celtic, and even in modern day Sicily.
- The pinecone was chosen as the state flower of Maine in 1895.
Next, look at more pinecone crafts for fall with kids.
PINECONE CRAFTS FOR FALL
Make an Easy and Fun PineCone Snowy Owl Winter Craft for Kindergarten using your foraged pinecones.
These DIY | Pinecone Fire Starter Favors are excellent gifts and can be used to start backyard bonfires or camping fires and are easy on the environment.
Here are 10 Fun Crafts to Do with Pinecones and a Turkey Pinecone Craft for Kids that is a neat decoration to use throughout fall.
Create a Pine Cone Crafts Bird Feeder to help out your feathered backyard buddies through the cooler months when it’s harder to find food.
You will find some great Winter Craft Ideas and also learn How to Make Fun Pinecone Flowers with your extra ones.
Another great way to use our cinnamon scented pine cones we are making today is to string them into this Pinecone Garland.
Add some homemade salt dough and create this Easy PineCone Hedgehog DIY
Finally, look at how to make these cute fall scented pinecones.
HOW TO CREATE SCENTED PINECONES
You will need:
- Pinecones
- Cinnamon fragrance oil or essential oil
- Gallon zippered bags
- A baking sheet
- A bowl
First, gather up a nice selection of pinecones.
If you can’t find them on the ground near you, they also sell bags of them at craft stores or grab an assortment from Amazon.
Shake and tap them a bit to remove as much loose particles as you can.
Rinse your pinecones to remove excess dirt.
Then soak them in a bowl full of water with a couple drops of dishwashing liquid.
This will help remove anything else that might be in them.
You will want to put a pot or something on top to help hold them down as they will float.
While this may make them close, they will reopen in the next step as they are warmed up in the oven.
Let them soak for about 20 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the pinecones on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until dry.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
Add 20-30 drops of cinnamon essential oil into the bag, leaving a little room in the bag so they can move around.
Use two bags if needed.
Shake the bag and tumble the pinecones around until all are well coated.
Now, the hard part is letting them sit in the bag for at least 5-7 days, you can shake the bag occasionally.
Remove them from the bag when ready and place them in a pretty bowl for display.
