DIY snowy pinecones Christmas ornaments (using your kids' washable paints kit)

It is a merry time but it is always a lot merrier doing the decorations with your children. AND it's the merriest when we could put up a nice decor without having to spend too much money on it. It is not about being stingy on holidays but the few quid we save surely can be used to spend on other necessary things - new pairs of leg/hand warmers, more beers, wines, or even a home pregnancy test later and God knows why. I mean it's Christmas time after all! Everything means to be memorable.

Since my daughter starts school, I always go to pick her up by foot. The school is only about 10 minutes walk. Beside it keeps me and all of us fit, from time to time I can collect pinecones along the way for using as decoration - they are of either the Hispaniolan pine (Pinus occidentalis) or the Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea) species. There is one spot with three trees that give good cones. At home, I have the washable paints and brushes that my children use for their art or crafting activities so that's it - something very nice for less. You'll find such idea almost anywhere these days, I am in no ways claiming I am the first to invent it. This is what I did with my little ones to keep them busy and happy as well and our own ways of doing it. I wanted it for a Christmasy atmosphere therefore I chose the white colour while my children went all Van Gogh's work kinds of colour. The white is almost to resemble the snow sticks on the cones. Heck, I keep fantasizing!

Paint it babies! Their choices of colour

 :-)

How to:

I would like to share the method. Select the brushes that have appropriate sizes. Apply the paint outward lightly onto the pinecones' scales (half way only on each scale). You might want to be suave when applying for if it's too strong then it doesn't look good, at least for my taste. The white is too dominant which makes everything looks so fake. The painting should get smaller as you are approaching the top of the cone if you start bottom up like I did. I left some of mine untouched at the top for a better contrast. Add the glitters if you like. Put your freshly hand-painted work under the sun for a quicker finish off. 

They will make beautiful decoration if you would hang them for instance, on a tree that is made from twigs and branches or using them to make pine cones garlands.

Or simply organise them on a shelf surrounded with some lights, baubles and tiny figures like reindeers, Santa, stars, twigs, whatever gives you the Christmas ambience.

 

Happy Holidays, everyone!