Last year, for our village Christmas fair, my daughter and I were in charge of the kids’ craft table. We were a little ambitious in bringing a glue gun and glitter to a fair where small kids would be crafting, but we ended up discovering a fun craft that turns nature’s leftovers into lovely ornaments — in a (mostly) sustainable way.

The glitter is biodegradable. The pine cones are local. If we do this craft again, we’ll ditch a couple of ingredients and source (or make) biodegradable glue. But this version is a pretty sustainable start.

Want to try this at home? Here’s how:

Step 1: Harvest Pine Cones

I really enjoy this part. Take a sunny afternoon, bring your kids and some friends, and make an outdoor play date out of pine cone collection.

There’s no wrong cone to craft with if it ignites your creative passion. We find that pine and spruce cones are stronger and easier to work with, while fir cones are softer and less enjoyable. But it can also be fun to give your kids creative licence to switch it up. Play with different types and sizes to create a diverse collection of ornaments for your tree.

Word of caution: Inspect your cones and ditch the ones with mold, bugs, or excessive debris. You’ll bake them clean before decorating them, but the cleaner they are to begin, the easier the whole process will be.

Step 2: Prepare Your Pine Cones

Once you’ve gathered your pine cones, it’s time to prep them for decoration:

1. Clean the cones: Shake off any dirt or debris. You can also soak them in a mixture of water and vinegar (1:1 ratio) for about 30 minutes to kill any pests. Make sure to let them dry completely before you:
2. Bake the cones: Set your oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Place your pine cones on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. This will help them open up and ensure all moisture is removed. Let them cool completely.

Step 3: Add the Bling

Now comes the fun part — adding sparkle.

Glitter is kind of a swear word in our house. Even my daughter, who loves sparkly things, knows how toxic those tiny microplastics can be.

Enter biodegradable glitter, made from eucalyptus cellulose, and it doesn’t leave behind any harmful pollutants or microplastic when it breaks down. Before I bought into this wonderful dream, I read several reviews to make sure it wasn’t too good to be true, and was satisfied that it’s considered legit by several reputable sources.

It is crazy expensive, but it goes a long way. We’ve probably decorated 150 pine cones since we bought it, and we still have glitter to spare.

To add it to the pinecones:

1. Create your station: You’ll need the glitter in a bowl, glue, a paintbrush, and a place to store the pinecones while they dry.
2. Apply glue: Use the paintbrush to apply a thin layer of glue onto the pine cone’s scales. We’ve been using up the glue we already have, including mod podge and white glue from years past, but next time we craft, our sustainable step will be to source some clean glue — like this one.
3. Add the Glitter: Either roll the glued pine cone in the bowl of glitter, or sprinkle the glitter over it (catching leftovers in a bowl below). You can roll the whole thing, or just cover the tips for a more subtle look. (We do some of each for variety.)
4. Let It Dry: Place the glittered pine cone on a drying rack or plate and let it dry for at least 2 hours.

Or, you can move on to:

Step 4: Add Ribbons

Choose Your Ribbon: Choose any size and shape you like, cut a 12-inch strip, and fasten it to your pine cone. We used random Christmas themed ribbon we had lying around our house, but if you’re buying it new, look for natural fibers like cotton, hemp, or even raffia paper ribbons.

Another optional item is:

Step 5: Add a hanger (and bells)

We added bells and a hanger to ours — but that’s another step I would skip if these ornaments are going on the tree. We just really didn’t realize how well a pine cone nestles into a tree without needing a string to secure it there.

That said, when I give someone a bottle of wine in the holiday season, I love adding one of our (many, many) leftover ornaments by hanging it over the neck of the bottle to add a festive touch to the gift. (And an ornament for the recipient’s tree.)

The simplest way to add the hanger is to hot glue a string (about 6-8 inches) to the top of the cone, and slide the bells on before you tie it up. You can buy little metal bells at most craft stores — we usually buy ours at Michael’s.

Any way you decide to personalize it, happy holidays, and happy crafting!