Last year my mom told me how she made her own pine cone ornaments at our lakehouse in Texas and suggested I do the same. I was all, “Where am I going to find pine cones lying around LA?”
Well, turns out there are pine cones lying around LA… about two blocks from where I live to be exact. Tons of them. An entire street lined with perfect pine cones that have freshly fallen from the trees above.
So this year, I made…
pine cone ornaments
![IMG_3479](https://i1.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34791.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
The best part about them? They are virtually free! (If you don’t have pine trees closeby, of course you could always purchase some… but take a walk around your neighborhood before you jump to any rash conclusions about a lack of pine trees… just sayin’…)
All you need:
– pine cones
– red ribbon
– scissors
All you do:
![IMG_3471](https://i1.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34711.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
take a pine cone
![IMG_3472](https://i0.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34721.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
![IMG_3472](https://i0.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34721.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
string ribbon under first layer of… what are those called? Just looked it up; they’re called “scales.”
![IMG_3473](https://i0.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34731.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
cross the ribbon
![IMG_3474](https://i1.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34741.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
and bring it back around the first layer of scales, but only halfway this time
![IMG_3475](https://i0.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34751.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
tie into a bow (it helps to tie a knot first)
![IMG_3476](https://i2.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34761.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
trim
![IMG_3484](https://i1.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34841.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
![IMG_3484](https://i1.wp.com/meredithnoel.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/IMG_34841.jpg?resize=720%2C720)
adorn
And voila! A hint of country in your Christmas. You can take the girl out of Texas…