This was another one of my favorite post to write. I am always out in nature seeing things that would make cute little items to decorate my home with. Christmas is the perfect time for these types of crafts. Hope you all enjoy this old post and you all get a chance to go out exploring in nature. Happy creating and happy holidays.

Time for another day of our summer Christmas holiday and this one involves exploring the woods.

It is so nice walking out around pine trees in the summertime, especially after a summer rainstorm. It smells wonderful.

There are all kinds of leaves, twigs and pine cones out in the forest that are great for art projects.   Pine cones are great for wreaths of all sizes. When collecting cones don’t forget to look for a variety of sizes and shapes. You will need a lot of pine cones to choose from for your wreaths.

You’ll also need a glue gun and lots of glue.

You can use a straw wreath, twig or Styrofoam to glue your pine cones to, then add a big bow and decorations once completed.

 

 

There are several ornaments you can make as well, like these little elves with their mohair or pine cone hats.

They’re pretty easy to make, so all ages can get involved. Switch things up a bit and add wings and a halo for beautiful little angels.

First you will need to cut or pull away the first layer of the pinecone. Then glue a little wooden bead on top, add eyes and mouth, then decorate with a little hat and scarf.

Break your pine cones up into little pieces and use those pieces for little roofs for cottages.You will need some clay, paints and tacky glue. Make a whole village to display on your mantle in garland with tiny lights. Or you can display them in pots with your plants throughout the year.

 

 

Pull off pieces starting from the bottoms of your pine cones to make beautiful roses.

You can leave them the natural color of the pine cone or spray paint them red like I did with these.

Twigs aren’t just for campfires. Collect a variety of colors and sizes to create a rustic mini Christmas tree.

Get out your baskets of buttons, beads and tiny items to decorate your mini trees with.

 Glue or tie twigs onto a larger twig, from small to large, then display in a little vase or pot for your tables.

Have fun out there harvesting and exploring the woods, cleaning up our planets beautiful yards will make you feel good and the fresh air doesn’t hurt.

Plus harvesting pine cones helps to clear the forest floor of dried-up cones that could fuel a wildfire. Before planning to collect anything in national forests, please check with your local district office and forest rangers to see if you need a permit first.