A Pinecone Wreath Plus Holiday Crafts
A rustic pinecone wreath gathered from the yard brings handmade, vintage-farmhouse charm to the holidays for almost nothing.
The Painted Drawer · December 2014
The holidays are the one time of year when the same thrifty, hands-on spirit that goes into restyling furniture spills over into decorating. There is no need to buy expensive store-bought ornaments when a walk around the yard yields a basketful of free materials — pinecones, twigs, and evergreen clippings ready to become something beautiful.
A pinecone wreath from the yard
A pinecone wreath is one of the most forgiving holiday crafts there is, and it costs next to nothing. Gather a good pile of pinecones in varying sizes, let them dry out indoors for a day or two so they open fully, and you are halfway there.
- Base: a simple grapevine or wire wreath form
- Pinecones: collected from the yard, dried and sorted by size
- Adhesive: a hot glue gun for a secure, lasting hold
- Finishing touches: a burlap or linen bow, a few sprigs of greenery, perhaps a dusting of faux snow
Glue the largest pinecones on first to establish the shape, then fill the gaps with smaller ones until the form disappears beneath them. The result is a rustic, textural wreath that suits a vintage-farmhouse door perfectly — the same make-do spirit behind almost there, the countdown continues as the house got dressed for the season.
The best holiday décor often comes from the backyard, not the store — handmade, natural, and full of character.
Keeping it natural and neutral
The beauty of a pinecone wreath is how easily it works with a neutral, collected-over-time style. Left natural, it reads warm and woodsy; brushed lightly with a creamy white paint along the tips — much like the soft beauty of a whitewash — it takes on a frosted, shabby-chic softness that pairs beautifully with painted furniture and the vintage linens and vintage smalls that fill a collected home.
Handmade holiday charm
Whether it is a wreath for the door, a bowl of glued pinecone “flowers” for the table, or simple greenery tucked along a mantel, holiday crafts made by hand carry a warmth that mass-produced décor never quite matches. They cost little, they use what is already close at hand, and they bring that same loving, make-do spirit of furniture restyling straight into the heart of the season.