Dyeing Pine Cones with RIT Dye

Last year, after Christmas, I bought some cinnamon pinecones at the craft store.

My daughter and husband do not enjoy the super strong cinnamon smell so I stored them in the shed.

I wanted to do some crafts with them.

Recently, I wondered how they would take dye.

I assembled them, some RIT dye (Scarlet) and an ice cream bucket.

I was trying to enjoy the last of the fall weather before the flakes start to fly.

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I also bought a whole basket of pine cones at the thrift store recently.

Some of them have been sprayed lightly with white paint.

I wanted to try Dark Green Dye as well.

I followed the directions on the dye bottle for mixing.

In to the dye bath they go.

The burlap is another post.

You can read about it here if you missed it...

I left them in the dye for about 30-50 minutes.

At this point, I cannot really see much of a difference.

I added some more to the dye.

I removed them and let them drain in the grass.

Then I put them on a box lid and took them into the house.

I put them next to the wood stove to reopen fully.

It took about a day to fully dry next to the wood stove.

  I have also read that you can bake them at low temperatures in the oven. 

 Or you can wait.

A long time.

I am impatient but cautious so the wood stove seemed the least dangerous and quickest method for me.

Once they opened they have a faint tint. 

Here are the green ones.

 I like it. 

 It is subtle.

I only soaked mine for about 30-50 minutes. 

 For deeper color, I am thinking overnight would work great.

  I am going to have to try it out.

Also keep in mind, someone lightly painted these with white paint before I picked them up at the thrift store.

Here are the red ones.

I think the red ones are my favorites....

I already have an idea of what to do with these....

Soon all of those cinnamon pine cones will be on clearance...

Pick up a bag and have some fun...

Thanks for stopping by...

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Simple Burlap Christmas Tree

Here is an easy peasy burlap Christmas tree.

You will need 

burlap

hot glue gun and glue sticks

a piece of wire

a cardboard cone 

and 2 stars (I used rusty tin).

Cut your burlap into long strips.

Mine are about 2 inches wide.

I like to use real burlap bags so you can see the print, designs and words on the burlap.

Then just start at the bottom and glue and gather as you go.

If you have any kind of glue gun gloves ( I don't ) it is a good project to wear them for.

When you press down the burlap, the hot glue seeps through the holes and sticks to you and burns a bit.

I used a non-stick glue mat and just pressed with it instead of my fingers...

Just continue wrapping and gluing.

When you come to the end of a strip, just overlap the next one and keep going.

When you get close to the top, stop to add the star.

Cut a piece of wire about 12 inches long.

Poke a hole in the top of the cone to be sure the wire will go through.

Now make a loop in the end of the wire.

 Feed the end of the wire up the inside of the cone by holding the loop on the inside.

Once the wire comes through the hole in the top, grasp it and pull it until it is the whole way out and the wire loop is just inside the top of the cone.

Trim the wire to be just a little shorter than your star.

Hot glue the stars on either side of the wire.

Fast and easy!

Thanks for stopping by....


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