Well, it’s here. Christmas is for children – screaming, arguing, won’t go to bed, I’m bored – children. I am sure they’ll be perfect angels all during winter break. If you keep those little hands busy, it can be a fun and meaningful time together. Crafts – easy crafts to keep kids busy may be part of the answer!

Easy Pinecone Christmas Tree Craft

Materials:

• Clean and dry pinecones (buy or take a nature walk to find some!) Just be sure the pinecone’s points aren’t too sharp. Large pinecones are easier to paint and look more like a Christmas tree.
• Green washable craft paint (like Tempera or Acrylic)
• Paintbrushes or cotton swaps to paint the pinecone
• Small multi-colored fabric pompoms, beads, bells, foam shapes (like stars)
• Elmers Glue or other brand of school glue
• Optional: Small clay pot to serve as a base for the tree. Alternatively, if the pinecone will stand up on its own, you might not need a small pot. You could also use a piece of construction paper as a stabilizing base. The idea here is just to have something to help the pinecone stand up in case it won’t balance on its own.

Instructions:

Paint the pinecone. Depending on the age of the child you may need to help them paint the pinecone. This can get messy so put down newsprint and wear a smock or old clothes. Let the pinecone dry – several hours or overnight.

Decorate the pinecone: Using the fuzzy pompoms, beads and other small items, decorate the pinecone like a Christmas tree. You could show children pictures of Christmas trees to get decorating ideas or maybe make a sample. Depending on how well decorated you want the tree, you can limit the supply and access to decorating items. This an opportunity to help kids count – “Let’s count out 5 red pompoms. Let’s count out 3 small beads.” Etc. Let the glue dry.

Make the “Tree Stand”: You might want to use a small clay pot or a disposable cup to use as a stand. Pinecones often don’t have a flat base and might wobble over. You could have the child paint the pot or cup if desired. The cup or pot is a great place to write the child’s name on the project (once the paint is dry). You could alternatively use some glue to adhere the pinecone to a square of construction paper to make a base. You might have to prop up the pinecone so it stays straight while it dries.