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Snowy pinecones

Snowy pinecones

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Pinecone picking is one of my beloved winter traditions that I force my children into each year. Being in a high altitude area in a small town, we are lucky to have a few old, giant Ponderosa pine trees in my area with the classic traditional pine cones.

They're a little prickly to pick off of a tree (or up off of the ground) but they fill up a basket quickly and oh-the-possibilities for crafting. Can one have too many ways to craft with pinecones? I think not!

In years past I have painted them white. But this year I wanted something a little extra special. Something with as little trips to store as possible and something that I already probably have on hand. As it turns out, Epsom salt makes a wonderful natural glitter!

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After we picked our pinecones and returned home, the kids and I laid out newspapers on the kitchen table and set to work with paper plates, Elmer’s glue, and Epsom salt.

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Note* It is recommended to bake your pinecones first. This dries them out completely and preps them for crafting. Also it kills any creepy hitchhikers. Well, impatiently, I skipped that step since we’re in a pretty dry climate and guess what? I brought home a hitchhiker! A very welcome one at that. It was a little ladybug that I found in the middle of winter. They can hibernate in the cold and be rejuvenated by the warmth. I’m glad I found him because I put him on my succulents to live and eat my unwanted mealy bugs.

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They turned out rustic yet fanciful. I set them on my windowsill to add some decor. The best part of these is that they also double as beautiful gift toppers once present wrapping season commences!

pursuit of winter happyness

pursuit of winter happyness

Ada's bunny birthday party!

Ada's bunny birthday party!