Planning Ahead for Fall
Yes, it’s the beginning of August, but fall isn’t that far away. For those who like to keep ahead of the seasons, it’s a good time to plan those fall decorating projects. We created this pinecone decoration for Christmas, but it could also be modified to fit the entire fall season.
Until a knee injury sidelined me, I walked about three miles each morning. In. the fall, I always saw lots of pinecones that had fallen onto the sidewalks or into the street. At some point, I began to gather the better specimens. After all, I reasoned, if I didn’t snatch them out of the streets, they were destined to be pulverized by passing cars and would eventually wind up in the storm drain in whole or in pieces.
By the time November rolled around, I had about two dozen gorgeous pinecones but didn’t know what to do with them. Fortunately, when I showed the collection to my wife, she told me she’d seen a project on Hallmark for a Christmas pinecone decoration. A week before she was scheduled for a total knee replacement, we tackled this easy DIY decorating project, so she’d have something new to look at during December.
If you’re inclined to gather your own pinecones, this is a great time to start planning your collection strategy. Where can you go to find pinecones? How many will you need? And, best of all, how much fun can you have while you’re out collecting?
Equipment needed:
Oven
Baking sheet and parchment paper
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Paintbrush
Mason jar
Supplies needed:
Pinecones (I suggest collecting extras just to be safe)
One jar of Mod Podge
Disposable gloves
Fake snow
Faux berries, pom poms, small jingle bells, or other seasonal attachments
Wooden round (or another type of base to mount the decorations)
Step 1: Any pinecones collected from outside will likely have pests and should be baked at 200 degrees for about an hour. Check them every 10-15 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. You’ll notice that, as they bake, the pinecones will ‘bloom’ and open up. This will help make them easier to decorate.
Step 2: If using fake berries, snip the berries from their stems. Break or snip the stems into smaller pieces. Set both aside.
Step 3: Paint the tips of the pinecones with Mod Podge to give them a ’snowed on’ appearance.
Step 4: Using the hot glue gun, carefully attach the adornments to the pinecones.
Step 5: Hot glue the pinecones to the base.
Step 6: Apply fake snow to the base around the pinecones.
Step 7: While the snow is still wet, place the stems from the berries onto the fake snow.
That’s it! You’re done. Let your creation dry for a day, then move it to its decoration location. If you’d rather create a generic fall decoration, replace the snow with fake leaves and scatter them over the base. There are plenty of possibilities for this type of decoration; all you need to do is visit a local craft store and let your imagination take flight!
A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery, Book 7
A party of six guests checks into the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast, but one checks out early. Dead.
The Chief of Police asks Seaside Cove B&B owner Rick Atwood to help solve the murder of Snappy Welles, a man Rick viewed as a born troublemaker. Rick quickly discovers that Snappy’s friends were far from friends. And all had a reason to kill him.
While Rick investigates with the police, his daughter Alex launches a shadow investigation. At thirteen going on thirty, Alex is gung ho to find the killer first. Rick wishes Alex would keep her nose out of police business, but her meddling is getting results. When everyone’s secrets and lies unravel, Rick must choose between bringing a killer to justice and saving his family.
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2 comments:
Thanks for hosting me today, Lois!
Always a pleasure to have you visit, Terry!
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