#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--MYSTERY AUTHOR TERRY AMBROSE CRAFTS PINECONE HOLIDAY DECOR

Terry Ambrose is the author of more than twenty mysteries. His series include the Beachtown Detective Agency, the McKenna Trouble in Paradise Mysteries, the License to Lie thrillers, and the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mysteries. Terry just released Dead Men Need No Reservations, the seventh Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery. Learn more about Terry and his books at his website. 

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!

 

Dead Men Need No Reservations

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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#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--PINECONE TABLETOP TREE

We’re featuring another quick Christmas craft today—a tabletop pinecone tree. Consider making several in varying heights to display on a mantle or as a centerpiece for a festive holiday dinner.

If you collect your own pinecones, you’ll want to let them dry out for several days first. You can also buy bags of pinecones at craft stores. Make sure you collect or buy male pinecones. These are the pinecones that have the scales spread apart, rather than the female cones, which have the scales closed up tightly. Female pinecones won’t work for this craft project.

Directions are provided for one 8” pinecone tree. Adjust your materials accordingly if you want to make a larger one or several.

Materials

Two or three male pinecones, depending on size

8” Styrofoam cone

low-temp glue gun

white spray paint

crystal and gold glitter paints

1. Remove the scales from the pinecones.

2. Using the glue gun and beginning at the bottom of the cone, glue a row of scales around the cone. The point of the scales should be even with the bottom of the cone. Working your way up, glue additional rows of scales, overlapping the previous row slightly. Glue scales to a point at the top of the cone.

3. Spray a light coat of white paint over the pinecones, allowing some of the natural brown of the pinecones to show through.

4. Brush pinecones with crystal glitter paint. Allow to dry.

5. Dry brush gold glitter paint over scales, concentrating the paint at the ends of the scales.

Tip: Let your pinecone trees do double-duty. Leave them unpainted for Thanksgiving, then paint them afterwards for Christmas.

#DECORATING WITH PINECONES

Thanksgiving is over, and you’re probably starting to decorate for Christmas. If you live in an area with pine trees, you’ll find pinecones covering the ground this time of year. Not only do pinecones make great holiday and winter decorations, you can also use them to make fire starters for yourself or as a holiday gift for anyone who has a fireplace.

To make the fire starters, first send the kids outside to fill up a grocery bag full of pinecones in various sizes and shapes. Male pinecones work best. Those are the ones where the scales are spread open rather than closed tightly. The pinecones need to be dry, so if the weather has been damp, let them sit for a few days to dry out.

Besides the pinecones, you’ll need white, red or green beeswax or paraffin,  a double boiler, thin floral wire or bamboo skewers, wax paper, salt (optional), essential oil (optional), and a decorative basket large enough to hold the finished fire starters.

You can use plain table salt, Kosher salt, Epsom salts, salt substitute, or a combination. The salts will turn the flames different colors when they burn. If using essential oil, add 1/4 tsp. per 1 pt. melted wax. Peppermint or cinnamon will fill your home with holiday scents. 

Melt the wax in a double boiler to 150-175 degrees F. Stir in optional essential oil.

Hook a piece of wire around each pinecone, leaving a piece long enough for you to hold, or twist the pointy end of the bamboo skewer into the bottom of the pinecone.

Carefully dip a pinecone into the wax, then place on the wax paper. Allow the wax to dry for a few minutes. Dip a second time and immediately shake salt over the wax. Place on wax paper to dry.

Fill the basket with the finished fire starters and set beside your fireplace or use as hostess gifts when you attend holiday parties.

In addition to fire starters, you can decorate with painted pinecones. Using 3 parts acrylic paint to 2 parts water, dip the pinecones in the paint. You can go with traditional Christmas colors of red, green, and white, or go wild with jewel tones. Gently shake off the excess paint. Sprinkle with glitter, then place on wax paper to dry.

If the pinecones close up as they’re drying, don’t worry. It’s easy to open them. Let them dry overnight. Then place them on a parchment covered cookie sheet in an oven set to the lowest temperature. Check the pinecones every 30 minutes. Once they’ve opened, remove the cookie sheet from the oven.

Don’t want to bother with the possibility of pinecones closing after they’re painted? Simply add a dollop of gesso or thick acrylic paint to the tips of each scale and sprinkle with glitter.

Intersperse the painted pinecones around candles for a centerpiece, line them up in a row across a mantle or a wide windowsill, or fill a clear bowl with them. You can also use them as tree ornaments, wire them into wreaths, or string them into garlands. Let your imagination run wild.