DIY Fall Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones

Learn how to make easy, glittery decorative pine cones in your favorite cinnamon, pine, or fall scent! Perfect for a Fall or Christmas bowl.

There are some things I remember fondly from childhood and some things I don’t. I never cared for scented pine cones. Every winter, when they were brought into our house, I had a long-term headache. As an adult, I’ve never had them in my home—not once. There are even stores I avoid come winter because that cinnamon-y overpowering scent is apparent before you even step inside.

DIY Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones

I’ve purchased pine cones that have no scent, and while pretty, they’re pretty darn boring. When Amy asked me to make some scented pine cones myself, I realized why do they have to have an overpowering cinnamon smell. The answer is they don’t!

Scented pine cones are gigantic potpourri. Natural things like leaves and flowers take essential oils very well and retain them for some time, making them a great vehicle for pretty smells in your home. My original choice was to find something pine-scented because I’m a nut for those smells when it starts to get chilly out.

But on my way there, I noticed that the employee who, upon entering the store, scared the living daylights out of me and didn’t seem to notice at all, leaving me flustered and confused. I steered clear and went back to grab a citrus cranberry scent, which is also quite cool weather-like to me. And, heck, if you decide you want cinnamon every day, there’s an oil for that, too.

Supplies for Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones

• Pinecones
• Essential oil
• Liquid gilding
• Fine glitter
• Spray bottle

How to Make Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones

You can get pine cones anywhere. Normally I enlist the help of my nephews and we visit a cemetery that is rife with them. But I wanted something daintier for this project. Just so happens I found online Cedar Roses!

And look at that! It does look like a rose. How perfect for pine cone potpourri, right?

You’ll also need an essential oil. I purchased mine at the candle section in Walmart.

Before beginning, take your pine cones, clear away any bits and pieces that might fall off, and toss them.

Using an old or cheap brush (because after using it with gilding, it will have to be thrown away), apply gold randomly around the pine cone.

While the gilding is still wet, sprinkle some fine glitter. I used Tulip Fashion Glitter in Jewel Gold. Tap off the excess and allow it to dry.

Now, this is where I went stupid. Normally, when you want to scent things, you put the oil in a cheap spray bottle (ones in the travel section in toiletries work super great). However, I refused to buy one at 99 cents because I knew I already had one at home. And then I couldn’t find the silly thing. Instead, I thought, “Hey, I’ll use a straw and do that thing with your finger on the end as you do as a kid to tick your parents off and drink soda slowly.” It worked, but I made such a mess.

If you’re going to do this right, there is no reason why you shouldn’t put that oil in the spray and spray it on.

If you later decide that you don’t have enough scent, lay out your pine cones and give them another spray. When storing for next winter, you can keep the spray bottle in a zipper bag and refresh it as needed in the coming years!

Isn’t that lovely? And it smells great—in a scent that I love, and that doesn’t cause me terrible headaches! Set in a little glass bowl, they’re pretty, with just a sparkle and a room full of pretty scents!

Allison

A crafter since her earliest years, Allison spends a little time every day making something. She crafts, sews, paints, glues things onto other things, and is a firm believer that a life spent creating is a life worth living. Visit Allison’s blog, Dream {a Little} BIGGER.