Cones in the interior + Photo

Christmas is just around the corner and New Year, it's time to think about how you will decorate the house for the holidays this time. For regular readers of tutdizain.ru, we have prepared a selection of interior decor with cones. Most of the compositions are quite simple to create with your own hands. Cones, along with acorns and chestnuts, are perhaps the most popular natural material for various compositions and crafts.

The cones themselves are quite a decorative natural material, so it does not require much intervention to create a decoration for the house from them.

We use cones in natural color

Cones can also be painted in all sorts of colors, choosing them for the interior. However, we decided to start our selection with examples New Year's compositions, in which the buds are presented in their natural form without any processing. Most of the compositions look just amazing, cones can also be combined with other natural materials to get the desired effect (acorns, twigs, dry leaves, nuts, etc.).

We decorate the room with cones. A photo

Crafts from cones in interior decor. A photo

Compositions of cones in the decor. A photo

Natural materials in the decor - cones. A photo

We decorate the house with cones. A photo

Compositions of cones in the design of the room. A photo

To compose most of these compositions from natural materials enough to stock up on threads, wire, pliers and glue. You can create cone wreaths, pendant balls, various interior crafts, cone Christmas trees, bouquets, etc.

We paint the cones and varnish

With the addition of paint and varnish, you can get simply amazing results. Just look at how simple pine and spruce cones can be transformed when they are covered with glitter varnish, gold spray paint and painted with other bright colors.

Option 2

Decorating a cone for the New Year

With your own hands, you can make a wonderful Christmas tree decoration (or even a small souvenir gift!) For the New Year.

For work, we need: golden or silver paint (acrylic or gouache, or just glitter nail polish), large thin wire, ribbon and shiny rope (although it will be possible to paint just a thick thread).

1. Choose a suitable cute bump.

2. We apply paint with a brush on the outer surface of the cone (you can also on the inside, but this is optional). I took the golden acrylic paint. Here is such a golden cone turned out:

3. Now the wire will come in handy and - we will make a kind of garland out of them (see photo). The garland is made on one wire, and its length depends on the size of the cone (the larger the cone, the longer the garland).

4. We twist the garland around the cone.

5. We tie a rope (so that there is something to hang on) and a ribbon (to make it beautiful).

My cone turned out to be golden with red, or you can make it silver with white or blue, and in general, use any combination of colors - there are no limits for your imagination!

Design examples

Gilded pins. To paint the buds gold or silver, you'll need a can of spray paint, which you can buy at any craft store. From such bumps and small Christmas balls in a glass vase, you get a nice composition for a coffee table or a mirror in the hallway.

Mini tree. A pine cone easily turns into a miniature Christmas tree if you “hang” on it small beads-balls made of felt (of course, they will have to be planted on glue). Such Christmas trees can be "planted" on holiday table, and then give to friends as a memorable New Year's souvenir.

Figurines. best idea for New Year's leisure with children: we recall kindergarten skills - turn cones, acorns and twigs into dogs, foresters and bunnies.

Candlesticks. You can place small cones, nuts or acorns in a glass candlestick and place a large candle in the center.

Christmas pendant. No comment.

Basket of cones. A wicker basket filled to the brim with cones looks very impressive. And if you decorate it with a luminous Christmas tree garland - the basket will become simply magical!

Gift wrapping. A cone can easily replace a festive bow and create a winter mood.

New Year's composition. To create such a decorative group, you only need a fantasy: combine candles, cones, spruce and pine branches, christmas balls and tangerines. So that the composition is pleasing to the eye and uplifting. Just be careful with the fire: it's best to place the candles and cones on a flat dish.

New Year's picture. We paint the cones white with a spray can, glue them to the frame of the wreath and place them in the frame - the New Year's picture is ready!

Christmas potpourri. A traditional Christmas composition of cones, twigs with berries, cinnamon sticks and oranges studded with cloves (such fragrant balls are called pomanders).

Bring a touch of nature into your home this amazing holiday with our easy-to-make home decorations and tableware.

A very simple forest touch - cones sprinkled with snow will instantly decorate your windowsill or table.

Take large, tall buds and cut them off at the base so they can stand upright. Sprinkle them lightly with artificial snow. Hot glue beads or any small decorations to their paws.

It is very beautiful to decorate napkins laid out for guests with cones.

Roll the napkins into tubes. First wrap them with a wide satin ribbon, and on top with a velvet ribbon, 2 times narrower. Tie a narrow silver ribbon on small cones, running it along the lower tier of the paws. Tie this ribbon on the velvet.

Give an ordinary window an elegant and fabulous look with cone pendants.

Cut ribbons to random lengths (we alternated organza and taffeta ribbons). Secure each bump to the end of the ribbon using push pins. Glue 3 small decorations around the tip of the button. Hang the ribbons at the same distance from each other. They can be tied on the eaves or glued with tape or masking tape on the window slope.

Gifts decorated with forest elements look very New Year's.

After wrapping the gifts in paper, fasten beautiful wide ribbons to them using double-sided tape. Using hot glue, glue the cones in different places on the package.

Lovers of romance will love large thick candles decorated with a wreath of cones.

Take pinecones of various sizes and use hot glue to glue them around the base of the candles.

To make the guests at the table feel the atmosphere of the New Year, make name plates for each of them on a cone X.

Trim the buds so that they become stable. Decorate their paws with beads. Fasten nameplates for guests with narrow silver ribbons on the cones.

We offer the idea of ​​a charming decoration of the tablecloth with cones for the New Year.

Carefully cut off the base of the cone and stick a small hook into it with the side where the thread is. Sew the eye of the hook to the hem of the tablecloth. Attach a small round ornament to the tip of the cone using the same hook.

The abundance of ready-made Christmas toys and various items for decoration saturated the market for some time, and the art of creating various “homemade” interior gizmos for new year holiday slowly began to be forgotten. But gradually, in the last decade, we were covered by a world love for "handmade" - products self made. I had to urgently remember the skills acquired in childhood and generate new ideas.

For creating New Year's decor and Christmas decorations it is most logical to use such natural material as cones - spruce and pine. They blend beautifully, naturally with popular Christmas trees, are easy to work with, look elegant, and can be used for a variety of purposes. Kids really like cones, so you can work with them with the whole family, this will only benefit the closeness of parents and children.

Materials and tools for work

Decorating cones is a creative process, but not at all expensive, it does not require very expensive equipment, and the main material for work can be collected in any park where Christmas trees and pines grow. You need to pick up fallen cones - those growing on trees are still too juicy and may not dry out completely, therefore finished work can fail - become covered with mold or acquire an unpleasant odor. In addition, the collection of cones is an exciting, useful and environmentally correct activity.

In addition to cones, for home crafts you can use acorns, chestnuts, a variety of berries that have beautiful colour and when dried, retain their shape and color.

To work with such materials, you will need the following tools and accessories:

• Glue gun and a supply of special glue in sticks. If the work is carried out with young children, adults will have to glue or buy small light appliances for the kids, explaining in advance that their “stings” are very hot and you can get burned if you are not careful and careful.
• Scissors for cutting out details.
• Wire cutters.
• Pliers.
• Brushes.

Necessary materials:

• Vegetable raw materials (cones, acorns, chestnuts, berries, bark, branches, leaves, and so on).
• Trimmings of fabric, preferably with non-shrinking edges (cloth, felt, dense interlining, and so on), pieces of leather and suede - artificial or natural.
• Buttons, beads, beads, ribbons, small artificial flowers and leaves, braid, lace and similar small decor.
• Wire, ready-made frames, coasters, plastic tubes, wooden sticks and more.
• Paints.
• Lucky.
• Decorative coatings.

In the process of work, you may need ordinary sewing trivia, as well as glue for fabric and paper, a pencil and paper for marking and making patterns, and much more that is usually at hand in any home.

How to process cones for crafts

Before starting work, you need to prepare cones for crafts. Heavily soiled can be washed and dried away from heat sources, in a well-ventilated place. The rest can simply be thoroughly cleaned of earth and debris with a stiff brush, shake off and, if necessary, dry.

If the cones are collected unripe and not fully opened, they can be placed in a slightly heated oven, be sure to leave the door ajar to let the moisture out. This is necessary in order for the cones to open, the fruits to spill out, and the open scales to resemble spruce branches. This should also be done with cones in order to get rid of possible moisture in them and protect them from damage to the finished product.

Blanks can be left in their natural form, partially or completely painted, varnished and decorated with decorative materials, such as artificial snow. The appearance and effectiveness of the future thing depends on your imagination and ingenuity.

Means and methods for painting cones

Spruce and Pine cones beautiful in themselves, but if the products involve the inclusion of a color component, they will have to be dyed. Since the surface of the cones is porous and matte, it perfectly absorbs and retains paint. You can paint them with anything, even ordinary gouache or tempera, but such a coating will be short-lived and will become dirty. It is best to choose more resistant paints such as acrylic. Ideally, for work, you should have the following components:

• A set of acrylic dyes in jars or tubes for applying individual strokes or creating textures.
• Paints in aerosols (you can use car enamels - they give a beautiful dense and uniform coating and dry fairly quickly).
• Metallic spray paints different colors. With their help, you can achieve particularly expressive special effects.
• Finishing varnishes, it is also most convenient to use aerosol packages, with their help the varnish is applied easily, quickly and evenly.
• Dyes and varnishes for creating special effects - with a "frosty" coating, with sparkles, artificial snow and so on. Their application is one of the most simple methods how to decorate a bump, even if you're short on time for work.

The technology of working with paints and varnishes, especially aerosol and automotive ones, which have a pungent odor, provides for their use in ventilated non-residential premises or in the open air. It may be necessary to apply several coats of coating, with each previous coat being completely dry. It is possible to continue working with the painted material only after all layers have completely dried, otherwise the drawing or coating already made may be damaged.

Christmas toys and decorations from spruce and pine cones

With a certain diligence and accuracy, you can make almost any toy out of cones. Kids really like gnomes, and making them is not at all difficult.

• To do this, a fir cone is used as the body of a gnome, while it is best to leave it natural.
• The head of the figurine can be made from a plastic or foam ball, draw a face on it and glue a beard from threads.
• The legs and arms are made of wire wrapped with padding polyester and covered with fabric (you can use tights, including colored children's ones).
• Clothes are sewn by hand or sewing machine, and shoes are made of leather or thick felt, cloth or thin felt, dense interlining can be put on caps.

If you wish, you can show your imagination and make gnome girls with funny braids of thread sticking out from under a bright cap.

Long fir cones can be used as spectacular interior decorations and Christmas decorations. To connect them with hot glue, attach ribbons and tie them together with a large beautiful bow or lay the braid with a rosette. Such a pendant is hung on walls, doors, a Christmas tree, or even used as New Year's tiebacks for curtains, decorations on the corner of a tablecloth.

Cones give a huge scope for imagination. With them, you can create many decorative compositions, decorate the table, make children's and Christmas figurines, make elegant wreaths on the front doors, elegant candlesticks and topiaries, many figurines and cute little souvenirs.

New Year's candlesticks from cones

One of the easiest projects for beginners is to create decorative and truly Christmas candlesticks. They can be made from small and large cones, as well as from a mixture of various vegetable and artificial materials. To make a candlestick from small cones, you will need the following materials:

• A large candle or a small glass candlestick with a candle.
• Cardboard stand, flat saucer or plate, small tray or box lid with low sides.
• Accurate decor - beads, beads, rhinestones, tinsel, berries, dry or artificial flowers, and so on.

A candle or candlestick is set on the base, and the prepared, painted or varnished cones are carefully glued with hot glue, stacking them so as to get a beautiful ring composition. For additional attractiveness, you can use various decorative elements and details, including flowers, twigs and small decorations in the composition.

In order to make the product more voluminous and expressive, the tips of the scales need to be painted over with colored paint that contrasts with the color of the cone. For the same purpose, you can make a beautiful golden or silver coating, use artificial snow, sparkles, or even stick rhinestones or beads on the tips of the scales of cones.

From large cones with a loose core, you can make small candles that look beautiful on a festive table between dishes and glasses. To do this, you need to cut off the upper narrow part of the cone with wire cutters, and in the remaining part, align the area under the candle as much as possible.

If the surface still turns out to be very uneven, you can fill it with liquid wax or stearin from a melted candle, wait for it to harden and glue a decorative candle on it. You can use tablet candles for low lights, or you can use tall, narrow candles for candlesticks.

A long and thick “gypsy” needle is stuck into the base of the cone, on which a candle is then carefully and carefully pricked. To prevent the finished candle from turning over, you need to make a flat and even base at the bottom of the cone, glue it with hot glue on a small saucer, best of all on a heavy glass rosette for jam.

Decorate finished composition can be for every taste - leave as is, paint, decorate with tinsel or small details, berries or artificial, dry flowers.

Decorative Christmas trees from cones

For those who do not want to purchase a live Christmas tree or put up an artificial tree, as well as to decorate offices, classrooms, public spaces, corridors and rooms in houses and apartments, you can use elegant and simple Christmas trees made of cones as a spectacular decoration.

Large cones are almost ready-made Christmas trees. They need to be placed in a beautiful stand, for example, a spectacularly painted or draped clay or plastic flower pot, a jar of cream or any other cosmetics, low capacity.

You can fill it with a piece of foam or even crumpled paper, and glue a circle of thick cardboard on top.

A beautiful large cone with open scales is dyed in green color, sprinkled with silver or gold paint, sprayed artificial snow on the edges, and after drying, decorated with elegant beads and tinsel.

If there are a lot of cones, you can make a larger Christmas tree that can be placed on the table. To create it, you need a foundation. You can buy it in a specialty store in the floristry department, or you can make it yourself by gluing a strong cone of thick cardboard and fixing it on a plate or tray.

The cones are glued to the base with hot glue, or they are pierced onto a cone of foamed "oasis" using wire or pins stuck into the base of the cones. Work begins from the bottom, carefully attaching the bumps. The appearance of the product depends on the laying method - small pine or long spruce cones glued in a spiral will set a clear rhythm, and randomly laid out will give a more informal, modern look product.

Additional decorations are added according to the taste of the creator of the product. Just don't forget to top the Christmas tree with a smart star on top.

Wreath of cones for the New Year

Festive decoration of the home begins with the front door. Before the holidays, I want to decorate them more elegantly, replacing the autumn wreath that has already lost its relevance with its winter version. You can stick cones on a different base - use a ring from a floral oasis for dried flowers, a foam product woven from flexible branches, or make a base for a wreath yourself, taking thick cardboard, a stapler and several layers of newsprint for the required volume.

Before starting work, it is worth making a sketch, and then laying out all the selected components of the composition. This will help you see what is superfluous or missing in it, adjust the shape and size, change the style a little or change the materials. If you plan to make the wreath multi-colored, the cones are painted before gluing, they are glued already completely dry. If the wreath is planned to be made more or less uniform, finishing work is carried out after gluing is completed and the workpiece has solidified.

Such a wreath is very beautiful on a dark door, if it is covered with white spray paint, and on top with silver and artificial snow, on a light surface, dark cones with gilding, ruby ​​and emerald inclusions look better.

Christmas star made of cones

The range of decorative products made from cones is not limited to toys and the usual round wreaths with candlesticks. If you have a large enough supply of cones, you can make a very effective and quite versatile decoration - a star. You can use it in different ways - hang it like a wreath on a door or wall, decorate the top of a Christmas tree, attach it to a chandelier, put it on a rack as an element of room decor, or even put it on a table as a candlestick or just decoration.

To create such a product, it is best to use beautiful fir cones - they have an elongated shape and scales, more elegant and pressed to the body, they are much easier to assemble into an expressive composition.

To begin with, lay out the future product on a sheet of cardboard approximately as it will look in finished form. Remember that the star must have the correct shape and neat outlines. No need to lay out all the cones in one plane - make the product more voluminous by placing the parts at different angles. You can connect the cones to each other with hot glue, and for hanging products - also additionally using wire.

Figurine of Santa Claus from cones

Making such funny toys is very easy and simple, even for kids. Finished products can be presented as souvenirs to all guests of the holiday.

To create figurines of Santa Claus, they take wide “pot-bellied” opened pine cones and paint them red. This is the body of the future Santa Claus. Now you need to make a head out of a large bead or a plastic ball, stick hair and a beard of cotton wool or yarn on it, attach a red cap or hat. The head is glued to a bump, boots are made of felt, and along the extensive waist new year character girded with a rather wide shiny black belt with a buckle. Such a figurine can be supplemented with a loop on the head and hung on the Christmas tree as a decoration.

Topiary of cones for the New Year's holiday

A good idea for a festive winter interior decor is compositions of cones in the form of cut trees - topiaries. To create them, you will need plaster, a beautiful or hand-decorated clay or plastic flower pot, a cylindrical stick made of wood, a ball of plastic, foam or floral sponge. The ball is put on a stick, its second end is inserted into a pot, which is filled with gypsum or concrete mortar. It is necessary to monitor the strict verticality of the "trunk" of the future topiary. When the material in the pot hardens and dries, you can begin work. There are two ways to attach cones:

• Top inward, base outward. This method creates original “dense” and fairly even balls, the gaps between the cones are decorated with beads, rhinestones, dried rose buds, lavender sprigs, spikelets and many other details.
• Base inward, top outward. In this case, the tree will turn out to be “fluffy” and voluminous. Cones must be well selected in height and width, otherwise the product will turn out to be sloppy and disheveled.

The surface of gypsum or concrete in a pot is closed various materials, moss, cloth, straws, covered with small pebbles, glass pebbles or beads.

Interior balls from cones

According to the principle of creating a topiary, a decoration in the form of a ball is also made. It does not require a pot or a stick, only a base in the form of a ball. Here, too, you can stick cones with their tops in or out, and ready product paint as you like, and decorate with a variety of decorative elements.

A large ball can serve as a focal element for decorating a coffee table, it can be hung by first making a loop when gluing cones. If you use small cones to create balls, you can put several decorative elements at once in one basket, on a tray or plate.

Decorating the New Year's table with cones

One of the easiest ways to decorate New Year's table- make cards for accommodating guests from cones. You can simply insert a finished card into the cone, making a drank in it with a jigsaw, or turn the cones into funny little figures. In this case, you can get not only a catchy table decor, but also small stylish souvenirs that guests can take with them.

Festive garlands of cones

You can complement the bright and festive New Year's decor with garlands of cones. You can make them very simply - just stick an ordinary tailor's pin with a ring at the end into the base of each cone or screw in small threaded loops. Next is a matter of technology. Decorated elegant cones can simply be strung on a wire or cable, and if you need to fix the position of each thread, just tie a knot on each loop or drop a little hot glue on it.

In the manufacture of products from cones, only two things are important - your creativity and accuracy, then the resulting things can become real works of art.

Cones are an amazing, fertile material. It is not at all difficult to get them, especially if there is a coniferous forest somewhere nearby, and there are a myriad of opportunities for the owner of such a “treasure”. Moreover, not only creative individuals, but also pragmatists who are looking for specific benefits and benefits will appreciate this natural gift deservedly. After all, cones can decorate a house and melt in the cold. And even cook from them!

Cones - fertile material for creativity

So, store more cones, better than different: pine, spruce, larch; if other coniferous trees grow in your area, then you are simply incredibly lucky. Where can you get cones? Of course, it is best to choose them yourself - where there are a great many such gifts of nature.

But if the forest is far away, or you remembered the bumps when there are already snowdrifts around, then they can buy. Where to looking for? In local firms selling materials for landscape design; in shops for needlewomen; in the Internet. Individually or in bags, natural or already decorated, various conifers, different sizes- if you want, you can find almost any.

Cones as an element of decor

Many of the crafts suggested in this story are quite simple, and you can easily reproduce them yourself. But at some points, let's still dwell a little more - consider the nuances and possibilities of using cones.

1. In New Year's compositions

Win-win combination: needles, cones and tangerines

Another concise option: lay out the cones on a suitable flat surface(for example, on a shelf or on a windowsill) and complement them. If desired, you can add artificial "snow" or tinsel. It takes quite a bit of time for such a decor, and a fabulous New Year's atmosphere appears instantly - you just have to light up the small bulbs. Depending on the interior and your own creative idea, for such a composition you can use both natural, undecorated cones, and colored, with sparkles.

Cones are great for. Unlike coniferous branches, from which needles can fall off, such decor will not leave marks, which means that you can not be afraid that fragments of the festive decoration will end up in the salad. But if you want to use the idea as shown in the photo: arrange a place for each guest with a composition with cones, it is wise to use additional plates or saucers for this (white, matching or contrasting).

Cones are perfect for decorating the New Year's table

Option: decorate linen napkins miniature compositions using cones(although most people these days prefer paper napkins, but if you are planning a New Year's reception in the classical tradition, this decor may come in handy).

And here is an idea for decorating rooms: a beautiful bright dish, a few spruce or pine branches and cones - quite simple, isn't it? But by placing a few of these uncomplicated compositions in the house, you will immediately create a festive mood. Please note: in this case, both cones and twigs better fix so that the arrangement, created with love, does not suffer from someone's careless movement. You can use thin wire, for example, or floral sponge.

If you want even easier and faster, we take any pretty container(a tall transparent vase, for example, or) and fill it with different cones. You can add branches (not necessarily coniferous!). The richer and more varied the texture of the cones, the more interesting the result of your creativity will look.

The richer and more varied the texture of the cones, the more interesting the composition will be.

It’s very good if you have pine, spruce, larch, and fir cones in your storerooms. But if not, you can add variety by simply painting individual elements of the future composition or adding several Christmas balls. Such a basket is appropriate under the Christmas tree, and on the mantelpiece, and on the windowsill, and on the festive table (only in this case it is better to replace the balls with fruits: tangerines).

You can add a few Christmas balls or fruits

Deliberate negligence in such "still lifes" is welcome - it gives them naturalness and ease. Excessive pedantry and scrupulousness in such a matter can be associated with museum expositions, and we create a warm and cozy, lively, homely environment.

Delicate composition with an angel

In general, even if someone considers your creation to be chaotic, overly cluttered with details, there is no arguing about tastes! The main thing is that you enjoy the process of creating New Year's decor, and the result. Let's not turn the preparation for the holiday into hard work - let it please and help create a great mood!

And what could be more pleasant than to choose and with love for the closest and dear people! And here cones will also come in handy for us.

2. For decorating gifts

Cones can be used to decorate gifts

If you use satin ribbons, glitter paper, colored ribbon or decorative boxes for packaging, you can give the buds the appropriate "color" as well. If you prefer them in their natural form, make sure that the contrast of natural simplicity and "chic" is not too sharp. Looks good in these miniature compositions from cones, coniferous twigs and small Christmas toys - like those that we saw a little higher, in the design of table napkins.

Use miniature compositions with coniferous branches and cones for gift wrapping

You can go the other way (it is ideal for home, family holiday ). Pack gifts in uniform style and make them part of a kind of large “Christmas wreath” laid out right on the floor (around the Christmas tree, by the fireplace, just in the middle of the room or where your imagination and interior will tell). We use spruce or pine branches, tinsel, Christmas decorations, serpentine, bows ... and, of course, cones! Agree: this is much more interesting than just putting gifts under the Christmas tree.

New Year gifts as part of a festive composition. And of course, cones!

By the way, part of this decor can be small surprise souvenirs, pleasant little things: a big candy, funny toy, cute jewelry and so on... And here I would like to recall one tradition that I remember from childhood - maybe someone will like the idea, and you will give the same fairy tale to your children...

Until the very Old New Year, my parents put some little surprise under the Christmas tree every morning (they said that the bunny ran in, they said hello from Santa Claus. It could be a chocolate medal, or a small toy, or even just a tangerine - the point is not even what exactly will be revealed, but in the process itself... The joy of expectation, the effect of surprise, the anticipation of a miracle...

We always had a fantastically beautiful folding house made of cardboard under the Christmas tree (one of the relatives brought it from the GDR in ancient times). Through a hole in the roof, the bulbs of an electric garland went down, and when it was turned on, the light came on in the house. It was on his doorstep that I discovered "greetings from Santa Claus."

A basket or wooden tray with cones, where there may be a surprise from Santa Claus

And if we return from childhood memories to the topic of our conversation today, then the role of such a “house” may well take over basket or wooden tray with cones, where it is very convenient to "accidentally" throw a surprise for a child or a loved one (well, yes, we are no longer children - but don't we want to believe in miracles? And don't we like to receive unexpected gifts?)

3. For decorating candlesticks

Cones are ideal for decorating Christmas candlesticks

There are countless options here. Lovers of crafts made from natural materials can combine cones with twigs, clusters of bright berries (or their imitation), wooden or metal Christmas decorations, as well as (cinnamon sticks, star anise, mugs of dried oranges and lemons, and so on). And can you do wreath candlestick and from cones alone- concise, stylish, expressive.

You can even make a candlestick out of pine cones alone.

Well, the next idea may appeal to those who have no time)) We put a large candle (this is important! the candle must be stable and "long-playing" so as not to be afraid of a fire) on a cake stand, or on a beautiful glass dish, or in the middle of a shallow salad bowl ... (continue the list at your discretion). Securely fix it with melted wax and simply lay it around the cone.

Option for those who have no time

Everyone is free to choose elements of such decor to their taste, it is only important to remember the safety of the composition as a whole. Its beauty is that you can literally make this impromptu “candlestick” at the last minute - if only everything you need is at hand. In the pre-holiday bustle, such simple solutions often help out a lot (by the way, if this topic is relevant to you, take a look at the selection).

4. As a Christmas tree decoration

Do you have cones growing on your tree? It's easy to fix!

Undoubtedly, you can hang glass or plastic counterparts. And you can - the most real, forest. Moreover, there is nothing complicated about this: we take a bump, glue and a suitable ribbon in our hands - a few minutes, and the toy is ready! To disguise the attachment point of the loop, we glue a leaflet, a decorative bow, a few beads or any other decor “to the crown” of the cones - to taste.

This is the easiest option, which is perfect for a country Christmas tree. It will also be appreciated by lovers of everything natural, natural. Well, if you want the Christmas tree to sparkle and sparkle, so that the lights of electric garlands are repeatedly reflected in shiny toys, just decorate ordinary "nondescript" bumps to your taste. It is not at all difficult to do this, but the gizmos of wondrous beauty are obtained. A small master class on making such Christmas decorations, see the following video:

Ideas for using cones as a decorative element could probably be developed for a very long time - after all, human imagination is endless. I recommend that you also take a look at our publication. And we have already come close to the following topic:

Cones as a material for creativity and needlework

How to color cones

How to choose, and which option is better? The best is always the one that suits you. We choose according to different criteria: by price and availability of materials; according to the technology that you like more; according to the required number of blanks (not everyone wants to paint a whole bag of cones manually with a brush) and so on. 3 simple ways painting cones presented in the following very short but visual video- and perhaps they will be quite enough for all cases.

So we became a little bit wizards: we learned how to turn ordinary cones into “gold”, “silver”, sprinkle them with “snow” that will not melt ... It's time to move on to more complex tasks.

This time we will bypass the fabulously fascinating topic of children's - it deserves a separate discussion. But let's take a closer look at the crafts that are relevant in this December time:

1. Christmas wreath of cones and cones

If you are making a wreath based on vines, cardboard, styrofoam and other similar materials, use glue gun and just glue the cones where they should be located in accordance with your plan. This method is used most often, but it is not the only one. A detailed master class will teach you how to do "twigs" of cones and wire- and from them you will already weave what you have in mind: a wreath, a garland or other decoration.

Cones can be combined with others natural materials. And paint if you like.

What cones to use for a wreath, how and how to paint them (and whether to paint at all) is up to you. Just keep in mind: if the craft uses dissimilar materials(coniferous branches and satin ribbons, Christmas decorations and tinsel, cones and berries, and so on), then it is better to paint individual fragments before the final assembly. If the composition is more or less uniform in composition, you can tint it entirely with a spray, and then place the necessary accents with a brush.

How to make a wreath of cones based on wicker or wire, see the next master class. Here you will see how else you can color them:

You can even make a Christmas tree out of cones, and not just one.

• Method 1

We glue the second row to the first, slightly reducing the diameter of the circle (as a result, we should get a cone-pyramid of several rows of cones). Similarly, we do the third, fourth - to the very top. The structure is crowned, of course, by the most beautiful cone of the right size))

• Method 2

3. "Wonder tree" of twigs and cones

Then everything is simple. With the help of a pruner, we give the branches the desired shape, removing excess shoots and shortening too long ones. We hang cones on a thin wire, supplementing them with other decorative elements as desired (just don’t get carried away - the decor should be in moderation, otherwise the composition will be overloaded with details and lose lightness, airiness).

We put the branches in a vase, fasten pieces of wire with cones on them (from a distance it should give the impression that the cones are floating in the air). We add a few pieces to the vase; this is not only a decorative, but also a purely practical element: thanks to it, the branches are fixed in the position we need. That's all! Left to find appropriate place in the interior for his masterpiece.

The technology for making a vase is similar to that used to create a Christmas tree from cones (method 1). By varying the diameter of each next row and their number, you can make vessels various forms- from a wide "bowl" to a high "glass". At first, the task may seem difficult, it's a matter of training. All you need is patience and accuracy - and everything will work out!

By the way: if you have an old, unnecessary dish, which for some reason it was a pity to throw it away, now you know how give her a second life: stick on the outside of the bumps - and instead of trash in the country will appear original item interior.

Cones for ... jam

Cone jam exists not only in the cartoon

Moreover, this is not just a preparation for the winter, sweet for tea. This is also cure for various ailments: they are treated with sore throat and bronchitis, flu and even asthma; it strengthens the gums and increases hemoglobin levels. Well, how not to cook!

Pine cone jam

For jam, young cones are needed - still green

• Method 1

Boil for 5 minutes, turn off, cover the basin with a towel and leave to cool. Then we repeat the cycle twice more: bring to a boil, cook for 5 minutes, turn off, cool. For the third time, turning it off, lay out the hot jam in sterilized jars, roll it up, wrap it up and leave it until it cools completely (for about a day).

• Method 2

We put the basin with cones on the fire, bring to a boil and add sugar. Mix well so that the sugar dissolves, and cook for 1.5 hours over low heat, periodically removing the foam.

Fir cone jam

Young spruce cones are also suitable for jam

• Method 1

• Method 2

Cones as food for forest animals and birds

One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is how my parents and I fed squirrels in the parks of Pavlovsk. From the hand, pine nuts. And although cedars are a rarity in our area, there are not many squirrels freely walking around houses. And if these animals live near your dacha, give them a gift - buy a couple of cedar cones and hang them where the animal can freely and safely reach them. You will be rewarded a hundredfold watching how the fluffy handsome man deftly cracks down on treats - this scene causes tenderness and delight in both children and adults.

Birds won't refuse food

Birds will not refuse treats either. Big lovers of coniferous seeds - crossbills and woodpeckers, do not disdain them and titmouse. Keep in mind that the habits of birds are different. For example, a woodpecker "cuts" a cone, fixing it in a crevice of a stump, a small hollow or a fork. Perhaps you have come across similar “forges” in the forest. The titmouse will easily cope with a suspended cone, but, unlike the crossbill, it will be difficult for her to extract the seeds from under the closed scales.

Another important nuance: since both birds and squirrels eat seeds, and not at all a husk, not all cones need to be harvested for them. The old ones - empty, with fluffy scales - will not please or feed anyone. When stored in heat, the cones dry out, and the seeds from them can spill out, so it is better to store a delicacy for woodpeckers somewhere in a barn - in the cold.

Treats are hung on trees, laid out in feeders - it all depends on what kind of guests you are waiting for. At the same time, of course, one should not forget about the safety of birds: not a single cat should get to where their dining room is located. will help, if necessary, to determine the most successful version of this structure.

Cones as kindling for a stove or fireplace

Cones - a good kindling for a stove or fireplace

And bumps can help this grief. Dry and resinous, they flare up very quickly - which is exactly what we need. And if you keep a supply of cones in a beautiful bucket or box by the fireplace (stove), then they are also decorate the country house interior. True, they have one flaw- the same as that of softwood firewood: they form a soot and soot coating on the walls of the chimney and the vaults of the stove or fireplace.

Cones in a bucket with Christmas decor

Yes, here's another thing ... Now the fashion for vintage samovars. Tea drinking in the garden, with jam or honey… Just a fairy tale! But it is also best to melt the samovar with pine cones. As a "bonus" you will get a light and pleasant aroma that coniferous smoke will give to tea.

And also...

How to make colored cones for crafts for the New Year? Many masters ask about this. After all, cones are considered an excellent material for making crafts. And she herself looks very beautiful and can decorate any interior for the holiday. Among other things, the cone is also considered a durable material, and crafts based on it will be stored for several years and look like new.

How to handle bumps

Before starting work on a future masterpiece, you should first prepare the bumps. If there is heavy soiling, they should be washed and dried in a well-ventilated area, but not near heat sources. If there is no strong contamination, then you can simply thoroughly clean the cones with a stiff brush from the ground and debris, shake off, and, if necessary, dry.

If the buds were harvested immature and not quite open, then it is acceptable to place them in a slightly heated oven, but it is imperative to leave the door slightly ajar so that moisture can escape. This is required for the opening of cones, the rash of fruits. When opened, the scales will resemble spruce branches.

It is also necessary to do this to dry the cones if they are wet, otherwise the finished product may quickly deteriorate.

The resulting blanks can be left in their natural form, selectively or completely painted, varnished, decorated with artificial decor, for example, using artificial snow. Everything will depend on your imagination and ingenuity.

How to color cones in different ways

Spruce and pine cones are beautiful in their original form, but if you need to include colored components in the craft, then they should be painted. Due to the fact that the surface of the cones is porous and matte, therefore the paint is perfectly absorbed and retained on it. You can paint them by any means, up to ordinary gouache or tempera, but this coloring will not last long and will get dirty. It is advisable to select paints that are the most stable, such as acrylic, for example.

Professional needlewomen most often use materials for work such as:

• A set of acrylic dyes (in jars or tubes), which is used to decorate individual strokes or form textures.
• Aerosol paints. You can also use automotive enamels. With their help, you can achieve a beautiful canvas and even coverage, and they also dry quickly.
• Aerosol paints - metallics of various shades. Using them, you can achieve excellent special effects.
• Finish varnishes. In this case, it is also desirable to use an aerosol container - then the varnish lays down easily, quickly and evenly.
• Dyes and varnishes to give special effects - a "frosty" coating, sparkles, artificial snow and more. Using these materials is the easiest way to decorate cones, even when there is not enough time to work.

When working with paints and varnishes, and especially with aerosol and automotive, it should be noted that they are endowed with a pungent odor. Therefore, it is best to use them in a well-ventilated non-residential area or outdoors.

It is possible that it will be necessary to apply several layers of coating, however, it should be borne in mind that each layer must be completely dry. Therefore, before applying the next layer of coating, it is worth making sure that the previous one is completely dry, otherwise the pattern or coating that has already been designed may be damaged.

How to paint cones white

To paint the cones white (or even gold), you will need to use:

• A piece of foam rubber (preferably thicker or fold it in two layers);
• Gouache paint;
• file;
• cones.

In this case, white gouache is used. It must be diluted with acrylic varnish and poured onto foam rubber (the thicker it is, the deeper the cone will sink into it, and the scales will be better stained).

A file should be placed under the foam rubber so that the paint does not leak. Then put the cone and gradually twist it in a circle.

It is better to wear gloves on your hands.

Paint in this case does not go away very much.

Foam rubber with a small frequency should be turned over to the other side, because the paint gradually flows to the bottom.

In 30 minutes of work, you can cook how many cones, as in the photo:

An example of what can be obtained from cones after painting.

Cones can be used in various types of conifers, all kinds of shapes and sizes. Cones painted in gold, white or silver shades will look original and creative in the craft. In this case, you can use aerosol enamel. It is presented in a huge variety of colors and shades, and also dries quickly.

Video on the topic of the article