Christmas Star Decoration Made from Pone Cone Scales

Look at the lovely natural texture in this pine cone scale star! A nice addition to any tree. Great for anyone who likes to do jigsaw puzzles! 










Materials:

  • pre-cut pine cone scales (removed from cone stem) 
  • piece of flat cardboard or plastic (yogurt lid etc)
  • sharp scissors
  • glue gun
  • glue sticks
  • glitter glue (optional)
  • tacky glue (optional)

Step 1
Cut out a 5 point star from cardboard or plastic. I found an outline on Google Images and printed it off in the size I wanted for my star. Then traced the outer edge and cut it out. Mine is about 12 cm (4.5 inches) across.













Step 2
Separate out about 100 scales into a pile.

Make sure each scale is approximately the same width and length. Making them uniform size makes them easier to fit together. 













Step 3
Start by cutting a few of the scale tips off and gluing one scale to each point of the star. Make sure the scale hangs over the edge slightly so the cardboard tip does not show. These are placed so the outside of the scale is side up.








Next, glue one scale on each inner point of the star.

Step 4
Build the star one section at a time. Start at the outer edge. Overlap the scales so each layer nestles into the previous layer.
Here is the outer layer.


 







Adding one scale, finishes the next row.







Tip:
If the scales seem to be the right length, you can stop here and cut the rest of the tips off the same length. They don't have to be exact. It's best to cut them a little long as you can always cut some off as you go. if you cut them too short, you can't add the length back on. This speeds the process.

Repeat with each star point.













Here are three points done.












And 5 done. At this point, you can add more of the same scales, paint the rest a different color or use scales from other pine species or even other nature materials to fill in the middle. 











This is a basic star. The centre is finished off by using three smaller rounded scales (lower right in photo above). An acorn cap of other round nature item could be placed here instead.








Step 5

Paint on glitter glue if desired. The thicker you paint it on, the more sparkle it will have!









Step 6
Add ribbon to hang it with. Use an overhand knot on the ribbon and glue the knot to the back of the star near one tip. Once it has dried, glue over it a second time to ensure the ribbon is firmly attached. 









With this star, I placed the inside of the scale side up. That allows us to see the grain of the wood in the cone.








Have fun with the many possible variations!

Pine Cone Scales are available for purchase! 

Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada

Popular posts from this blog

How to Remove Pine Cone Sap or Pitch from Skin, Clothing or Cones

Image
When working with cones, bark and other parts of nature, we are bound to get sap on our hands or clothes. While some people enjoy the scent, most of us don't enjoy the sticky mess that follows until we get the sap off our hands.  Removing Sap from Skin An easy way to get sap off skin and clothing is to apply a greasy product. Anything from Vaseline (petroleum jelly, mineral oil), water-based hand lotion, vegetable oil, butter, mayonnaise, peanut butter, coconut oil etc. can be applied and rubbed on your hands or skin where the sap is. Next, wash your hands with soap. Good old-fashioned bar soap works just fine. Liquid soap does too. If there is still some lingering sap left on your hands, repeat.  Using hot water from the tap also helps to melt the sap so it flows more easily off your skin. You may still have some of the pine sap scent left but it will soon wear off.  Removing Sap from Clothing For clothing or other materials, freeze the material first for about 2 hours until sap i
Read more

Making and Maintaining a White Worm Culture for Small Pets

Image
 Tropical fish, crayfish, amphibians and reptiles all eagerly eat white worms, a small worm that lives in dirt. White worms (Enchytraeus albidus) are easy to culture. They are a great food for young fish and small adults. When placed in water, they wiggle which makes them irresistible to most critters. They grow to about an inch (2.5cm) long. Baby worms can be fed to tiny fish. Large clumps to larger fish and animals. Materials:  a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. 6L "shoe box" type works great. soil (no fertilizer added) organic mix of soil and peat, pH around 7 a slice of white bread (or dog kibble) heaping tablespoon of plain active yogurt plastic lid from a yogurt or margarine container hand-held drill or dremel with tiny drill bit (1/16 of an inch) debittered brewer's yeast powder or powered kelp a starter culture of white worms 1. Wash your container with hot soapy water. Rinse. Let dry.  2. On each side of the container lid, drill at least 40 small holes
Read more

Is Warmer Water a Problem for Aquarium Fish During Summer Heat Waves?

 The answer is, it depends on many factors.  1. What temperatures are natural for the fish specific you have in your tank?  Cold water fish will be more stressed than ones from warmer climates as warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. For most tropical fish, don't worry about temperatures upto 30C  for a few weeks.  2. Are your fish from slow or fast flowing water?  Fish from faster flowing water will be more stressed than those who are adapted to slow flowing water as they require higher oxygen levels in the water.  3. What is the surface area ratio of your tank?  Tall tanks have less surface area than long tanks and therefore have lower oxygen in the water.  4. How effective are your biological filters? High ammonia content in your tank contribute to low oxygen as the nitrifying bacteria consumes oxygen in the nitrogen cycle. Make sure they are operating efficiently. 5. How much are you feeding?  Feed a little less food during high heat. Just like other animals, unusual ex
Read more