Nature Crafts and Critters-Nanaimo, BC

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 o

Redwood cones are very useful and flexible as Christmas decorations. They are the perfect size for a smaller tree or to add to the top of a large tree as they are not too heavy. Just painting them can make an effective ball for a tree! Adding some glitter glue adds some sparkle as well! Tip: I paint on a coat of Tacky or white crafter glue to seal in the scent. It can be strong, especially in newer brown cones. To reduce the scent, I will often choose grey weathered cones as they don't have as much scent. This is especially important if you have someone with allergies in the house. Materials: acrylic paint (red, white, green) tacky glue glitter glue paintbrush water cup ribbons (to hang them with). dried redwood (sequoia) cones (with stems is ideal but you can also use a hot gun to glue stems on them.) Step 1:  Collect your materials.  Step 2: Start with painting some solid colors, then coating them with glitter glue. I even left a few natural! Other options: Painting two or three