Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones

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As the holidays quickly approach, I know many of us love creating a home that smells like the holidays. There are a ton of recipes out there for simmer pots and candles. Did you know that pine cones can also be scented to smell like Christmas? Learn how to make your very own cinnamon scented pine cones.

Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones Are Easy to Make!

Every holiday season, I walk into grocery stores and smell these lovely cinnamon pine cones. Occasionally I would buy them, and after a few days the scent will begin to give me a headache (because the fragrances used were man-made), or the scent begins to disappear completely. That’s when I started making cinnamon scented pine cones at home!

What to do First – Preparing Your Pine Cones

When picking out your pine cones, make sure to find the prettiest pine cones. I like to look for ones that fit in the palm of my hand and are very open. I live in Colorado and the pine cone selection is top notch.

Remove all the debris from the pine cones and bake them! Set the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 90 minutes. This kills any bugs or potential mold hiding in the pine cones. If you would like more details instructions on this, head on over to A Modern Homestead with Victoria, she goes into detail about the baking process. 

If you do not have pine cones to forage, you can order pre-baked pinecones online for pretty cheap.

Simple Non-Toxic Ingredients

This DIY project uses essential oils to scent the pine cones. I have used cinnamon as a stand alone essential oil, but another great recipe would be clove essential oil and orange essential oil. I also use fractionated coconut oil as the carrier for the cinnamon. Fractionated coconut oil is great because it has no odor and works well to help the essential oils seep into the pine cones.

Please note: be sure to use high grade, 100% essential oil with no additives. This ensures that the scent is non-toxic. I use the company Simply Earth. They offer great essential oils at reasonable prices.

What You’ll Need:

• 10 medium sized pine cones – cleaned and baked
• 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil
• 2 Gallon size ziploc bag
• 1/3 cup fractionated coconut oil

Putting it All Together

Step One:

Place 5 pine cones into each gallon Ziploc bag. The pine cones should be small enough to fit. If not, feel free to be flexible with the process, add a bag!

Step Two:

In a glass measuring cup, pour 1/3 cup of fractionated coconut oil. (Essential oils degrade plastic so it’s best to use a glass measuring cup)

Then mix in 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil into the glass measuring cup. Pour equal amounts of the mixture into each of the bags. Seal the bags and shake until the pine cones are completely coated with the essential oil mixture. Let the pine cones sit overnight.

Step Three:

Remove the scented pine cones from the bags and lay out on a dishrag to dry completely. This will take a few hours.

Related: Bleaching Pine Cones for Decoration

Step Four:

Stage the scented pine cones and use them for decorations throughout the holiday season! These are great in clear vases, as centerpieces, and on homemade wreaths.

The best part is that these pine cones can be re-scented so they can be used for years to come! Pack them up with some of your Christmas linens, and when you open your Christmas boxes the following year, everything will smell like cinnamon!

Other Pine Cone Scent Options

Remember, there are a ton of other essential oil combinations that can be used. Another great holiday combination is clove and orange.

Pine cones make a beautiful centerpiece even if you choose not to scent them! Cinnamon smells so much like the Holidays though, I can’t go one holiday season without adding them to my home.

Enjoy the holidays with a these toxic-free cinnamon scented pine cones and make your house smell great!