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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 pinecones can also be scented to smell like Christmas? Every holiday season, I walk into grocery stores and smell these lovely cinnamon pinecones. Occasionally I would buy them, and after a few days the scent will begin to give me a headache (because the fragrances used were manmade), or the scent begins to disappear completely. That’s when I started making cinnamon scented pinecones at home!

What to do First

When picking out your pinecones, make sure to find the prettiest pinecones. I like to look for ones that fit in the palm of my hand and are very open. I live in Colorado and the pinecone selection is top notch. Remove all the debris from the pinecones 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 pinecones. 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 pinecones to forage, you can order pre-baked pinecones online for pretty cheap.

Simple Ingredients

This DIY project uses essential oils to scent the pinecones. 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 de-fractionated coconut oil as the carrier for the cinnamon. De-fractionated coconut oil is great because it has no odor and works well to help the essential oils seep into the pinecones.

Please note: be sure to use high grade, 100% essential oil with no additives. This ensures that the scent is non-toxic.

What You’ll Need:

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

Putting it All Together

Step One:

Place 5 pinecones into each gallon Ziploc bag. The pinecones 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 1/2 cup of de-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. Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of the bags. Seal the bags and shake until the pinecones are completely coated with the essential oil mixture. Let the pinecones sit overnight.

Step Three:

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

Related: Bleaching Pinecones for Decoration

Step Four:

Stage the scented pinecones 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 pinecones 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 Pinecone Options

Remember that there are a TON of other essential oil combinations that can be used. Another great holiday combination is clove and orange. There are some great suggestions The Million Dollar Momma!

Pinecones 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 pinecones and make your house smell great!