DIY Holiday Pinecone Wreath

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Homemade Christmas decorations can sometimes be daunting. This holiday pinecone wreath is actually quite simple to make and turns out absolutely stunning. Using just pinecones, a grapevine craft wreath and a hot glue gun, you can put this beautiful wreath together in about an hour!

I got on a pinecone kick this year. I have already made a pinecone garland which hangs above my fireplace, and I have been using pinecones around my home as natural and cheap holiday décor.

Related: How to Bleach Pinecones for Decoration

Before You Begin

Before attempting any craft or decoration with pinecones, it is extremely important that the pinecones are prepped. If you are foraging pinecones (as I have done), the pinecones will need to be cleaned of debris and baked…yes baked. Pinecones are home to mold, mildew and tons of bugs! Baking them will kill all of those pesky critters so you can then use the pinecones for all your awesome projects.

Bake your pinecones on 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. This is hot enough and long enough to kill everything, but not so hot that the pinecones catch fire. Allow the pinecones to cool and then they will be ready to use! If you don’t have the opportunity or ability to forage, pinecones are available to purchase online and aren’t usually too expensive. 

What You’ll Need

• 16 inch Grapevine Wreath – You can find these at any craft store, I think I’ve also seen them at Wal-Mart, or you can buy them online!
• 40 to 50 Pinecones – as mentioned above, make sure they are baked! I chose to frost the pinecones I used in this wreath. That is an optional step. If you need tips on painting pinecones, please read my guest post at Country Chic Paint’s website.
• Hot Glue Gun and Glue – Most DIYers already have one of these. However, if you need to purchase one, you can do so online – or, stop by any craft store and they’re sure to have one in stock!
• Ribbon For a Bow (Optional) – In this tutorial I added a ribbon to make it festive. This is an optional step. Feel free to add whatever additional decorative pieces you’d like, such as: ribbon, holly, pine branches, berries, etc.

Step One

Begin by strategically placing the largest of your pinecones evenly throughout the wreath. Use plenty of glue ensure the pinecones stay in place. With each pinecone, you may have to hold the pinecone in place until the hot glue cools and dries. Because pinecones are heavy, they don’t always stay in place.

Step Two

Take your smaller pinecones and place them in between your largest pinecones, filling in all gaps and holes. Do this for the entire wreath. Make sure that the pinecones go in slightly different directions, this really adds visual interest to the wreath.

Step Three

Once all the pinecones are glued on and dried (I usually wait a few hours just to be sure), add any additional decorations. For this wreath, I simply added a couple bows I made out of ribbon. I wanted to stay with neutral colors, so the ribbon is very understated. Be sure to decorate yours in whatever way you find fitting, or leave it without any added décor! It’s beautiful on its own.

Tips To Consider:

• Use different sized pinecones. This really allows the wreath to fill in, and makes it more visually appealing
• Hold each pinecone steady until the glue dries. Pinecones are heavy and can easily fall over.
• Make sure the wreath hanger you have is sturdy. As I mentioned above, pinecones are heavy and this wreath is very heavy. It needs to be secured well otherwise it may not stay put.

Enjoy this beautiful DIY holiday pinecone wreath for years to come. Pinecones are classically beautiful and match everything. This could also make a great gift too!