Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

Yesterday, we went on a festive tour of The House that Will, and today I'm back to share how I made these crafty cone tree ornaments. They're so easy to make, and look great as part of a decorative arrangement at this time of year.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

Materials

  • Polystyrene cones
  • Brown spray paint
  • Pine cones
  • Hot glue gun
  • Wire snips
  • Craft wire
  • Straight Pin

Step by Step

I first spray-painted the polystyrene cones a brown colour to camouflage them - in case they would be seen through the gaps in the pine cone scales.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

I noticed that the solvents in the paint slightly degraded the polystyrene, but that's OK because it will be covered anyway.

Then came the hardest part: removing the individual scales from the pine cones. Those things are definitely designed to stay put! Flexing them until they snapped worked for me or, when I got impatient, I cut some of them with a wire snips. Then, using the hot glue gun, I started to arrange them in rows around the cone, starting at the bottom.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

I continued working upwards in rows, using quite a few hot glue sticks in the process.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

 

I got a different effect for each tree by flipping the scales of the pine cones so that they either face inwards or outwards. 

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

To finish the top of the tree, I clipped the tip off a cone using the wire snips. Then I made a pilot hole at the bottom of it with a straight pin and pushed a length of craft wire up into it. I used a dab of hot glue to secure the wire in place.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

Then I pushed the wire into the tip of the polystyrene cone before placing the last row of scales at the top of the tree. 

 

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

For the tree where the inside of the scales faces out, I made the top a little differently. For that one, I cut a V shape at the end of a few scales using the wire snips.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

Then, as I glued these into place, I arranged them so that the V shapes closed together at the top of the tree.

The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

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The House that Will | Crafty Cone Tree Ornaments

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That's how easy it is to make these cute little tree ornaments! Please share with me on social media if you make your own - I'd love to see them.

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