PINE CONE TREE DECORATION
Make a cute little pine cone decoration for your own holiday tree or as a gift
You will also need:
1----3 inch styrofoam egg (purchased on Amazon in package of 4)
2----Pearl top Corsage pin (Walmart, Joanne's)
*TIP---you can use any colors and coordinating colors you wish---the sky is the limit---this project is a great use of scraps.
*Cut your paper in 1 inch strips then in 1 in squares. For this project I had 4 pieces of 6 x 6 DSP as well as 1/2 sheet each of Shaded Spruce and Cherry Cobbler Card stock. The Gold foil I used as accent pieces on the pine cone.--so a few scraps will do.
*Fold 2 of the corners in so that the square looks like a "little house" You will do this with all your 1 inch squares. It is best for you to do all this prep work prior to the assembly
*Assembly: Starting at the narrow end of the egg (this will be the bottom when completed) you will take 4 pieces of the Shaded Spruce and pin the points of the houses to the bottom of the styrofoam egg. You also are to pin the bottom 2 corners. TIP: it is ok if you have a slight bit of the white styrofoam showing because as your layer your pine needles on---they will be covered.
*After completing the 1st center part---repeat with another layer---same color---but this time--only pin the bottom corners---leave the point open.
*You then can start building your layers---moving down about 1/8 inch with each row. This is where you create your own magic by designing how you want to layer your colors. TIP: You can make the space between layers anything you wish. If you want the space wider---move up 1/4 inch. The tighter the space, the more paper squares you will use.
*Continue down the rows---making your layers until you are at the bottom (which will be the top)
You can leave a 1/4 inch circle of styrofoam showing as this will be covered with your topper.
* Using the Beautiful Boughs Dies, cut out several pieces of branches--the smaller and larger in Shaded Spruce and a couple in the Gold Foil. If you want to do Cherry Cobbler you can. Set those pieces aside.
*Making your bow:
^wrap the ribbon around your first two fingers leaving a small "tail"
^Wrap 5 times
^When you have made your 5th wrap at the top of your index finger, bring the ribbon down to your pinkie finger and going the opposite direction, make a loop and secure with your thumb. Cut at the end
^Take your Pearl topped pin and push through the center of the big loop and push through the center of the 5 loop piece---That will become your bow that you will pull loops apart.
^Push the pin through the top center of the Styrofoam egg---before pushing completely in the egg---pull out your loops to create your bow. Then you may tighten by pushing the pin securely in the center of the egg.
*
*Gently pull the loops of the ribbon apart to make the bow as you would like.
*Take your die cut pine leaves---and glue a Shaded Spruce piece on each side---secure under the bow. Add the gold accent pieces. As you can see, with the bow and pine leaves, this will completely camouflage your end area of your layers--to cover any styrofoam that may have been exposed.
*Your Pine Cone ornament is complete and ready for your tree!
