As the holidays quickly approach, I know many of us love creating a home that smells like the holidays. There are lots 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, in the Christmas stores, you will see and smell lovely cinnamon pine cones. After a few day the scent can begin to disappear. So why not make your 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.
Remove all the debris from the pine cones and bake them! Set the oven at 90 degrees celsius and bake for 90 minutes. This kills any bugs or potential mould hiding in the pine cones.
If you do not have pine cones to forage, you can order pine cones online. I have some supply within my shop at reasonable cost. These have been pre-baked and are ready for use.
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 odour and works well to help the essential oils seep into the pine cones.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
· 10 medium sized pine cones – cleaned and baked
· 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil
· 2 medium size ziploc bags
· 1/3 cup fractionated coconut oil
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
STEP ONE:
Place 5 pine cones into each large Ziploc bag. The pine cones should be small enough to fit.
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 for 24 hours.
STEP THREE:
Remove the scented pine cones from the bags and lay out on a tray to dry completely. This will take a few hours.
STEP FOUR:
Stage the scented pine cones and use them for decorations throughout the holiday season! These are great in clear vases, as centrepieces, 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 other scented oil combinations which can be used. Another great holiday combination is clove and orange.
Pine cones make a beautiful centrepiece even if you choose not to scent them! Cinnamon smells so much like the Holidays though.
Enjoy the holidays with these toxic-free cinnamon scented pine cones and make your house smell great!
