By CraftingStepByStepPublished
Based on a video by Wren Haven HOME.
German glass glitter is the reason these look the way they do. It is coarser and more reflective than plastic craft glitter, so on a lit tree the ornaments throw light rather than just sitting there.
The method is two steps repeated: glue, then glitter. Use a cheap chip brush, because the jabbing motion needed to work Mod Podge between the scales will destroy a decent brush. And do not chase a perfect pinecone - a slightly crooked one looks better on a tree than a symmetrical one.
10 steps · about 8 minutes.Check off each step as you go and your progress saves automatically.
Twist a mini eye hook into the top of a properly dried pinecone, using your fingers to screw it down tight.
Give it a tug with the hanger before you go further. If it pulls out now it will pull out on the tree.
Tip
Any pinecone works. The one used here is uneven at the tip and it makes no difference to the result.
Load a chip brush with Mod Podge straight from the jar - no need to dilute it.
Work against the grain of the scales with a jabbing motion so the glue goes on evenly instead of pooling.
Tip
Use a brush you do not care about. This motion wrecks good brushes.
Push the glue a little way down between the scales rather than only coating the tips.
Keep the layer thin. Too much and it gloops between the scales and stays visible after it dries.
Tip
Mod Podge dries clear, so a coat that looks milky now will disappear.
Hold the pinecone over a plate and spoon German glass glitter across it, shaking gently so it falls like snow.
Turn the cone as you go so it lands evenly on every side.
Tip
Nothing is wasted. Whatever misses lands on the plate and tips straight back into the jar.
Tap the pinecone against your hand to knock off the loose excess.
Then dip the tip straight into the bowl of glitter to catch the spots the spoon missed.
For the gilded variation, paint a pinecone with metallic craft paint and let it dry completely first.
The gold does not really read as gold once the glitter is on. What it does is add depth behind it.
Treat the painted pinecone exactly like the natural one - chip brush, thin coat, then glitter.
Be generous. It looks far too thick while it is wet and settles down as it dries.
Tip
Missed a patch? Leave it. Once these are on a tree you will not find it.
Big sugar pinecones make good display pieces rather than hanging ornaments.
Go heavier with the glue and push it further in, since the scales are much larger and there is more gap to fill.
Tip
Mixing sizes across a display gives it more variation than a row of matching ones.
Hang the ornaments up and leave them four to six hours minimum.
Overnight is better. The thicker patches of glue need the extra time to harden all the way through.
Tip
These do shed a little glitter once dry. Not badly, but do not hang them over food.
Hang the finished cones where the lights sit behind them so the glass glitter catches.
Put a natural one next to a gilded one and you can just about tell them apart. Both look good, so do not feel obliged to gild.
Keep going
How to Use Tile Nippers to Cut Mosaic Glass
E6000
E6000 Craft Adhesive, Clear (3.7 oz)
The industrial-strength craft glue that bonds glass, wood, ceramic, metal, fabric, and concrete. The one adhesive most craft projects reach for.
Gorilla
Gorilla Dual-Temp Full-Size Hot Glue Gun
Dual-temp so it handles delicate florals and heavy materials alike. A precise nozzle and built-in stand make it the everyday craft-table gun.
OLFA
OLFA 18" x 24" Self-Healing Cutting Mat
The pro-standard cutting surface. Gridlines for square cuts, self-healing so blades never leave grooves, and big enough for paper, fabric, and leather.
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