DIY Scented Pinecones

Thrifty Thursday coming at ya! Want an easy and inexpensive way to make your home smell amazing for the holidays (or anytime really)?  These DIY scented pinecones are a super easy, and inexpensive way to make your home smell like cinnamon deliciousness.  Every time I walk by these in my home I smile, because I love the scent so much. It just makes me happy and I hope it will make you happy too!

For these DIY scented pinecones, you can go outside and collect some from nature, which is FREE! Or you can reuse some old scented ones that have lost their scent.

I am using some very old pre-scented ones. I bought these maybe 10 years ago, before I knew the dangers of synthetic fragrances. The scent has been long gone, but I still liked they way they looked around the holidays.

So, I decided to re-scent them on my own. I added about three drops of Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil to each pinecone, then I put them in a plastic bag and tied it tightly. I would have used some gallon size zip lock bags but I was all out. And of course you can scent these DIY scented pinecones with any essential oil scent such as pine, Thieves, Christmas Spirit, Orange, Evergreen Essence… Whatever scent you want!

I set them aside and left them in there for a couple of weeks.

When I just started opening the bag, I was greeted with the wonderful aroma of cinnamon. Oh boy, did this get me giddy lol. I love, love, love the smell of cinnamon in the winter time. There’s something about it that’s just so warm and cozy, don’t ya think?

Next up, put them on display. Easy peasy. I have these baskets that were painted to look like drums (Little Drummer Boy is my favorite Christmas song, the sentiment of it is so sweet). Usually, I just put them on the stairs or in random odd places in my home, but now I have a great use for them!  I love the contrast of the colors with the brown, green, and red. But they would still look great in any basket you have laying around. Keep reading to find out more uses and ways to decorate with these DIY Scented Pinecones!

But, if you don’t have any pinecones laying around, you can always go back to nature. 😊

If you collet some from outside, you will want to wash them first. Just soak them in a bowl or sink of warm water and dish soap. Make sure to submerge the pine cones and move them around a bit to get out any dirt (or anything else that may be in there, yikes!).

Then you will want to rinse the pinecones thoroughly. Now, the problem with this, is when you put them in the water, they close up a bit. We don’t want that. So, you will need to bake them. The heat will open them back up, just like in nature and with forest fires.  We learned all about that on one of our trips to the redwoods… but I digress.

Back to it. Line the baking sheets with aluminum foil and place the pinecones in a single layer. Then you will want to bake the pinecones low and slow. 200 degrees for about 45 minutes ought to do it. This will dry out the pinecones without cooking them. It will also finish off any hitchhikers that may still be alive after their bubble bath.

If, after 45 minutes, the pinecones have not opened back up, turn them over and bake longer, but make sure to check every 15 minutes so they don’t burn.

Next up, time to scent them. Same thing as I mentioned before. 3 or so drops of Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil on each pinecone. Then store in sealed plastic bag for a couple of weeks so the pinecones really absorb the scents.

8 Ways To Decorate With Scented Pinecones:

1. Place the scented pinecones on fireplace mantle nestled between stocking holders.

2. Make a pinecone wreath or add just a few to a wreath for added beauty and a wonderful aroma to greet your visitors.

3. Tie some festive ribbon around the pinecones and decorate with them that way. 

4. Add them to a basket for a pretty holiday feel.

 

5. Tie some twine to the pinecones and hang them from your tree. These would make pretty Christmas Tree ornaments, and if you have a fake tree, it’s a great way to scent your tree!

6. Decorate gift packaging by tying the pinecones to the gift with some twine. The recipient will love not only the look, but the scent as well!

7. Create a beautiful table centerpiece or table runner by placing the DIY scented pinecones among greenery.

8. Place the pinecones around battery operated candles for a beautiful scented centerpiece. Yes, I said battery operated. Read here to find out why (scroll down to #3 in that article if you want to just jump to the reason)!

 

The warm aroma of the cinnamon bark should last for several weeks, but if the scent starts to fade, just add a few more drops of Cinnamon Bark.

And there you have it. An easy peasy DIY scented pinecone holiday decoration that smells amazing!