Crafting a sugar pine cone bough

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I think some people think crafting means bread bag rugs or string art, yet creating your own home decor can add a touch of luxury that also becomes a hand-made heirloom. Sugar Pine cones, come from the Sugar Pine which is native to Northen California/Southern Oregan.

It is the tallest and most massive pine tree and has the largest pine cones of any conifer, that they actually weigh down the branches with their hefty size - which makes them perfect for this project. Although large, they are fairly lightweight.

Sugar Pine Cones are available through Branches Wholesale - I use the 10"-17" bunch of 10, $30 http://www.branches-wholesale.com/Large-Pine-Cones-s/1881.htm

The glue and glitter are from Art Glitter - www.ArtGlitter.com.

I cocktailed a 50/50 mixture of White Gold (71) and Crystal (85) into a deep dish so I could easily hold the pine cone over the container and spoon it over the glued cone seeds. I started out by doing one side of the seeds in sections and then turning it over and doing the tips on the reverse side.

Once I was done with that portion, then I took random sections of the cone and applied glue over the current glittered parts and applied a chunky glitter - Star Light (D124) to mimic snow sitting on the cone itself. Allowing that to dry before moving on.

Take two similar sized cones and using a awl, insert the tip into the top portion of the cone to create a divot to insert your screw eye which is what you will use to tie your ribbon through to hold your bough. My ribbon is fairly wide, 4 1/4" so I had to use a larger screw eye to accommodate the wide ribbon - #10 by Everbilt which I found at www.HomeDepot.com. Alternatively you could use a drill with appropriate-sized bit to create a hole and to then insert the screw eye as well.

Since this is going to hang on my wall for the Winter season, I wanted to find some beautiful ribbon. The pewter, color satin ribbon is from Antique Ribbon on etsy - $8 a yard, this project requires two yards. Insert the ribbon through the screw eye and pull through, then tie a simple knot and tighten - then slide up so the knot stops at the screw eye. Take a lighter and burn the edge of the ribbon - it will melt and secure it form unraveling.

www.etsy.com/listing/215847658/vintage-wide-gray-ribbon-double-sided?ref=shop_home_feat_4