Wax Covered Pine Cones DIY- perfect for gift giving!
Create beautiful wax covered pine cone gift baskets for just pennies! They make great decorations for the home, and are even useful as fireplace fire starters in the winter! You can make them in a multitude of colors to match any decor. Want to know how?
You can put a bunch of these beautiful wax covered pine cones into a gift basket. They make a fabulous gift! The Dollar Store offers pretty baskets, greenery and ribbons. All for a dollar! And the pine cones? Well, go check out the woods. Those are free! I colored these for the holidays, but you can make them any color you like.
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For this project I used:
Assorted Pinecones
Paraffin Wax
Crayons
Wax Paper
Baskets
Pretty Kitchen Towels
Artificial pine greenery
Double boiler (or two sauce pans)
Wired Ribbon
The crayons are used for color, so choose what colors that you would like your pinecones to be and prepare the crayons by removing the paper. It will take 4-5 crayons per box of wax to achieve a good strong color. I chose to make red, green, blue and white pinecones.
Start by using your double boiler or in my case, I used two sauce pans inside each other. I put about 2″ of water in the bottom sauce pan and added a box of wax (cut in smaller pieces) to the top pan along with the red crayons. Allow the water to boil, and stir the wax until it has melted.
Cover your workspace with wax paper. Remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to cool for a few moments, then begin dipping the pinecones in the pan, coating them with a layer of wax.
I found that each pinecone will need several coats of wax and as the wax begins to cool in the pan, the coats will get thicker on your pinecones. I found that each box of wax would generally cover about 3 large pinecones and 4 smaller ones.
At some point, your wax will get too cool to coat them properly. Just reheat the wax and repeat. Being the crazy thrifty person I am, I actually scraped up all the cooled puddles of wax from the wax paper and reheated them in order to get as much as I could out of each box of wax.
Repeat this process for each color. Be sure to clean all your utensils carefully between each color change so as not to contaminate your new color.
Remember that wax down the drain is not a good thing. In order to clean the utensils, I scraped as much as I could into the trash and then used hot water for any tiny bits left over.
The baskets, kitchen towels and artificial greenery were all purchased from the Dollar Store. I lined the baskets with the towels and then placed the pinecones in along with the greenery for decoration. I finished the basket by tying a wired ribbon bow to the handle along with a few sprigs of artificial greenery.
For gift giving, you can purchase clear bags to put your baskets in (also at the Dollar store) and tie with a bow. This makes an awesome gift. Suggestions for variations would include adding a scent to the wax or placing cinnamon sticks in the basket along with the pinecones.
Since money is tight this year, this will most likely be my “go to” gift for friends and relatives. Even if they don’t own a fireplace, it makes a beautiful tabletop decoration.
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I made these for my daughter this year for Christmas as a little thank you gift. She loved them!! She also told me they were too pretty to burn and she was going to leave them out as a winter decoration for her home. Thank you!
I learned to make these in the mid-60s & have always saved old, damaged, ugly candles &/or pieces in empty coffee cans, which become the top pan of the double boiler. The old wicks etc
sink to the bottom when melt is done also used crayons but also old lipstick for coloring.
Hi Jo,
A slow cooker is a great idea! As for bugs, I did not bake mine ahead of time for this project and have never had an issue. I believe hot wax kills just about anything! Would love to see what you come up with!
suzy
I have a 2-qt slow cooker that I melt leftover candle in and dip my cones in it.
Do the cones need to be baked before dipping in the wax or do you think the hot wax will kill any bugs? Thanks
I had a suggestion on melting the wax. I have one of those heated holders where you put in a jarred candle and it melts the wax. I think that might work and it keeps the wax warm.
I’ve made these with Soy wax. It is much easier to clean up than paraffin wax. I also use color chips for candles and fragrance. After you dip them you can use a wire rack over the wax paper. What drips off can be remelted.
I vaguely remember creating different “colors” for fireplace logs by sprinkling cones with with possibly salt substitute and other kitchen staples. Can anyone confirm or add details? Maybe to dip the pine cones in before the wax sets?
This is great! My friend melts down old candles. It gives a nice mix of color and adds a slight fragrance! Bags of these are a nice gift idea!????
Great idea. Planning on doing this with non-holiday colors and flowers for a year around decorated basket. I have southwest decor or am planning on blue and peach as main colors with silk with flowers. Will do a basket for my daughter in the colors of her livingroom.
Hi!
I usually find my wax at the best price at Walmart or my local grocery store. You can find it in the canning section.
suzy
Food coloring does not work.
No, the wax completely burns up and leaves no residue in the fireplace. I use them daily to start my fires
Suggestion: Check yard sales and second hand stores for Easter Baskets for gift baskets for the pine cones. CAUTION:if setting container of cones near fire place, be sure it is where no Sparks are able to pop in it. A used
gallon jug would be a pretty container filled with the cones also.
Who offers the best price on the paraffin wax? Love the project.
Hi, love these pine cone, already have the wax looking forward trying colour, I am going to make a wreath for my MUM and DADS grave for Christmas, red and white will look lovely with a sprinkle of glitter.
Thank for your tutorial.
I’ve been saving the ends of candles and other candles that I haven’t used. Now I have a very big container of wax to use for gifts!
I’m wasn’t so thrifty minded when I was younger. I made the beautiful wax pinecones as Christmas Gifts once when I was younger but thought them costly to make because I bought the red, green, silver, gold and white pretty Christmas candles and melted them down for the colorful pinecones. I still have a basket of them from 20 year’s ago. I’ve since learned about dollar store finds and how to be more budget crafty. Thanks for sharing. I think it’s time to update my pinecone collection and now I know how to make them affordable <3
You are very welcome!
I received some of these from my daughter a few years ago and loved displaying them by the fireplace for quite a while. I no longer have a fireplace, but may make them for friends that do. Thank you!
This is so much fun to do. I save old candle remnants and dip my cones in this. It gives color and scent and is a great way to use the last bits of old candles.
old wax is fine
no wick ..probably put a bit of paper under the cones and light the paper to start the fire
Hi Renee,
Yes, you can definitely add essential oils to the wax. That would be awesome! I haven’t tried food color for color, but if you do, let me know how it comes out!
could you add essential oils to the waxed pinecones and could you use food coloring to color them with instead of crayons?
LOVE LOVE your tutorials
I would assume it could. It would be an easy way to add scent, if it was a scented candle!
Great tip, Mariana! Thank you!
Wow!, I like, I like! I clean my wax utensils by putting it in a tin or something old and cover it totally with boiling water, let it cool and the wax will form a layer on top. Then you can take it off and put it away for future use.
It’s after Christmas now. Just found this site. Very nice. I made these pinecones but added glitter. When they were burned in a fireplace, the snap, crackle and pops gave a wonderful colorful sparks.
wooow i love the pretty look of the waxed dipped pincones.
this is not only a smart gift for firestarters, but they are so pretty .
i think this is a great idea for using for other things as well.
thank you for the sharing and the great tute.
love it.
This is a great gift idea for those on a budget. I’d like to try but have a question… is any sort of wick required? Also, can old candle wax be used? You know, all the remnants in the bottom of candle jars?
L
Wow this is super creative!
These are so pretty. I am going to be on the look out for pine cones. I love the different colors.
Love this!! I have been collecting pinecones from my backyard with the sole purpose of trying to make firestarters for neighbors as a Christmas gift. Your tutorial is great. Love the way you packaged them up, too. Good job!
Thanks for sharing. When my children were young(back in the 1970's) and money was very limited I made these firestarter cones and the icy candles for gifts. They were a big hit. I will have to make the time to do some this year. ~~Sherry~~
How WONDERFUL! You made it look doable!
I'd so live it if you'd drop over and link this post to my All Things Merry & Brite Blog Linky!
xo
Robin
All Things Heart and HOme
Hi Brandy!
For instructions, I would put: To use as a fire starter place the pine cone on top of the kindling and light the edge of one of the scales.
suzy
Great tutorial. I've heard of making these but never have, you make it look easy. Thanks for sharing!
Ok so I would want to include instructions… We don't have a fireplace so what would I tell recipients?
Very nice gift idea!
Wow! Super creative! Love it! I'm your newest follower!
http://ouritaliankitchen.blogspot.com/
Love those. What a great idea!
These baskets look great! A wonderful thrifty idea!
Thanks for linking to A Round Tuit!
hope you have a lovely week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://jembellish.blogspot.com/
The wax completely burns in the heat of the fire. I've never had an issue with residue.
Generally, though, I keep them as a decoration. They are kind of nice to look at. 🙂
Does the wax melt and leave sticky residue in the fireplace?
Love the colored pinecones, and this technique is new to me…the gears are turning! Nice to "meet" you and thanks so much for sharing on Craft schooling sunday! all the best!
I have a wood stove and know that fire starters are very helpful! I'm sure they will be well received:@)
These turned out wonderful! I made these several years ago for friends but, I totally forgot about it plus I never thought of using the crayons! Thanks for the tutorial!
Thanks so much for bringing your seasonal project to Seasonal Sundays!
– The Tablescaper
These are awesome. I didn't know you could do this!
Thanks for linking up. And don't forget to enter my along for the ride: designs giveaway! http://bit.ly/9cz33f
That is very cool! I dis not know that you could make those yourself! Very cool!
You should come link this up to my weekly Thursday Making It With Allie Link Party! I think it would make a Fabulous addition!
AllieMakes.Blogspot.com
Wonderful project.I'd love to have you join my weekly meme, Seasonal Sundays!
– The Tablescaper
That is such a neat idea! I love the blue color. Blue always reminds me of the holidays….I don't really know why… 🙂
What a great idea! I'm going to have the kids help me make some of these. We have tons of crayons and I'd really love to use them up. This is so brilliant and thrifty. Thanks for linking up to Finished for Friday!
Just stopping by from Fabulous Friday Party!! What a great idea and how pretty they look! Thanks for sharing!
That is a beautiful basket of pinecones.