Pinecone bunting

A beautifully simple (and cheap) natural take on bunting to decorate indoors or outside!

Introduction

Bunting is so 'in'! Create your own handmade, eye-catching chains in this activity which can also encourage discussions around numbers, measurements and division. It's also a chance to practice your knot-tying skills.

We used red and silver wool to decorate our cones for a seasonal, Christmassy feel.

What you'll need

pinecones
glue
scissors
string/wool
paint and paint brushes

This activity has been provided by

Useful items from our shop

Item available from our shop

Environmental Considerations

Consider the environmental impact of preparing, carrying out & completing this activity. Could this impact be reduced? Specific considerations for this activity could include:

source of pinecones
leave no trace

Health & Safety Considerations

Follow your usual operating procedures and carry out appropriate risk benefit assessments.
Some considerations particular to this activity include:

using scissors

Step #1 Collect pinecones!

Go on a scavenger hunt or you can buy a bag of pinecones from our shop.

Step #2 Decorate your pinecones (optional)

Wind wool around the prongs of the pinecones, or insert fallen autumn leaves of yellow, orange and red.

What other natural materials could you use?

Step #3 Lay them out

Cut a piece of string/wool to the length that you want your bunting to be; add about 2cm per pinecone.

Space your pinecones out along the length of the string to work out the distance between each pinecone.

Make a loop at either end of the string for hanging.

Step #4 Attach the pinecones to the string

Create a clove hitch in the centre of the string where the middle pinecone will be.

Pop the loops over the top stalk or top few bits of the pinecone and tighten.

Top tip

Do the same with the rest of the pinecones, working from the centre out to each end. This helps to keep the distance between each cone even (if that’s the look you are going for!)

Step #5 Hang your pinecone bunting!

Ta dah! Bootiful!

Your pinecone chain will be equally attractive indoors or outside.

Take it further:

keep the au natural look, or decorate/paint your pinecones
alternatively turn the pinecones into bird feeders and string them outside as a winter feast for the birds!
try making bunting with other natural materials
for Christmas you could hang fairy lights alongside your bunting - maybe an elf will hide behind one of the cones?!

Disclaimer: Muddy Faces cannot take any responsibility for accidents or damage that occurs as a result of following this activity.You are responsible for making sure the activity is conducted safely.