How to Make Cinnamon Pine Cones

Learn how to make cinnamon pine cones easily at home. This DIY is less expensive than buying store bought scented ones. The results are perfect for homemade potpourri, centerpieces, ornaments and more!

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Every year as soon as they hit the craft stores or home stores, I buy mass amounts of cinnamon pine cones.

With 2 kids and a dog, I’ll do anything to keep my house smelling fantastic instead of like… well dirty feet and dog. And those scented pine cones do the trick for me. They are heavenly and smell exactly the way fall and winter should smell.

Unfortunately, they are also on the expensive side when you buy so many of them.

And I always buy a ton because not only do I set them out in bowls throughout my home to keep it smelling good, but I also craft with them and use them to make easy pine cone Christmas ornaments and centerpieces. 

But no more! I made 4 large bags full of these delightfully scented for under 10 bucks and I can make probably 50 more bags of them without spending another dime.

And I have my daughter and our yard to thank for that. My 6 year old loves to go outside with a basket and collect treasures she finds in the yard.

Well, we have several pine trees in our yard and pine cones are abundant underneath them.

So we filled up a few baskets full and she asked if we could take them in.

Cue cringy face. Bugs, dirt, etc, etc.

But with this method, no worries about that! You can easily get rid of creepy crawlies, dry the pine cones out and feel good about having them inside.

Materials

Making your own scented pinecones is super easy! You only need a couple of things:

• Pinecones–  Just look for them outside if you are able. Yes I do realize this assumes you live in an area with pine trees and yards.  However, if you don’t live in an area where you can do this, you can buy bulk unscented pine cones here. If you do that, you will not need to dry them.
• Essential oils– This is probably the only time I will ever tell you to use essential oil for anything but a good cinnamon oil provides the fragrance. And if you want to play with the scent a little bit, you can add different oils to make scents you wouldn’t find in premade scented pine cones. I also love this multipack of winter essential oils and this multipack of baked goods oils (seriously SWOON).
• Baking tray and foil- If you have collected your own pinecones from outside, you will dry them in the oven on baking trays lined with aluminum foil.
• Plastic shopping bags
• Whole cinnamon sticks– optional

How to Make

1. Gather the pine cones.
   If you are using found pine cones from outside, look for ones that don’t have any obvious mold or rot. Those of you buying unscented ones can skip this step.
2. Clean and dry them in the oven.
   

   Start by baking the pinecones to kill the creepy crawlies

   
   When you bring them in, give them a good shake over your garbage can to release any dirt. You can also do this outside if you’d rather. Then spread them out evenly on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Put them in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes to kill any of the critters that may be hiding inside the cones. Don’t skip this step if you are using found pine cones.

   

   The grit and grime that releases from baking. Don’t be surprised if you see a couple dead bugs.

3. Add the scent.
   

   Put the pine cones in bags with the oil and cinnamon sticks

   
   Once the pinecones are cool, add them to a large bag- either a large shopping bag that you double bag or a ziplocking galloon sized bag. If using shopping bags, fill the inner bag about 2/3-3/4 of the way full to leave enough room to tie the bag off after the oils are added. Then, I added 12 drops of cinnamon oil and 2 cinnamon sticks. Then tie or seal your bags and give them a shake, rolling the pine cones around so the oil coats them well.

   

   Seal the pinecones and oil into a bag and let it rest for at least two days.

4. Wait and enjoy!
   Let them sit in a sealed bag for at least 2 days for the scent to develop. It will be stronger if left longer. Then open and use them in your decorating or craft projects.

Tips and Tricks

• Whatever you do, if you are bringing the pinecones in from outside, don’t skip baking them. You’ll be surprised by the bugs and nasties that come out when you bake them.
• Use an old cookie sheet for this project.
• Want stronger scent? Let the pinecones sit in the bag for longer or use more oil.
• Feel free to use other scented oils besides cinnamon oil.
• Do not touch the essential oil with bare hands. Oil can be very irritating when it comes in direct contact with the skin. 
• Do not eat or drink the oil.

How to Use Them

There are so many ways to use these easy diy cinnamon pinecones. Some of my favorites:

• to make Christmas ornaments
• in centerpieces for both fall and winter
• displayed in baskets strategically throughout the house for good smell
• added to wreaths

However you can think of!

Other Scent Blends to Consider

Part of the beauty of making your own scented pinecones is that you can scent them in other ways besides just cinnamon.

Other lovely scent combinations for fall and winter pine cones could be:

• Cinnamon, orange and clove
• Pine
• Rosemary
• Orange
• Orange and clove
• Gingerbread
• Any fall bakery oils like pumpkin pie or snickerdoodle

Other Scented Crafts You May Enjoy

I love making my home smell and feel cozy especially during the colder months. One of my favorite other scented crafts is making these cinnamon ornaments. 

Other cute ideas include:

• homemade sachets
• diy orange slice ornaments
• cinnamon stick stars