I was on my way home the other evening when I noticed that the pine tree on the corner was about to drop the most adorable tiny pine cones. I rescued a pile of them before they were crushed, lawn mowed, or otherwise destroyed.

I like to decorate with natural items. This looks beautiful on a shelf or as a Christmas ornament. You can add a sprig of mistletoe if it is available.

Step 1: Materials:

Tiny pine cones
Practice golf balls
Hot glue gun

The first thing you should do when you bring pine cones into the house is bake them. Just drop them in a baking dish and put them in the oven for a while. It doesn't have to be very hot--200 to 250 degrees is enough. You want to kill off any creepy crawlies that may be hiding in them. I admit that I forgot that they were there so I left them for about an hour and a half.

Added bonus--the bits of pine sap dried up completely.

Step 2: Glue the Pinecones

Put some glue on the end of one pine cone. Push the end into one of the holes in the golf ball. The hole will help hold the pine cone in place while the glue cools and hardens. Repeat on the rest of the holes. After all the holes are filled and the glue has hardened, go back and glue additional pine cones in the gaps.

Step 3: Hanging

If you plan to hang the ball, you may want to add a hanger before you finish gluing the pine cones. I threaded a cord through 2 holes for this purpose. You can also hot glue a sprig of mistletoe (on the opposite side from the hanger) if you are using it as a holiday ornament or gift.