It seems everyone is bleaching pine cones these days – and rightly so! For those of us with a passion for neutrals, pine cones can now be happily included in our fall decorating mix!
For Friday field trip today, I am demonstrating the start of how I ‘neutralize’ fall! Since I was in the woods last weekend, it was the perfect time to collect and bleach some pine cones.
I prefer a 50/50 bleach and water mix in a plastic bucket; keeping the pine cones in the solution 24 hours and drying them outdoors in the sun. If you haven’t bleached pine cones before, be warned that they close up when wet. It gets a little scary when you see them this way, but they open up as they dry.
Since the pine cones will float in the bleach solution, I put some paper plates on top of the pine cones and added a few rocks to be sure they were covered completely in the liquid.
That’s all there is to it! Those dark brown pine cones are transformed in a beautiful neutral hue!
I like to dip the tips of the bleached pine cones into some white or off-white paint or to add a little glitter (like I did with this batch) for some added sparkle!
I hope I have inspired you to do some ‘neutralizing’ of your own! Stop back next week and I will demonstrate how I ’neutralize’ acorns and leaves!
Have a wonderful weekend! Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie