Pine cone basket with lights

I got this idea for a basket filled with various shaped pine cones and Christmas lights years ago when I was at a craft fair.  It is an extremely easy and very inexpensive gift idea or home decor item.  All you need to do is go pine cone hunting with your kids and dig around for an old basket you have kicking around.
Warning: once you have your pine cones collected, place them into a garbage bag and spray them with spider killer! Did you know that spiders love to live in pine cones? I did not know this and I found this out the hard way. I hate spiders! 

So after all the spiders are gone :) start gluing, with hot glue, the pine cones into the basket. If you have holes in the side of your basket, like I did, start putting the lights around starting at the bottom. If you have a solid basket, you can fill the basket almost full and then start adding lights.

Note: I used just used an old set of mini lights but be aware these lights get pretty hot in confined spaces. My basket is very open and the heat can escape easily. I would have loved to use the new LED lights for this because they produce almost no heat. So just be aware of this when you have it on.

Keep piling the pine cones and lights until you are to the top of the basket. At this point try to hid the light chords as much as possible but they do not have to be 100% hidden.

Once the pine cones are to a height you like, add some dried baby's breathe flowers and red berries to hide the light chords you weren't able to hide with the pine cones.

Plug in the lights and add a bow. You are done! 

 
 What do you think?

Stephanie

Comments

  1. Very nice indeed! Looks so cozy. I would love for you to link this up to Wickedly Crafty Saturdays at Wiccan Make Some Too!
    http://wiccanmakesometoo.blogspot.com/2010/11/wickedly-crafty-saturdays_27.html
    Found this post surfing my list of blogs I follow!

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  2. What a great idea. I have a bird cage that this would look great in!

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  3. Cute! I remember my mom using the old mason jars and chicken feed bottoms to put potpourri and Christmas lights in. They were always very pretty!

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  4. Hey Cadiedid,

    My niece gave me a mason jar years ago with potpourri and Christmas lights too. I loved how it smelled and looked. This year when we plugged it in, after less than an hour, the jar and potpourri started to heat up and smell like it was burning. The jar got so hot is could have burned someone. This is why I put the caution note in my blog :) Thanks for the ideas.
    Stephanie

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  5. This is a great idea. I have tons of pine cones and baskets galore! Great inspiration and blog!

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  6. LOVE this idea! I have a glass hurricane vase filled with pinecones that just looks, BLAH. I'm going to add lights today! Thanks!

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  7. Very cute! And, it's cheap & easy! My 2 favorite prereq's for projects. Thanks for sharing.

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  8. Loved this idea a have to have it! Going for pine cones!
    hugs

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  9. This is a great way to Christmas-ify a dark corner. I have plenty of those!

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  10. How simple and pretty - Lord knows I have enough baskets to pull this off.

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  11. Love the idea. The basket is beautiful...I am inspired! Think I will start to hunt down a basket and pine cones and bug spray...yuk, hate spiders too!

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  12. Another idea would be to place the pine cones in a bag and place them in the freezer until frozen, thaw and then decorate. This way you wouldn't have to worry about the pesticide residue on your pine cones. Just a thought.....

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  13. Or you can boil the pine cones in liquid potpourri - makes them smell awesome and kills the bugs :)

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  14. I soak my pine cones first and then put them in the oven @200 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. Doing this kills the bugs and bakes the sap. After they come out it looks like the sap is still there but it isn't sticky. Giving this as a Christmas gift for sure!

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  15. I have always loved this look. This year I decided to spray paint a few of the pinecones silver, plus added a few cinnamon sticks, it looks beautiful, plus the heat/warmth of the lights makes the cinnamon smell lovely.

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  31. i would have never thought about spiders being in pine cones but now that you mentioned it, it is possible. spiders can be anywheres..Somebody mentioned soaking them..in what? How can one add some cinnamon oil to those that you are going to bake in the overn? I love to go to
    Bed, Bath&Beyond and smell those cinnamon pine cones they sell in a net bag. I bought some and I bring them into the living room at Christmas time in a basket, but they could be used anytime of the year.

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