Rustic Pinecone Star Christmas Ornament

Create a one-of-a-kind holiday decoration with this easy rustic style pinecone star ornament craft. This festive project is perfect for kids and adults alike. All you need is a few simple supplies, some creativity, and your holiday spirit! I love how this brings the outside into your holiday decorations!

Pinecone Star Ornament

Capture the magic of the holidays with this easy-to-make rustic ornament! This festive decoration is perfect for adding a touch of winter wonder to your home. All you need are pinecones, paper, glue, and glitter to make this go from a simple backyard item to a gorgeous addition to your tree.

If you are like me and love the idea of ​​using natural elements in your holiday decorating, then this is a great project. It goes along with this nice list of ways to transform pinecones into holiday decor that we gathered in the past. Get outside for a nature walk and create something unique and new for your holiday tree this year!

How Should I Remove The Individual Scales From the Pinecone?

When you are making these pinecone star ornaments, you only need to pull out the scales of the pinecone. You can pull them out using your fingers or you can use a pair of pliers to help pull them out. Older pine cones that have had a chance to dry out will be easier to use since the scales will come out easier.

You can also gently tap them against a table to loosen before pulling them out. I like getting the kids to help too! Just give them a bowl and sit them down to work on this while you gather up the rest of your crafting supplies.

Should I Clean the Pinecone Before Using?

When you are gathering natural crafting materials from outside, like these pinecones, you will want to clean them. There are a lot of things that can be on the pinecones like fungus, mold, and just dirt in general. There can also be small mites in the pinecones that you definitely don’t want to have in your home. So, yes, cleaning before use is a very important part of the process.

By cleaning the pinecones in a bleach solution or vinegar solution, you can make sure there is nothing unwanted on the pinecones. I just fill a bucket with warm water and a cap of bleach or 1/4-1/2 cup of white vinegar and let them soak for 30-minutes. Then just rinse well and lay it out on a cloth to air dry before using them in this project. Let the pinecones air dry before using them.

Of course, if you buy them from your craft store, they have already been cleaned, so you can skip this step. When buying from places like Facebook marketplace or Etsy, I still recommend cleaning, just in case the seller did not.

What Ways Can I Decorate This Star?

Want to make this more than just a pinecone star? There are tons of great ways to decorate this and make it look unique for your tree and specific style. Below are some of my favorite ideas.

• The easiest way to decorate this star is to add some glitter to the edges of each scale. You can also add some white paint to get the same effect.
• Another option is to paint the pinecone in different colors to match your holiday decor. Red, green, blue, white, gold, and silver are all great ideas that match regular holiday decor.
• Add some sequins or beads to the scales. You can add it to all of the scales or to just a few.
• Replace the twine bow with some red or green ribbon or even a ready-made bow at the top.

As you can see, there are a number of ways to make things look just a bit more unique. Match to your existing holiday decor or even to a new theme to make it match your style perfectly.

How Should I Hang This From the Tree?

A small loop of twine glued to the back of the star is the perfect rustic way to hang it on the tree. However, you can use anything you prefer for this. If you want a different way to hand this pinecone star ornament, you can use a ribbon. This gives a stunning pop to the ornament. If you want something less obvious like if you are hanging this from somewhere other than your Christmas tree, you can use something like a fishing line. The finishing line is clear which helps it to disappear. This keeps the entire focus on the pinecone star ornament.

Other options include using raffia, string, yarn, or even a classic metal ornament hook. Just use what you have on hand, or match to the colors of glitter or paint you add to the pinecone scales on the star.

Supplies Needed

How to Make a Pinecone Star Ornament

Use a star-shaped item or stencil to trace a star onto cardstock or cardboard. Cut out the star and set it aside.

Clean and dry the pinecones, then carefully remove the scales from the pinecones.

Use glue to attach the scales to the star shape, starting on the outside and working your way inward.

Overlap the scales slightly to give a bit of depth as you continue attaching to the star shape.

Once covered, add glue and glitter along the edges of the scale. You can also paint if you prefer.

Tie a loop of twine and glue it onto the back of the star to hang it from.

Then, add a small twine bow on top of the star.

Add any additional decorations you want then hang from the tree!

More Easy Christmas Ornaments

Christmas time is so much fun to prepare for, and that includes truly unique homemade ornaments. Whether you want something modern, rustic, or a unique idea just for the kids, the list below is great for inspiration. Make sure you bookmark these ideas, pin them to Pinterest boards, or even print out the tutorials and tuck them into your craft box!

Finished Project Gallery

Add colorful glitter to make this sparkle against the lights on your holiday tree.

You can even make this 3D by gluing two of the stars back to back!