Pine Cones and Acorns

I was asked to help decorate for a fall themed party this past October, and after mauling it over... I decided to go search for some FREE decorations from Mother Nature herself. I gathered pine cones and acorns, and preserved them, painted them, and made wreaths and other decorations out of them. Here is what I did:

Pine cones:
Gather them, and lay them onto a cookie sheet lined with foil. Bake in a 200 degree oven for about 30 minutes until all sap has ran out. The sap forms on the edges or the pine cone and gives it a chrystal look. Paint or decorate however you want (great for Christmas wreaths and other decorations).

Acorns:
do the same thing as the pine cones, but first soak them in vinegar water to sterilize and get all little buggies and wormies out. :)

the wreath I made from the pine cones: