How to Collect and Prepare Cones for Crafts

Hemlock cones on tree

We started WildingsWhimsy by offering cones in bulk lots for crafters, so let’s just take a quick look at how we forage and prepare cones for use in crafts.

We collect four species from our property: Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, hemlock and White pine. The Douglas fir are far and away the most plentiful, with hemlock a distant second. We do not have much Ponderosa pine and had seen few pinecones, so finding some was a new and exciting discovery. Love those pine cones! They are large and fat and well formed, adding a pop to holiday wreaths or other decorations. 

We attempt to locate and collect this year’s cones in late summer and fall. You can tell they are “ripe” when there are new cones on the ground, and the squirrels are busy collecting them. Some of our cone collecting skills were developed many years ago when we collected seed cones to sell for propagating Douglas fir seedlings. The cute, tiny hemlock cones are also collected off the ground, although they are easily gathered from lower branches as well. We don’t climb trees to gather any type of cone (or boughs).

Ponderosa pine cones

Whatever the species, the process is the same after we haul home our big tote bags of usually wet and sometimes muddy cones. We put them in batches in the sink with a tiny amount of dish detergent and a bit of vinegar, letting them soak to get the dirt – and most importantly – the bugs out. Water causes the cones to close up, if they were open before, but this is temporary. You can also use a splash of bleach rather than vinegar if you want. The purpose is to get rid of any “critters” in residence under the cone scales.

We leave them to soak for about 30 minutes while we preheat the oven to 200°. 

Douglas fir and hemlock cones

We then remove the cones from the water, rinse and remove fir needles, grass, leaves and the other bits of debris that inevitably comes along. We cover old baking sheets and broiler pans with tin foil – these can be picked up at Goodwill or yard sales. I tend to prefer to put the cones in a single layer, if possible, but they can be mounded up a bit if necessary.

Dry the cones in the oven for about 30 – 45 minutes. This will dry them a bit, and eradicate any stubborn insects. We have found that cones that have been soaked in water will need longer to dry and open fully, so ours are left in a wide cardboard box or on the sheets for several days to completely “cure.” Be aware that if you layer them very deeply they need to be stirred or turned daily, as they can mold.

When they are fully open we usually remove any seeds that haven’t already fallen out (for another project we are doing) and check further for bugs or debris. A nice set of tweezers is good for this.

After a few days we have lovely, opened cones for crafts and floral arrangements. 

Feel free to comment!

Margaret