What and how can you paint cones for crafts?

Pine and spruce cones are used to make winter crafts and decorations. The material is stored for a long time and is easily stained. A cone product will not lose its original appearance even after a couple of years. Using various dyeing techniques will allow you to create unique crafts.

When choosing a dye, you should focus on convenience, availability and safety. The latter circumstance plays a special role if the cones are harvested with the child. In this case, it is better to give preference to plain gouache. If the child is already an adult, then any other dye will do.

It is recommended to use the most persistent colorants such as acrylic or aerosol. Alternatively, fixing varnishes are used.

To apply paint, you need to take a piece of foam rubber or a brush. You will also need some wire to secure the bump. The painted product must be hung somewhere. A container should be installed under the workpiece, into which excess paint will drain.

The composition is sold in cans with a wide neck. This makes it easy to dip the bud completely. This approach allows you to quickly paint the product. The easiest way is to hook the natural material to the wire so that it does not sink. It is necessary to dry the product in a suspended form so that excess material flows freely back into the jar.

Alkyd enamel is durable and elastic. The coating dries quickly.Coloring can be done indoors without harm to health. A great solution for making a white cone. The composition does not turn yellow over time.

The material can be in a jar or tube. It's pretty easy to get a whole set of colored acrylics and make pine cone crafts. After the composition has dried, it is recommended to apply wood varnish. This will make the bump glossy and shiny. The paint will not crack.

The material can be applied with a sponge or brush. Acrylic allows you not only to color, but also to shape the volume. Acrylic paint quickly crusts but is still damp on the inside. Therefore, it is important to leave the cone for the time indicated by the manufacturer until it dries completely.

The simplest and most common option. Plain gouache is safe for children's creativity. For making crafts, you should prepare a paint, a brush and a bump. The composition can only partially paint the workpiece, which will make the decor more interesting.

Usually, only the tips of the buds are covered, or each scale is a different color. You can paint the inside and outside in different ways. The brush greatly expands the possibilities and gives space for creativity. In this case, the cone itself can be left in its natural color or painted completely, and then add strokes with gouache.

Spray paint greatly simplifies handling. Just first you need to fix the workpiece so that the coating reaches all parts. The first bump may not be evenly covered, but this is not a problem at all. A little training and the effect will be flawless.

Aerosols can have various effects. Metallic paint looks quite attractive. The composition is economical, applied in a thin layer. The paint dries quickly and is durable.

Cones for crafts can be collected in any forest where conifers grow. Pine and spruce are suitable, there is not much difference when staining. Blanks can be made at any time, cones are stored for a long time, do not lose their qualities. A master class for staining will come in handy in stages.

1. Procurement of material. Resin remains in the cones, and dirt accumulates between the scales, insects live. It is recommended to collect natural material with gloves and special clothing that you do not mind getting dirty. Later, all workpieces are sorted by shape and size.
2. Purification. Coarse dirt and seeds can be removed with a stiff brush and tweezers. Then the material should be immersed in water with vinegar in a 2: 1 ratio. The buds should be completely in the solution. The natural material should be left for 30 minutes. After getting wet, the scales on the buds will close, but this is a temporary effect. The washed material should be spread on a newspaper and left to dry completely.
3. Warming up. Foil or parchment paper is laid on a baking sheet, dry cones are laid out on top so that they do not touch. The oven should be preheated to 95-120 ° C. Cones are processed from 30 minutes to full disclosure of the scales. The material can also be dried naturally, but this will take at least 3 days. During heat treatment, the resin crystallizes, so you need to cool the buds gradually. It is enough to open the oven and leave the blanks for a while. It should also be pulled out carefully, after heating the natural material becomes brittle.
4. Formation. You can use a jigsaw to cut off a piece of the cone. It's easier to just remove some of the scales to create the look you want. For this, ordinary wire cutters are also suitable. The trimmed parts should not be thrown away. The scales can be further used in art.
5. Fastening making. You can use a screw with a hinge. You just need to carefully screw it into the bump. As a result, garlands, souvenirs or toys can be made from blanks.
6. Whitening. The cone can be treated with whiteness. The material should be left in the solution for 24 hours or longer. Then it is enough to rinse the cone with running water and dry it in a draft. As a result, the workpiece will be white and completely odorless. You can put the buds in bags and drip a little essential oil, literally 1-2 drops.
7. Coloring. A bleached or simply prepared workpiece should be painted with the selected composition. It can be dipped in alkyd enamel and left to dry completely. It's also easy to just spray paint the bud. In the latter case, it is better to still use a bleached cone. This will require less paint in order for the layer to be bright and saturated enough. Gouache and acrylic can be applied to natural buds. The last two options are best used in conjunction with a brush or foam. It is not difficult to decorate the cone beautifully with your own hands. Painting can be done in any technique.
8. Coating with varnish. You should choose a composition for wood that does not turn yellow. The varnish can be applied with a brush or purchased as a spray. To get a thick layer, it is enough to dip the cone in a jar and leave to drain. Ship varnish will last the longest. Other types are less wear-resistant.

An interesting way of coloring is the use of paraffin. You just need to dip the cone into the colored composition. Paraffin hardens quickly. The decorative layer is quite thick and attractive. However, it will be necessary to remove all drips and excess drops.

When stained with foam rubber, the layer is thinner. You will have to repeat the procedure several times to get a rich color. If you take a sponge with large pores, the effect will be more interesting. Foam rubber can also be used with acrylic paint, but it is worthwhile to act quickly. In this case, the drawing will be embossed and unusual.

There are many methods for dyeing buds. Various techniques allow you to turn a simple blank from natural material into an original and unique decor. However, it is necessary to follow simple safety precautions when working with cones and paints and varnishes.

It is especially important to adhere to the rules if the craft is made with children.

1. Aerosol paints in spray cans are volatile, therefore they can harm the respiratory system. Moreover, the paint itself is highly flammable and explosive. It is necessary to work with the composition in a well-ventilated area. Better and completely outside the apartment, at least on the balcony. In this case, you should wear gloves, a mask, glasses. These products will help protect your eyes, respiratory tract and skin. Spray paint should not be given to children; coloring should be done by adults.
2. The varnish should also be applied in a safe manner. Do not allow the composition to come into contact with the skin and mucous membranes. The room should also be ventilated to remove the toxic smell of varnish.
3. Acrylic paints and gouache are less toxic than enamel and spray. However, it is important to ensure that the composition does not get into the child's mouth or eyes.
4. You can even paint with gouache with your hands. It is this tool that is the safest for children's creativity. However, protective clothing should not be forgotten.
5. It is better to dry the cones at each stage of processing on the balcony. So the composition will harden faster, and the smell of paint or varnish will not spread throughout the apartment.

Crafts made from cones look interesting and unusual. The combination of textures and colors allows you to make an original and unique product.

When working with a child, do not limit the creative process. It is only important to properly prepare the cones at the beginning and varnish them with high quality after staining.

You will learn more ways to paint cones for crafts below.