Inside: Kids of all ages will enjoy making pine cone apples. They are a creative, colorful fall nature craft for kids!

Oh, the things my children collect! My youngest has been bringing pine cones home from 4K in his backpack for the past 2 weeks. He collects them during recess, packs them into his little denim pockets, transfers them to his mustard-yellow dinosaur backpack, then proudly gives them to me with a smile on his face. The collection has grown so large that we needed to do something about it.

Presenting our latest nature craft for kids, Pinecone Apples!

Rustic Pine Cone Apples

As of today, most of our Pinecone Apples have gone back to school—as gifts for the 6 wonderful teachers in my children’s lives! They really did turn out darling. The apples have a vintage, rustic appearance, and become a sweet ornament when paired with dyed twine.

To Make This Craft You Will Need

• pinecones
• dyed twine
• acrylic paint (yellow, red, and green)
• green wool felt
• hot glue and hot glue gun

Directions

After collecting pine cones, invite the kids to paint them. It doesn’t matter if the kids paint sloppily, as that is what gives the apples their vintage, chipped-up appearance. My kids and I decided to leave the stem of the pine cone brown, reminiscent of an apple stem.

Next, cut leaves from green wool felt. Attach them to the pine cone with hot glue. I know I’ve shared this here before, but I’ll share it again. Wool felt is so expensive! Rather than buying it new, I purchase old, 100% wool sweaters or jackets from thrift shops. I machine felt them in hot water and high heat from the convenience of my laundry room, then cut the fabric into workable sheets.

Last, attach a twine loop to the top of every apple. This enables the apple to be hung like an ornament on a hook, bulletin board, or Christmas tree.

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More Fall Crafts for Kids

Click the images below to view more easy fall crafts for kids.