Decorate with pinecones and acorns

Pinecones and acorns are free, they look good in almost any room, and you find them on the ground without trying. This is the simplest idea in the fall list: go for a walk, pick up a few, bake the pinecones, and put them in a bowl. It takes about ten minutes at home, plus however long you want to spend walking.

Where to find them

Pinecones fall from pine, spruce and fir trees, and acorns from oak trees. You’ll find them in parks, under trees along a street, and in woods. Dry days are best, because wet ones are heavier and take longer to dry.

• Choose pinecones that are whole, open and firm. Leave the ones that are broken, rotting or covered in sap.
• Choose acorns that are brown, shiny and heavy, with no holes. Caps are optional. Many fall off, and loose caps look good in a bowl on their own.
• Take a few, not a bagful. Squirrels and birds need them too.
• Check the local rules. Some parks ask you to leave natural things where they are.

A tote bag or a paper bag is enough. Wear gloves if you don’t want sticky hands.

Clean and bake pinecones

Anything you pick up outside can have bugs, dirt and sap on it. A bit of preparation means you can bring it inside without worrying.

1. Shake or brush off loose dirt, needles and bark. A dry toothbrush helps.
2. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment, because sap can drip.
3. Spread the pinecones out in a single layer.
4. Bake at around 200°F (95°C) for about half an hour.
5. Let them cool on the tray. They’ll open up as they dry.

Sap can get hot, so don’t crowd the tray, and stay in the house while they bake. If you’re not sure about your oven, check after 15 minutes.

If you’d rather not use the oven, freeze the pinecones in a bag for a few days instead, then let them come back to room temperature.

Prepare acorns

1. Throw away any acorns with small round holes. That’s usually where an insect has left.
2. Rinse the rest in cold water and dry them thoroughly.
3. Freeze them for a few days, or bake on a low heat, as you did with the pinecones, for a short time.
4. Let them dry out completely before you put them on display, so they don’t go mouldy.

Acorns can darken and shrivel a little as they dry. That’s normal.

Ways to use them

• In a bowl or jar. The easiest option. Mix pinecones and acorns in a wooden bowl or a glass jar and put it on a table or windowsill.
• Along a shelf or mantel. Line up a few with candles, small pumpkins or books.
• In a fall wreath. Glue or wire pinecones to a grapevine base.
• On a table. Scatter them down the middle of the table for a dinner, with a few leaves.
• As gift toppers. Tie a small pinecone or an acorn on a ribbon around a present.
• In a hurricane vase or lantern. Fill the bottom with pinecones and acorns.

You can also paint the tips white for a frosted look, or brush on a little glitter if you like. Leave them plain if you prefer. They look good as they are.

Keep them away from flames

Dried pinecones are dry and burn easily. Don’t put them next to a lit candle or on a hot radiator or heater, and don’t leave them close to an open fire. If you want a candle in the display, use an LED one.

If something goes wrong

• Small bugs appear. Bake or freeze them again, and throw away any you can see are infested.
• They smell of damp. They weren’t fully dry. Bake them for a bit longer or leave them in a dry room.
• They’ve closed up. Dry them in the oven at low heat and they’ll open again.
• Sap on the tray or your hands. Rub with a little cooking oil or hand sanitiser, then wash.
• Mould on acorns. Throw them away and start again with drier ones.

Keeping them

Baked and dry pinecones last for years if you store them in a box somewhere dry. Acorns last for the season, and then it’s time to put them back outside or in the compost. Bring the pinecones out again each fall.

Make it a fall evening

Go for a foliage walk on a weekend afternoon, and fill your pockets on the way back. Bake the pinecones while you make tea, and arrange them in a bowl before bed. It’s the easiest way to bring a little of the walk home.