Children will love making and giving this holiday gift craft – pinecone air fresheners

Title – The Joy of Christmas Gift Craft!
By – Dr. Kathleen Wild
Primary Subject – Art
Secondary Subjects – Language Arts
Grade Level – K-3

Materials Needed:

• One baby food jar and lid per student
• silver and gold spray paint
• one large bag of small pinecones
• cinnamon or pine essential oils
• white, silver or gold glitter
• small Ziplock bags
• a measuring cup
• sheets of newspaper
• Elmer’s glue

Directions:

1. Hand out one small Ziplock bag to each student.
2. Have each child dip the measuring cup into the bag of pinecones and fill it to about the 3/4-cup mark.
3. Then have the children dump the pinecones into their Ziplock bag.
4. Assist the children by placing 3-5 essential oil drops into their bag of pinecones.
5. Zip the bags and let the students shake their bags.
6. Store the bags for 24 hours so that the oil soaks into the cones.
7. Now let the children sprinkle glitter onto the pinecones and shake bag again.
8. On the next day, lay out the newspaper on a table, preferably outdoors. Spray the silver or gold paint on the lids. Let dry for about 30 minutes.
9. Now the children can pour the pinecones into the jar and place the painted lid on the jar.
10. Next have the children place a dot of glue the size of a dime on the lid and glue a pinecone to the lid of the jar.
11. These crafts are now ready to be taken home, opened up, and used as an air freshener.

Suggestions:

• The student may wrap the present for Christmas or a birthday, or even as a “get well” gift. They could even make a special card to go with it.
• These could be sold at a Christmas Bazaar held at the school to help with funds for a school trip.
• You could even have the students visit a nursing home and take them to the elderly patients to show that they care.

E-Mail Dr. Kathleen Wild !