'Tis the Season For Creative Decorating

We are not blessed with the best front door for holiday decorations. We have both a solid door and a screen door and there is very little space in between. I was resigned to the fact that we just wouldn't hang anything this winter.

Then I found this great craft/decorating idea that was so simple and so inexpensive. You can either hang it over the front of your screen door or hang it from a finishing nail on a solid door. So pretty and so versatile!


You will need:
6-8 pine cones (real or artificial)
6-8 2-3' lengths of ribbon
Hot glue gun
Seasonal decoration (like the cranberry heart pictured)
Twine or wire

Note #1: All of the items you need for this craft can easily be found at the dollar store at this time of year. Also look for post-season sales and you can find exactly what you need for very little money.

Note #2: When decorating or crafting with real pine cones, bake them at 200 degrees for 20 minutes before using. This will kill any creep crawlies in them and harden the sap that would otherwise leak out all over your project. Just lay a single layer of pine cones on a baking sheet and watch them closely at about the 15 minute mark. You don't want burnt cones.

1. Cut a variety of lengths of ribbon between two and three feet long.

2. Fold over one end of the ribbon about 1/2" and attach that flap with hot glue to the pine cone. Hold in place for a minute until the glue cools. Repeat with as many pine cones as you would like in your decoration.

3. If you would like to add a seasonal piece like the cranberry heart shown, attach a piece of twine or wire to it and run it behind the lengths of ribbon.

4. Gather the ends of the ribbons together and adjust the lengths so they are appealing to the eye. Tie the top of the ribbons in a knot and trim the ends to even them up.

5. If you are going to loop the decoration over the front door, attach a short piece of twine or wire to the back of the knot and then attach to the top of the inside of the door with a finishing nail. If you are hanging it on the outside of the inside door, simply loop the knot over a finishing nail.