I saw Rachel of Smile and Wave dip pine cones in white paint via instagram and thought they would make an amazing rainbow garland for the holidays.
Reminiscent of those big bright strings of colorful Christmas lights, I love the final result! I think I prefer these more subtle + rustic alternatives to the bright lights I remember from my childhood.

Final images above by photographer Liz Daly

Here’s how I made them…

1. I started with a few pine cones I went foraging for in Golden Gate Park. I could have bought some at the craft store but  a. I wanted mini pine cones and  b. The craft store is 25 minutes away and Golden Gate Park is across the street

2. I was going to dip them, but because I lot of different colors I ended up just painting the color on instead, but trying to make it look dipped (i.e. heavy application).

3. Continue with the other colors and let dry

4. When dry, us a bit of hot glue to attach natural twine to the top of the pine cone. Make sure to leave a couple feet of twine at the beginning and end of the garland.

5. Space the colors about 2 inches apart and let dry completely before stringing along your fireplace or doorway.

Logo by my sister Becca Ricks