Pinecone Reindeer Ornaments for Kids

How do you make a reindeer ornament from a pinecone? Glue antlers and a face onto the narrow end, add googly eyes and a red pom-pom nose, then tie on a string to hang it. The pinecone's scales look like reindeer fur, so each one turns out different. They take about 15 minutes once supplies are out.

What supplies do you need?

• Pinecones, one per reindeer (bake gathered pinecones at 200°F / 93°C for about 1 hour on a foil-lined tray to dry them out and drive off any critters; an adult handles the oven, and skip pinecones from treated areas)
• A foil-lined baking tray for baking gathered pinecones (an adult handles the oven and the hot tray)
• Brown felt or brown pipe cleaners for the antlers
• Googly eyes, self-adhesive or plain (a choking hazard for children under 3, so adults handle them for little ones and consider drawn-on eyes instead)
• Red pom-poms for the noses (a choking hazard for children under 3, so adults handle them for little ones)
• String, yarn, or ribbon for hanging
• White school glue for kid-friendly assembly
• A hot glue gun if you want a stronger hold (adult-only; the nozzle and glue burn, so only a grown-up handles it)
• Child-safe scissors (all scissor use is adult-supervised, and adults cut for children under 6)
• A marker to draw a mouth if you like

How do you prep the pinecones?

Shake each pinecone outdoors first to knock off loose dirt and debris. If you gathered them outside, bake them at 200°F / 93°C for about 1 hour on a foil-lined tray, which dries them and drives off tiny hitchhikers. An adult handles the oven and the hot tray. Let the pinecones cool completely before kids touch them. Craft-store pinecones usually come pre-cleaned and can skip the baking step.

How do you make the antlers?

Cut two antler shapes from brown felt: each one is a short branch with two or three tines sticking up. For younger kids, twist brown pipe cleaners into antler shapes instead, which is easier on little hands. Glue one antler to each side of the narrow top end of the pinecone, angling them outward. School glue works if you press and hold; a hot glue gun gives a faster, stronger bond, but only an adult may use it.

How do you add the reindeer face?

Glue two googly eyes onto the front of the pinecone's narrow end, just below the antlers. Glue a red pom-pom on the very tip as the nose. Draw a small smile under the nose with a marker if you want. Let the glue dry for about 10 minutes before handling. For children under 3, draw the eyes and nose on with markers instead of using googly eyes and pom-poms, which are choking hazards.

How do you hang the ornament?

Tie a loop of string, yarn, or ribbon around the scales near the top of the pinecone, behind the antlers. Cinch it gently so it catches on a scale and will not slide off. Make the loop big enough to slip over a tree branch. Give the ornament a gentle shake test before hanging it on the tree: if the antlers wobble, add another dot of glue and let it dry fully.

What goes wrong, and how do you fix it?

The pinecone is closed tight. If the scales are clamped shut, the pinecone is still damp. Bake it at 200°F / 93°C for about 1 hour as an adult-handled step, and the heat opens the scales up. Closed pinecones also hold less glue, so open ones are better for the antlers.

The antlers keep falling off. If antlers pop off, the glue surface was too small or the glue was still wet. Roughen a tiny flat spot on the pinecone first, use a generous dot of glue, and hold the antler in place for a full 30 seconds. Hot glue applied by an adult holds best.

Googly eyes slide down the curve. If eyes drift on the sloped pinecone, dab the glue and wait about a minute until it gets tacky before pressing the eyes on. Resting the pinecone flat side down while the face dries keeps everything from migrating.

The ornament falls off the tree. If the string slips off the pinecone, the loop is sitting on smooth scales. Retie it lower, in the widest part of the pinecone, where the open scales grip the string. A tiny dot of glue on the knot keeps it from loosening.

More reindeer and ornament fun to try

Pair these with pinecone Christmas trees for a whole nature-craft tree. A reindeer made from a footprint is another grandparent favorite: try footprint reindeer art. And fingerprints turn into a whole herd on fingerprint reindeer Christmas cards.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What ages is this good for?

Ages 4 and up can assemble the whole reindeer with supervision. Children under 6 need adults to handle the scissors, the hot glue gun if one is used, and the oven for pinecone prep. For children under 3, use drawn-on eyes and noses instead of googly eyes and pom-poms, which are choking hazards, and let them place felt antlers with school glue.

How messy is this craft?

Low mess. There is no paint and no glitter. The messiest part is loose pinecone debris, so shake pinecones out outdoors before starting. Glue squeeze-out wipes off fingers with a damp cloth. Cover the table anyway, since felt scraps and string clippings wander.

How long does it take?

About 15 to 20 minutes of hands-on time per reindeer once the pinecones are prepped and cool. Pinecone baking adds about an hour of oven time but no work time. Glue needs about 10 minutes to set before the ornament is hang-ready, so build in a short wait.

Is it safe for toddlers?

With swaps, yes. Googly eyes and pom-poms are choking hazards for children under 3, so draw the face on with markers instead and use only felt or pipe-cleaner antlers. Adults must handle the oven, the hot glue gun, and the scissors. Supervise closely so nothing small goes near a mouth.

Be safe and have fun!