Coniferous cones, complemented by bright plasticine, are endless possibilities for children's creativity. Working with such material favorably affects the development of fine motor skills of the hands and the child's imagination.
When making crafts from cones, it is important to remember that this natural material is susceptible to external factors: air humidity and temperature. Therefore, to give and maintain the desired shape, the cones need preliminary processing. In order for the scales to bloom, the cone must be kept for several days in a warm room, the maximum disclosure of the scales is given by heating on a small open fire or using an oven. To preserve the scales tightly pressed to the base, the cone is coated with transparent glue and dried in a cool or humid place.
Making a Christmas tree from cones
From a large cone - cedar or fir, you can make a miniature Christmas tree. To do this, the cone is heated in the oven for 10-15 minutes so that its scales fully open, after which, using acrylic paints or gouache, the future Christmas tree is painted in a rich green color.
Using a brush, each flake is carefully coated with PVA glue and sprinkled with fine salt or semolina. The green cone takes on the appearance of a snow-covered Christmas tree. To prevent the grains from falling off the scales, it is recommended to spray a strong hold hairspray on the bump. Spraying should be done from a distance of 15-20 cm, and you should not press the dispenser too hard, so as not to damage the glued "snow".
Immediately after spraying hairspray, the Christmas tree can be sprinkled with finely chopped Christmas "rain" or sparkles for decorative work. It is recommended to spray another layer of varnish on top of the glitter. Small balls are formed from multi-colored plasticine and decorate individual cone scales with them. The crown of the Christmas tree can be decorated with a plasticine star or an arbitrary-shaped tip.
A small plastic container wrapped in corrugated paper, cotton wool or a beautiful cloth, or a plastic jar lid can serve as a stand for the Christmas tree. A small plasticine ball is placed in the center of the stand, the rest of the surface is greased with glue and covered with "snow" from a layer of cotton wool, finely chopped padding polyester or white yarn. A finished elegant Christmas tree is fixed on a plasticine ball.
Spruce cones fox
Long spruce cones with well-exposed scales are useful for creating a funny fox figurine. To make the body, you will need a large spruce cone, from which the crown is cut off: the head of the animal is made from it. Part of the large cone is placed with open scales down, with the help of plasticine, the cut part is fixed on it with the narrow side forward.
A small cone is formed from bright orange plasticine, which is fixed on the fox's head - this is how the animal's muzzle is formed. The cone is complemented with a black nose ball and two beads or white plasticine eye balls with a black pupil point. Finish the head design by attaching two orange triangles representing the ears.
To make the tail, you need a medium-sized spruce cone. The tail is attached to the body using plasticine or transparent super glue. Four legs are sculpted from orange plasticine and fixed on the body of the fox.
