This gorgeous bleached pinecone wreath has rustic charm with a contemporary twist. There is nothing like natural decor to bring the beauty of the outdoors in, but it can be hard to come up with creative ways to display the same natural elements year after year. That’s why I love the look of bleached pinecones, which are simultaneously classic and modern. With just a few easy steps, you can create your own bleached pinecone wreath to enjoy throughout the colder seasons.
Bleached pinecones are all the rage! While pinecones have always been a staple of autumn and winter décor, bleaching them gives them a softer, brighter, more contemporary look than untreated pinecones. The light colour also creates a contrast and makes the interesting shapes of the cones really stand out.
We have seen single bleached pinecones displayed in glass terrariums, groups of them piled into decorative baskets, bleached pinecone garlands, bleached pinecone ornaments with ribbon hangers, and this gorgeous bleached pinecone door swag. But this bleached pinecone wreath project really captured my heart here at Garden Therapy (you know how much I love wreaths).
This wreath is the perfect way to adorn your entrance this fall and winter. It has a rustic farmhouse look, but the surprising white colour of the pinecones gives it a modern, minimalist feel. And the best part? It is super easy to make!
Here’s how to make one for yourself…
How to Make a Bleached Pinecone Wreath
Begin by walking through a park, wood, or tree-lined street and picking up a bunch of pinecones. Follow the instructions for bleaching the pinecones here, and then you are ready to begin your wreath.
Materials
- Foam wreath form, 10″ diameter
- 80 bleached pinecones in two sizes: 35 medium (2-3″), 45 small (1-2″)
- Hot glue gun
- Hot glue sticks
Make It!
Divide the pinecones into different-sized groupings so that you can choose between medium and small ones for each layer.
Lay out medium pinecones around the wreath form, with the base touching the wreath. Use professional-strength glue to attach the first pinecone to the base. Add glue to the base of the second pinecone and knit the second one into the first one as you attach the base to the wreath form.
Continue to glue the base of the pinecones onto the outer ring of the wreath form while knitting them tightly together to fill up the spaces.
Lay out the inside ring of smallest pinecones. Attach those to the inner ring as you did to the outer ring.
Add a third layer of medium sized pinecones alternating between the first ring. Nestle these in as close to the other pinecones as you can, while gluing the base to the wreath form.
Add fourth and fifth rings to fill in the gaps between the layers and fill in all the spaces.
I thought this wreath looked pretty great on the white door!
But it’s also at home in the garden. Which do you like better?
FAQ About Bleached Pinecones
Baking pinecones is a great way to help get rid of pests and mildew on pinecones. It will also dry them out, forcing them to open up.
However, you don’t need to do that for bleached pinecones. The bleach sterilizes and rehydrates the pinecones, which must be left to dry again once they’ve been bleached.
Vinegar is one way to disinfect the pinecones and help clean any dirt. However, it won’t give you the bleached effect.
You can try this out on any kind of pinecones. Try a few different kinds until you find some that you love. I find that bleaching works best on older, dry pinecones as opposed to fresh and still tight ones.
Love this! The ribbon in the photo is upholstery binding and can be purchased from Amazon. I actually made an entire wreath just using this binding!