Nature’s Artistry

Nature produces beautiful objects. Andrew and I enjoy making things from objects we find in and around the yard. Crafting things has been something I have done since I was a little boy. Autumn is a particularly good time to make crafts. Seed pods, acorns, dried flowers and pine cones all make wonderful useful holiday decorations.

This eastern white pine cone wreath was made from pine cones we gathered from our neighbor’s yard. He has hundreds of them. By combining a simple $1.00 metal frame, from our favorite dollar store, wire and a ribbon, we had a nice holiday wreath. Cutting the long pine cones into smaller pieces gave the wreath the look of pinecone flowers.

From another neighbor’s yard we gathered acorns. These were supplemented by more from a weekend trip to the Ashokan Reservoir where we found a trove of beautiful acorns. The small pinecones came from a hemlock tree in our yard. I had saved some masonite type strips from a delivery box last year. I cut a circle out of the masonite using heavy scissors, hot glued the acorns and pinecones to the circle and then sprayed it with a matte sealant. It made a nice candle wreath for a favorite neighbor and a good reminder of the bounty of her oak trees.

The dollar store in our neighborhood is a source of terrific bargains for crafts. These votive candles are a pair for $1.00. I used the same masonite I used for the acorn wreath to cut small circles. Using a glue gun we glued the hemlock pinecones, and leaves and stamens, from a craft store. Instant holiday decorations at little cost.

When I lived in Germany in 2009-2012 I lived a few blocks from the edge of the Black Forest. I marveled at the quantity of pinecones on the ground. I would go for walks and come back laden with intricate pinecones. I would hide them in a suitcase under my bed, so the landlords would not find them and tell me not to bring them into the house. I bought little birds, moss, leaves, stamens and ribbon and created this design for Christmas tree ornaments. They are fun to make. Andrew and I made many of these one rainy afternoon.

Hydrangea bushes are incredible to look at. I enjoy the profusion of closely grouped flowers. The flowers on the bush in front of our house start out pure white, but then turn green and finally as Autumn begins to arrive the sun colors the flowers a lovely light burgundy color. By cutting the blossoms and putting the stems in water, until the flowers are dry, the color is somewhat preserved. I cut these blossoms at their peak. Andrew and I bought small baskets at Goodwill, put modeling clay in the bottom for weight and then arranged the hydrangea blossoms, hemlock pinecones, yew branches and paper flowers (from the craft store – Andrew has since learned how to make these out of paper and we will make something with paper roses in the future).

Found objects from our yard have provided for hours of fun, in the gathering, crafting and giving away of the final projects. We enjoy seeing pinecones, acorns and flowers in their natural setting, but when Winter comes they disappear. Putting them together in an artistic way enables us to enjoy them for a prolonged period of time. This year the crafts are also being used to help raise money for St. George’s church in Newburgh. Bells on Broadway is a holiday craft market and the church will have a booth. I enjoy going to St. George’s and hope the items raise some money for this exceptional church. Happy crafting!