DIY Cinnamon-Scented Pine Cones - The Kitchen Garten

What are Scented Pine Cones

If you grew up in the 80’s or early 90’s, then you probably remember bowls of scented (and usually dyed) potpourri which could include mini pine cones. These festive fragrant wood chips were fun back in the day, but I am also left wondering all these years later, ” what was in those things?” The same is true with store-bought cinnamon pine cones.

While I love a cinnamon-scented pine cones in theory, I’m never quite sure what “scents” and chemicals are being used on these products. And as someone who is sensitive to artificial fragrances, I don’t want to take my chances of bringing these into my home only to get a headache.

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DIY cinnamon scented pinecones are made fragrant with essential oils and are great to have out as rustic decor, especially combined with other elements like lights, cinnamon sticks, or even dried orange peels. We use ours in a dining table centerpiece and the light cinnamon fragrance is lovely. (Learn how to dry orange slices or create homemade orange spice potpourri!)

Supplies for Cinnamon Pine Cones

Here’s what you’ll need to create cinnamon-scented pine cones at home:

• Pine cones (I prefer larger ones, but use what you have)
• Cinnamon Bark oil
• Clove oil
• Sheet Pan
• Cinnamon Sticks (optional)

And I use both Doterra and Plant Therapy for most of my essential oil needs, and I’ve been pleased with both companies. Certainly use what you have on hand!

How to Make DIY Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones

1. You’ll want to begin by baking the pine cones. I know this sounds strange, but if the pine cones you’re using have come from outdoors, then this just provides a quick way of drying them out and getting rid of any critters that may be hiding in the cones. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place pine cones on a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. “Bake” the pine cones for 15-20 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.

3. Once your pinecones are cooled, you can begin adding the cinnamon scent. To do this, take your cinnamon oil and simply add 1-2 drops to the inner part of the pine cone. Every 4th pine cone, I’ll use the clove oil instead. This gives another holiday scent without all of your pinecones being overwhelmingly cinnamon. By adding the drops to the center of each cone, you’re creating a bit of a passive diffuser.

4. Place pine cones on display and add in a cinnamon stick or two for looks and for added cinnamon scent. I like to add lights to our cinnamon scented pine cones and use them as a centerpiece. The scent will be stronger initially, and after several weeks, you could always add another drop of oil to each pine cone.

How to Store Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones

For storage, use a large ziploc bag or other type of container that closes. If you’d like to keep your pinecones well scented, then consider adding a few cinnamon sticks and cloves to the container they’ll be stored in.

This will help them maintain a natural cinnamon scent, so they’ll be ready to use the next time you need them. Since the pine cones have been dried thoroughly in the oven, they should last for several seasons.

If you have an abundance of pine cones and don’t want to save the same ones year after year, you can simply compost your cinnamon pine cones and start fresh again next year! These pine cones can also be burned in a fire pit!

Cinnamon Scented Pine Cones FAQ

• How long will the scent last on the pine cones? The cinnamon fragrance from the oil should last for a few weeks. The more oil you use initially (2 drops per cone instead of 1) will extend how long they stay fragrant, but if you’re sensitive to smells, I’d start with one drop and go from there.
• Can I use cinnamon extract in place of cinnamon oil? Cinnamon oil is ideal since it’s not combined with alcohols and other ingredients.
• Can I use other oils to mix up the scents on the pine cones? Absolutely! Experiment with your favorite oils, but as always, be knowledgeable in how you use essential oils.

Prep Time

5 minutes

Active Time

5 minutes

Additional Time

20 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Difficulty

Easy

Materials

• 
  

• Pine cones (I prefer larger ones, but use what you have)

• 
  

• Cinnamon Bark oil

• 
  

• Clove oil

• 
  

• Sheet Pan

• 
  

• Cinnamon Sticks (optional)

Instructions

1. Begin by baking the pine cones. I know this sounds strange, but if the pine cones you're using have come from outdoors, then this just provides a quick way of drying them out and getting rid of any critters that may be hiding in the cones. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place pine cones on a single layer on a large baking sheet.
2. "Bake" the pine cones for 15-20 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.
3. Once your pinecones are cooled, you can begin adding the cinnamon scent. To do this, take your cinnamon oil and simply add 1-2 drops to the inner part of the pine cone. Every 4th pine cone, I'll use the clove oil instead. This gives another holiday scent without all of your pinecones being overwhelmingly cinnamon. By adding the drops to the center of each cone, you're creating a bit of a passive diffuser.
4. Place pine cones on display and add in a cinnamon stick or two for looks and for added cinnamon scent. I like to add lights to our cinnamon scented pine cones and use them as a centerpiece. The scent will be stronger initially, and after several weeks, you could always add another drop of oil to each pine cone.

Notes

Store cinnamon scented pine cones in a large ziploc bag or other container that closes. Add in a cinnamon stick or two while pine cones are in storage to keep them infused with cinnamon scent!

Recommended Products

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Clove Bud Essential Oil

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