Tutorial: Pinecone Owls

For the next few weeks there will be no story time at our tiny local library, so I must come up with something for the boy and I to do that is a bit special. I'm thinking of bringing him on some Christmas shopping excursions, but . . . we'll see. I did come up with something fun to do today: pinecone owls.

Back in elementary school, I made a big pinecone owl that I named Penelope. I have no idea what happened to her, but it is likely she was the innocent victim of a purging cycle of mine or my parents. I remember Penelope fondly and thought it would be fun for the boy and I to make our own pinecone owls to hang on the smaller Christmas tree (my "nature" tree).

All you need are some opened pinecones (I suggest planning a fun hunting expedition with a sweet treat as a reward for finding a certain number), cotton (cottonballs will do), orange construction paper, yellow and black construction paper (or googly eyes), glue, and thread.

These are very simple.

First, tie a thread around the upper portion of the pinecone. Do this first. Seriously. Do this first. It is not an afterthought. I wouldn't lead you astray. Do it first.

Next, stretch out your cotton into strips and tuck into the pinecone. Push in with a pencil tip or toothpick if needed. The brown should still show, but should not stick out much from the cotton. Now, do you see why you need to tie your thread around it first?

Then cut out a beak (just fold the orange paper and cut a triangle from the fold) and eyes (big yellow circle, smaller black circle--hint: use a hole punch for the black ones if simply must have perfect circles and/or you want to remain sane).

Glue the beak and the eyes to the owl.

Presto!

Make some of various sizes to get a whole family of owls. Make some with enormous eyes and tiny beaks, some with crazy eyes, some with sleepy eyes (just cut those circles in half). Hang on a tree or some branches stuck in a vase, or put on a shelf. They will make you smile every time you look at them!