We were driving through Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula and I got to thinking about making a miniature cabin. What could I use for roof shingles and of course, you guessed it. Pine Cones. The more I thought about it and thought about the different surfaces used for cabins and the different variations in Pine cones, I thought, with a small exception, you can do the whole thing in pine cone scales.
Materials:
- Exacto blade
- Pine cones (approx. 3 dozen) *You may want different sizes, shades or variety for the different areas of the cabin but it is totally up to you.
- 1/8" twigs
- Shoe box with lid
- Glue sticks and glue gun
- Masking tape
- pen
- optional: 5 watt christmas house lighting
Lighted Pine Cone Cabin
Remove lid and cut the shoebox in ½. On one piece cut the two sides off except for a 1" strip where they meet the far end. You should now have a bottom with one end and a one inch overhang on each side.
Slide this over the ½ box you set aside and tape the two together with masking tape. It will now look like a smaller box with a bottom and four sides.
Cut out two windows and a door leaving one side of the door attached. Bend door open. (You can cut out other windows if you choose.) Cut a 1 ½" circle in the back if you intend to add lighting.
Measure the side of your box. With the scraps you removed from one end cut two triangles. The base will be the length of your side measurement. To find the slope, measure up 3" from the center of the base and mark with your pen. Draw a line from the end of your base on each side to your mark and cut. You should now have two triangles. Tape inside and out to the top of the far sides overlapping slightly. These are your roof braces.
Roof-
Take your box lid and remove edge. Fold in half and gently lay it over your braces. Trim both sides leaving a ½" overhang. Do not attach yet.
Remove all of the scales of the pine cones and organize them by color and size.
Hot glue is the easiest and quickest but any glue will work. Starting at the bottom of the cabin, Glue on the scales like bricks overlapping the next row on the first rows seams. Hot glue the roof into place. Attach scales to the roof. Get creative and use different sizes for the roof and cabin or different colors.
Gently trim around windows with an exacto. Using your exacto cut twigs to the window length and height and glue on. Trim and fill in the door with twig pieces. Create a design in the door by arranging a pattern. Do not trim around back circle. Using Hot glue, go aroung the back circle edges to reinforce.
Using a pinch light designed for a Christmas village house add lighting.
*Get creative and add a chimney or make the windows wider and use it for a bird house. No matter what the use, we love that lodge/country feel.
Let me know what you think by clicking on the 'E-Mail Me' link below.
"Copyright 2006, Mary Welling-Bonney & Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright."
