How to Clean, De-Bug and Open Pine Cones for Crafting and Decorating!

Hi everyone, today I wanted to do a quick little video to share how we clean our pine cones. This turned out to be a fun activity for the kids. And not only was it fun, it was also fantastic for developing fine and gross motor skills, concentration as well as their ability to follow directions, since it's a multi-step process.
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Thanks for watching!
Who are we?
We are a bilingual family living in Australia, following secular homeschooling curricula.
I'm an archaeologist (PhD) and I'm currently homeschooling full-time. My husband Paul is a moral philosopher (PhD). We have two kiddos - a little boy and a little girl.
Mindfulness and minimalism are central themes in our home and in our personal lives.
Our approach to parenting:
At base, we use a hybrid-style that incorporates principles from both the Montessori and Waldorf schools of thought. Invitation-to-play is an important part of this, as are hands-on activities and lots of time in free play. We don’t use drill and kill methods for teaching. Our strategy involves watching for which activities or subjects draw our children’s focus and then working to cultivate those interests further-a child-led approach.
We also believe that a child's self-esteem and their ability to be kind to others are infinitely more valuable than any one skill or set of skills, which is why mindfulness takes centre-stage in our home. So, although we place importance on academic skills, they are not at all our primary concern (and it's not our intention to promote competitiveness among parents or children).
An uncluttered space is necessary for effective focus. So, minimalism is key in our approach and part of that is a screen-free environment.
Our philosophy:
In their first and second 1000 days, children have the unique opportunity to learn exponentially faster than they will for the rest of their lives. We were inspired when we first learned this. We can't waste this enhanced ability to learn skills and, importantly, to build on them in the initial phase of life and beyond. So we've invested in our children's early education and in giving them the affection and time that they need and want for their thriving. Join us as we review the books we've acquired, the unit studies we've created, and in discussing the developmental toys and resources we use and our views on what we find to be some of the trickier topics in parenting. We'd love to have your company, and we'd love to hear what you think or any questions you may have as we move forward in our CuddlePot Bootcamp.
Soundtrack:
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Track: Maarif - Soyb & Amine Maxwell [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: • Maarif - Soyb & Amine ... Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/maarif ------------------------------

[@mariasiburt1755]

the kids are so beautiful and involve in your projects!....they having fun!

[@officialkw77]

Terrific job!

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Thank you so much 😊 we had lots of fun! I hope you have a lovely day!

[@officialkw77]

@@cuddlepotbootcamp You Too 🌞

[@bicklebutterworth142]

Best childhood experiences doing nature projects, they're so independent too. Lovely children and parent

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, thanks so much for watching 😊 and thank you so much for your kind words ❤️ I really appreciate it! They do love to spend a lot of time out in nature! I hope you have a lovely day and a Happy New year 😊

[@mirandamelr4827]

Love how your kids are so involved! This was wonderful to watch!

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi thanks for watching 😊 they love activities like this and being out and about in nature!

[@m.a.p.g.]

Have boxes full of pine cones I’ve collected while cleaning the yard. This is by far the cutest and most informative video. Thank you.

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Aww that's very sweet of you to say ❤️ we love collecting pine cones and using them for various art and craft projects! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! Hope you have a lovely week ☺️

[@meliB32]

Oh my goodness this is exactly the video I needed! My daughter loves to collect them and I do as well. The most adorable helpers as well. Thank you so much for sharing this with us ♡

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

You are so welcome! And thank you so much for watching and commenting, I really appreciate it ❤️ My kiddos love collecting them as well and it's such a super fun activity to do together ☺️

[@kristinemason5435]

Thank you for the info. I am now ready to get those pine cones out of my yard and do some crafts. I love how your family is so involved. The children were so cute and knew just what to do. I love it!

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Awww thanks, that's awfully nice of you to say 😊 Collecting pine cones and decorating them is something they love doing, not to mention all the helicopter seeds... They love spinning those things around! Anyway, I am glad you found the video helpful and thanks again for watching and taking the time to comment 😊

[@juliaoaks1379]

Precious children...such little helpers.

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

That's very sweet of you to say, and thank you so much for watching! They certainly enjoy these activities 😊

[@leticiamarcuspalao001]

I just picked up some pine cones and wanted to do something about it. Uts amazing how kids were able to help.

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it! This is definitely a fun activity to do with little ones! 😊

[@donotsupportterroristgroups]

Your children are adorable. They look like they are having so much fun with the entire process.

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Aww thank you, that's very kind of you to say! They love these kinds of activities! Thank you so much for watching!

[@ilovecornell]

Omg they are precious, I loved watching them do this 🥰🥰

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Aww thanks! That's so very sweet of you to say ❤️ Thanks for watching and I hope you have a lovely day 😊

[@AngeliqueWilliams123]

Such adorable little hard workers 🥰

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi thank you so much for watching! Yes, they truly are! They love being out in nature and helping around 😊 I hope you have a lovely weekend!!

[@caymcdonald504]

what a fun mother!

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, that's very kind of you to say ❤️ Thank you so much for watching 😊

[@cinnybuggable]

Thank you so much for sharing this precious video. I wanted to learn how to clean Pine Cones but got so much more 💖❣️💖

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Aww that's so very sweet of you to say ❤️, thank you so much! I hope you have a lovely day 😊

[@bettyross1033]

I always buy ours from craft shops .. but now I'm willing to give this a try...I think my kids could do with some time outdoors!

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi thanks for watching 😊 it's definitely worth trying out, my kids love collecting pine cones and playing with the helicopter seeds!!

[@laniegonewild]

Such cute kids great video I am doing this

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, that's so sweet of you to say, thank you! I'm glad to hear that you found the video helpful 😊 it's certainly a fun project!

[@EVIESECOND]

Very helpful. Thank you.

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

No worries 😊 I'm glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@teeg1834]

These Naturally pretty I've never seen before like this

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Aww thanks 😊 you can really control how much they open up when they are in the oven! And they also have such a beautiful color to them! Anyways, thanks for watching 😊

[@KellsBellsUSA]

Very nice kids are helping . I know the oven is cooled down but I just worry she sticking her hands in there I'm sure she knows for future times only to do that when it's completely cold

[@lauramonaghan1383]

awww the girl

[@robindrever4544]

Thank you!!! This was soooo helpful 👍😁👍🥰💕

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Your very Welcome 😊 I'm super glad to hear that and thank you so much for watching ❤️ I hope you have a lovely weekend 😊

[@user-ug9ci3mw5r]

I love pine cones but I only have a lot of coconut trees were I live

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

That's a shame! But there are so many awesome projects you can do with coconuts as well! We love collecting coconut shells!

[@alcioneviegaspereira5344]

Gostei das crianças que lindo parabens

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, thank you so much for watching! I really appreciate it!

[@kimarellano3791]

FYI.....Reynolds makes a stick free foil , I love it .

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

That's brilliant, thanks for sharing that 😊 I hope you have a lovely week!

[@user-ku7rz2qt3d]

👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, thank you so much for watching! 😊

[@user-ug9ci3mw5r]

I alsol like pinecones my mom is always anyod with that

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

☺️ it's one of our favorite activities!

[@businessaddress4289]

Hello great video I was just wondering what was the purpose of spraying the pine cones to make them last longer. What happens to them if you don’t?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi first of all, thanks for watching! You don't have to spray the pine cones if you don't want to, they will still look great! Some times we don't spray anything at all but sometimes we do. We find that spraying gives it a much richer, vibrant color while still looking natural. I think there is also a matted finish you can achieve with particular types of sprays - so it all depends on the type of spray you use. We still have some pine cones that we collected from 2 years ago that wasn't sprayed with anything... Now with that batch, after 2 years, some have gone a bit dull in terms of color and is starting to be more fragile/ brittle. So I guess if you use a spray it will preserve the pine cones, hopefully, a lot longer than they would survive if they weren't sprayed! Anyway, you most certainly don't have to spray anything if you don't want to. But if you are interested you can use sprays that I mentioned in the video or try using melted beeswax or even hairspray! Sorry for the long replay! I hope you have a lovely week 😊

[@Ramonafloyd]

Do you have to put them in the oven or can you let the. Dry on their own?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, we put ours in the oven to dry but if the weather is hot enough you can most certainly leave them out to dry naturally ☺️

[@yourmama4348]

Hi, I don't have an oven but the place where I am from is blazing hot so can I dry the pinecones in the sun instead? Will it work just the same?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi thanks for watching 😊 I have not tried drying it naturally but if it's really hot, it's definitely worth a try. Pinecones naturally close up when it's raining and then open up again when the weather conditions are favorable. So I don't see why it wouldn't work. I think you should definitely try it out! Should be fun 😊

[@yourmama4348]

Hi quick update! So I tried soaking the pinecones in vinegar and I kept it under the sun to dry and guess what, it worked! All the pinecones bloomed so well but ofcourse it took longer time than the oven would have. 😂

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

@@yourmama4348 Hi, that's awesome and I'm so thrilled to hear that 😊, thanks for letting me know how it! I appreciate that very much! I hope you have a lovely day!

[@amiem86]

Are the seeds still able to germinate after the oven?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi thanks for watching 😊 I would say no, cooking it will kill the seeds... Also, my kids actually tried to grow them and it didn't work. If you want to germinate and grow saplings I recommend taking the seeds out first.

[@StFrancis9]

Do you spray them with oil too?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

Hi, no I don't usually spray oil. I forgot to mention in the video that you can also actually spray the pine cones with essential oils to add a touch of scent! Instead of oil, I use clear acrylic spray, polyurethane or spray varnish. But sometimes I don't spray anything at all.

[@StFrancis9]

Does this remove sap too?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

It usually does! 😊

[@StFrancis9]

At what temperature?

[@cuddlepotbootcamp]

We usually do it at 100 degrees Celsius ( or 200 degrees F) . But it does take a while to open up and of course some open up sooner than others. You might want to keep an eye on them and pull them out when they have opened up to your liking 😊

[@RealResponce]

All our kids would work for the village and have Jobs the rest of group s depended on each other age 1-101 and gave them purpose to live

[@youcancallmeKIRK]

Huh?!

[@RealResponce]

@@youcancallmeKIRK better?