(DH disgrees 
) They are very useful, not just for making cute crafty ornaments, but also for making firelighters and bird feeders! If you are gathering pine cones, you might find that on wet days they are closed up, when you get home give them a rinse and then place in a low temperature oven until they dry out and open up. Make sure any creatures that could be living inside them are evicted before they go in the oven, preferably before they get into your house at all!
Pinecone birdfeeders
You will need - peanut butter, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, ribbon or string.
It is easiest to tie the hanging loop first. Cut a length or ribbon or string and tie to either end of the pinecone, whichever you find easier. You can secure with a little glue if needed. Roll pinecones in the peanut butter, or spread generously using a spoon, getting it into some of the nooks and crannies, then roll in the nuts and seeds, and dried fruitt, or let the children decorate how they choose. Before tying the hanging loop, cherrios or similar could be threaded on as an extra decoration and food for the birds.
Pinecone Firelighters
You will need - pinecones and paraffin wax or beeswax. Beeswax is more eco-friendly than paraffin wax, but this is a good way of using up old candle stumps. Decorations if desired, e.g. glitter, decorating wax or coloured beeswax etc. Probably not suitable for younger children as melted wax is very, very hot.
Melt the wax in a double boiler type thing - a large bowl over water or one old saucepan inside the other, with a few inches of hot water in the bottom saucepan. You can colour the melted wax with specialist dye sticks if liked, or add a few drps of essential oils or candle scents. Remove from heat, and dip the pinecones into the wax. Leave to dry on waxed or greased paper before storing or using in the fire.
Pinecone "Bunting"
Paint (with kid's paint or spraypaint) in colours of your choice, and when dry, decorate with beads, feathers, nuts, glitter, seeds, felt, pompoms etc. Cut a long length of string or ribbon (allow about 20cm per cone, plus extra, or whatever works for you) and tie the pinecones on at intervals. Beads or cheerios could be threaded on between cones.
Lots of pinecone crafts here http://www.cascadecones.com/crafts/#r
and here http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/p ... skids.html
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/pineco ... ojects.htm
