From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
We started collecting acorns in early fall, but they are still falling from the trees, a few handfuls every day. When we were able to beat the squirrels, it was easy for the kids and I to amass a (surprisingly large) collection of nuts from the mighty oak trees. One of my favorite uses of acorns in craft projects was simply for experimentation. Little acorns are cute individually, and they last a long time. I had been painting acorns to use for glass centerpieces when I wondered "is this a garland?" And the rest is history. Acorn garland for victory..
With insects both in the trees and on the ground, it would be foolish to assume that acorns are bug free. Roast the acorns on a baking sheet at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes to eradicate anything you don't want infiltrating your home.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Select an assortment of craft paints to fit the occasion and apply paint to the nut of each acorn. You may need two coats for good coverage. I recommend using a brush with soft bristles.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Use a 1/16 drill bit to bake each acorn after the paint has dried. You may be wondering "is it difficult to pierce an acorn?" I am happy to tell you that it is very easy! You may start to notice loose acorn tops at this point; If desired, apply a dot of adhesive to the top of the nut to secure the cap.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
I have used a fine gauge all purpose wire for my acorn garland strings with great success. Needle and thread work fine too, but the trick is having that stiff, pointed tip to navigate through each acorn. Alternate colors as you overlap the acorns onto the wire until the garland is the length you want.
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
Against a feature wall, from your dining room chandelier, or decorating a doorway, I think you'll really like it when you stand back and look at what you just did. They will year after year (they may lose a few more caps along the way, but I don't think it's that obvious, the area under the cap is still a natural color).
From:Emily Fazio Emily Fazio
