I’m not sure what it is about pinecones, but I’ve loved them since I was a kid. I still think of them kind of like “crunchy flowers.” They’re beautiful by themselves or combined with other natural elements. And pinecones look spectacular when contrasted with shiny, bright tree ornaments.

Today, during the broadcast of the New York Marathon, TV commentators kept referring to the cool weather. Somehow, that made me think of pinecones. And of holiday decorating.

Each year, I hang our beautiful pinecone wreath on the front door. And I pour mini-pinecones into the sparkling crystal bowl that Franny’s grandmother gave us years ago. But today, I decided to look at pictures online, and find some pretty ways to create centerpieces using the pinecones that soon will come up from the basement.

The images in this quick pinecone “inspiration board” (all of which we had to crop and re-size), were posted on flickr.com. After seeing these pretty pictures, I’m definitely going to get a little more creative, this holiday season.

Berries, gourds, mini-pumpkins, sprigs of greenery, earthy ceramic bowls or even sparkling glass vases can turn pinecones into beautiful, easy centerpieces that take absolutely no time or effort. Creating fresh, instant centerpieces every couple of weeks sounds like a plan to me!

Image credits: Single pinecone: toriginal; bpight orange gourds: CatherineA; pumpkins and corn: jeepinpixie; white vase: vivelavie; square glass bowl: jeans; and brown ceramic bowl: Stranded starfish.

Filed under: Holidays, Party decor