Winter may finally arrive this weekend, and as such, you may begin using your fireplace. It is also time to purchase any last-minute coworker or neighbor gift. It seems like our list of people to buy for grows every year, so we have evolved into making gifts for our neighbors and coworkers as a way to save money, but still show gratitude. If you want to be creative this year and you have pinecones lying in your yard...continue reading. I found a post written in Birds and Blooms from December, 2011 that shows you how you can change the color of the fire in your fireplace with the use of pinecones and other house-hold products. This seems like a unique gift idea that most other people would not think about, so I thought I would share it with you today. Preparation:Line a cooking sheet with aluminum foil.Spread out the pincones on a sheet. Bake your pincones in the over at 200 degrees for one hour to get the bugs out, and open them. (You can skip this step if you purchased your pinecones from a craft store). Materials:Large bucketTongs or slotted spoonFlame colorant - choose one of the following, depending on the color flame you prefer (though most are common household chemicals, remember to keep out of the reach of children and pets):Yellow - Table SaltYellow-Green - BoraxWhite - Epsom SaltsGreen - Boric AcidRed - Strontium Chloride (found with aquarium supplies in pet stores)The Process:Pour 1/2 gallon of hot water into the bucket.Add 1 cup of the colorant of your choice, and stir until dissolved.Add pinecones to the mix. Be sure to add only as many as can be completely covered by the solution. Soak for 8 hours or overnight.Remove the pinecones and set on newspapers to dry completely - at least 3 days.Now your pinecones are ready to burn! Simply add them (one at a time) to your fireplace and watch the colors appear.Tips and Precaution:You can make several batches of different colors, but don't mix the colors in a single batch. Burn only one color of pinecone at a time.Do not use colored pinecones on cooking fires or BBQ grills. Always use common sense and caution around open flames.If you try this process and have a story to tell; please share your story with us on facebook!BrianRead more: http://www.birdsandblooms.com/blog/pinecone-color/#ixzz3LmvBuaffimage from: www.rusticroasters.com
