Ice luminaries, also known as ice lanterns, are a fun winter project for both kids and adults! They look beautiful grouped together or try lining your walkway to your front door! Such a beautiful way to welcome people to your home during those cold winter months. 

Ready to make a few ice luminaries?! Here’s what you’ll need–

Supplies:

• Balloons- Try latex balloons if you want to avoid plastic
• Water
• Waterproof tea light candles
• Pressed pieces of nature- There are a couple of things to keep in mind for this project. The luminaries are curved, so the pieces of pressed nature should be pretty thin and flexible/flimsy. They also should not be dyed or they will bleed onto the ice. The large pressed poppy flowers are from this shop and the wildflower mix are from this shop! We removed the stems from the poppy flowers and chose the thinner pieces from the wildflower mix. I love supporting these beautiful pressed flower businesses from Etsy, but these flowers took over a week to arrive at my house. If you need pressed flowers quickly, then I suggest going with Amazon. I’ve used many pressed flowers from Amazon for my crafts and am happy to recommend them as well. For this particular craft, I love this set and this set.

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Related: Check out How to Make Ice Lanterns (Using cans!)

Here’s How We Made these Beautiful Ice Luminaries:

Step 1:

Fill up the balloons at a sink to your desired size. Then put them outside to freeze! We stuck them in the snow. If you do the same thing, make sure you rotate them around as they freeze. You can also stick them in the freezer. I found sitting them in a small bowl helps them keep their shape in the freezer. 

Step 2:

Once your luminaries are frozen, peel off the balloon. I used a knife to start the process.

Some people let the outside shell of the lantern freeze then peel off the balloon, but I personally like them frozen solid. They are much more sturdy and look very magical!

Step 3:

I like to make a little dent for the candle by running warm water on ice luminary. 

Step 4:

After running warm water on your luminary, it will be slick and shiny. You can try to put your pieces of nature on the luminary now. The flowers and leaves should adhere to the luminary pretty easily. Then, they will freeze when you take them outside. But you might find that the luminary is too wet and might tear your fragile pieces of nature. If that’s the case then head outside!

We tried the indoor and outdoor methods and both worked well! When working outside, I found that a spray bottle of water and snow helped freeze and stick the pieces of nature to the ice luminaries. Just spray some water on the pieces of nature and the cold air will help it freeze the pieces of nature to the luminaries. The snow was helpful for the thicker pieces of nature. That was really like a natural glue!

One thing that I love about this activity, is that the ice luminaries look beautiful during the day and at night! They are really pretty to look at when the sun is shinning on them!

Place waterproof battery operated candles under the luminaries at night and they are so incredibly magical and beautiful! We watched them change from evening to night. Our candles are waterproof and came with a remote control! We placed the luminaries very close to our window, so I could turn them off an on from inside! 

At night, they look like floating orbs! And the reflection against the snow was beautiful. 

The pressed flowers and leaves look so pretty and it’s a cool way to see the details in the pieces of nature! If you give this a try, please tag me @littlepinelearners on Instagram! I can’t wait to see your creations

Pin it and save it for later!

I hope you try making these ice luminaries! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more winter ideas?! Check out:

40+ Winter Picture Books for Kids

Winter Bird Feeder Made of Ice

The post Ice Luminaries with Nature Pieces appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

We are almost a week away from Christmas and still going strong with the holiday crafts! These look pretty as a wall hanging decoration, tree ornament or gift topper. So many possible uses for this simple craft! 

You don’t need your own pressed flowers and leaves, you can find many places on the internet to purchase them! I usually grab them from Amazon because the delivery is typically the quickest. You can also find pressed flowers and leaves on ETSY, but the shipping time might be a bit longer. I linked the exact kits that we used below. 

Ready to make one (or ten)? Here’s what you’ll need….

Supplies:

• Pine Needles
• Air Dry Clay- This 2.5 lb container makes about 18 ornaments. 
• Christmas Cookie Cutters- We used this kit, but this kit also looks great and there are more design options! 
• Pressed Flower and Pressed Leaves- The flower kit included tweezers which is very helpful for picking up the flowers and leaves.
• Straw for poking a hole
• Twine or metal ornament hooks
• Mod Podge– I suggest using this starter kit to see which type you prefer. Glossy is a shiny finish and matte is a flat finish. We used matte for this craft.

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Pine Needle Keepsake Ornament

Here’s How we Made these Nature Ornaments:

Step 1:

Roll out the clay. Kids will love to help with this step!

Step 2:

Choose cookie cutter designs and cut out your ornaments! We chose ornament shapes, but you could try any holiday shape!

Step 3:

Poke a hole with a straw for a hanging spot. We used a metal straw for this craft, but a plastic straw will work too. 

Step 4:

Organize the flowers and leaves on the ornaments and make sure you like the arrangement before gluing it all in place. As I stated above, use the tweezers for handling the pieces of nature!

Step 5:

Make sure you push the flowers and leaves into the clay with gentle pressure. This will help them stay in place when you apply the Mod Podge.

Once your ornaments are finished, put a layer of Mod Podge over the flowers and leaves. This will help them stay in place. I used a cookie rack to help the ornaments dry quicker but this isn’t necessary.

I have found that the ornaments dry in about 48 hours, but the drying time on the box is 2-3 days.

My boys instantly loved this activity and wanted to make multiple ornaments! They are pretty addictive to make and each ornament turned out unique and beautiful. You don’t have to stick to the red and green color scheme. We chose those colors because they looked pretty and festive! I think colorful flowers would look beautiful as well!

Which designs are your favorites?!

Pin this nature Christmas ornament to save it for later!

I hope you give this nature Christmas ornament a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more pine activity ideas?! Check out:

DIY Wax Paper Lantern

A Simple and Adorable Holiday Wreath for Kids

The post Nature Christmas Ornaments appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

We made a leaf version of this lantern last fall and loved them so much that we HAD to try them again for a sweet winter decoration. 

We have accumulated quite the beautiful collection of these wax paper lanterns! I suggest making a few of them and placing them together for a more dramatic effect. We have our lanterns placed in front of the wood stove. I keep thinking we have a fire going because they are so bright and add a nice warm glow to our home.

If these look familiar that’s because we made beautiful wax paper bookmarks using the same supplies. You could make both crafts at the same time!

Ready to give it a try!? Here’s what you’ll need..

Supplies:

• • Arborvitae Pieces
  • Wax paper
  • Towel or ironing board
  • Scissors or portable paper trimmer
  • Tape
  • Flameless candles
  • Gem Stickers (optional)

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Related: Check out this adorable Rosemary Wreath Necklace

Here’s How I Made these DIY Wax Paper Lanterns:

Step 1:

Clip some arborvitae pieces. Next, turn on your iron to a medium high setting. If your wax paper doesn’t stick together, then turn your iron up to a higher setting. 

Step 2:

Cut a large piece of wax paper, fold it in half to make a crease, and open it back up again. My whole piece is about 32 inches long. 

Place your arborvitae piece on one half of the piece of wax paper. 

Step 3:

Fold your piece of wax paper over the arborvitae piece. This doesn’t need to be perfect because you can always trim it up later.

Step 4:

As soon as your iron hits the wax paper, it will fuse together! It’s a neat process to observe. I quickly ran the iron over the wax paper several times, then I flipped it over and did the same thing on that side. There will be some air bubbles and creases after ironing, but those add character! They make the lantern look like a beautiful frosted candle!

Step 5:

Now trim your paper to make it the height and width you would like. This is also when you can trim up those rough edges. You can use scissors, but I find this paper trimmer pretty handy! I wanted this lantern to be shorter, so I trimmed a lot off the top. 

Since there is an air pocket around the arborvitae piece, the green will fade a bit over time. They are just too thick to seal 100%.

Step 6:

This step is optional. We added some small gem stickers to mimic Christmas lights. They are pretty small and only noticeable during the day! You can’t really see them at night with the candle turned on.

Step 7:

Roll your paper to make a cylinder and tape the wax paper lantern together where the edges meet.

Now choose how you would like to light your lantern. If you will be adding a string handle and want to carry the lantern, you can tape a flameless candle on the inside of the lantern as pictured below.

You can hang your lantern with a string handle!

I love how beautiful these DIY wax paper lanterns look at night! We placed them in front of our Christmas tree and they look STUNNING.

But I have to say, they look just as beautiful during the day. The little gem stickers look so pretty in the sunlight. 

Pin it and save it for later!

I hope you give these DIY wax paper lanterns a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more simple nature ideas?! Check out:

Jar Pine Lantern

Clay Dish with Evergreen Pieces

The post DIY Wax Paper Lantern appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Here is a little helpful hint before we get started! Prep the air-dry clay before using it. When the clay first comes out of the container it’s pretty sticky and can be difficult to work with. Open the lid to your air-dry clay for about 30 minutes before you use it. This will dry it out just a bit, making it easier to handle. 

Ready to make an air dry clay dish? Here’s what you’ll need….

Supplies:

• Pine Needles
• Wax Paper
• Rolling Pin
• Circular Tupperware Container- about 4-5 inches in diameter
• Butter Knife
• Air Dry Clay
• Matte Mod Podge
• Sticker gems– If you want to turn your tree into a Christmas tree!

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Pine Tree Jar Lanterns

Here’s How We Made Our Clay Dish:

Step 1:

Place a sheet of wax paper on your work surface. Evenly roll the clay with a rolling pin about ¼ inch thick.

Step 2:

Using your Tupperware container as a guide, cut out a circle of your clay. Use a dull butter knife to cut out your shape.

Step 3:

Pinch up the edges of the circular clay piece to form a functional tray. Smooth out any fingernail or fingerprint marks.

Step 4:

Place pine needles along the border of the tray, near the pinched edge. Gently press one or two pine needles at a time into the clay. This will help them stay in place when you apply Mod Podge. Don’t place too many pine needles in one area, or they will not stick to the clay.

Step 5:

Put a layer of Mod Podge over the pine needles. This will seal the pine needles and prevent them from falling out. During this step, gently press the pine needles into the clay one more time! Let the clay dry. Follow the directions on your air-dry clay container to see how long your particular clay will take to dry.

Step 6:

After your clay trays are dried, you can choose to add gem stickers if you want to make them a bit more festive. For this tray, we added clusters of red gem stickers to mimic winterberries. This will look like a beautiful wreath when you are all finished!

We took a different approach for this tray. Instead of using a Tupperware lid as a shape guide, we used a large evergreen tree cookie cutter. Then we added pine needles. Mod Podge, and gem stickers!

Do you like these tree dishes plain or with gem stickers?

If these look familiar, that’s because we made a similar dish a couple of years ago! Click on the photo below to learn more about the craft and the type of evergreen we used.

Pin it to save it for later!

I hope you make a clay dish! I promise, your little nature lovers will love this craft as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more Christmas activity ideas?! Check out:

Irresistible DIY Reindeer Ornament

Handmade Nature and Cardboard Ornament

The post Air Dry Clay Dish for the Holidays appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

What are Potpourri Simmering Pots?

A stove-top simmer pot is a pot filled with water, fruits, spices and/or herbs that gently simmers, creating a wonderful smell. It’s a nice alternative to lighting a scented candle, which is usually filled with toxic ingredients.

Simmer pots are also a wonderful way to add moisture to the air. All of that extra moisture in the air helps the heat to stay longer and carries the aroma throughout the house.

Simmer Pot Tips

• We love to find and collect items in nature to add to our simmer pots! Try flowers and garden grown herbs and fruits in the spring and summer. The fall and winter seasons are a bit more challenging, but orchard picked apples, juniper berries, and fragrant pine branches are the perfect seasonal scents!
• Add about 6 cups of water to these simmer pot recipes. A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is enough water to cover the ingredients. Keep an eye on the water level and add more when needed.
• Never leave a simmer pot unattended while on the stove. A Crock Pot is another option for simmer pots!
• Use a small cookie or vegetable cutter to make apple or citrus peel shapes. Kids love using the cutters and this offers a fun way to get them more involved in the process.
• Try freezing citrus peels or drying orange slices in the oven to save simmer pot ingredients for a later date. To dry oranges in the over: Preheat the oven at 200. Slice the oranges very thinly and place slices on a baking rack a few inches apart. Bake for 2-2 1/2 hours. They burn easily, so check often during the last 30 minutes of baking.
• Here is a list of fall and winter simmer pot ingredient ideas: oranges, lemons, limes, apples, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, juniper berries, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, allspice, cloves, star anise, bay leaves, rosemary, and mint.

Apple Potpourri Simmering Pot

Ingredients:

2 Apples

2 Whole Star Anise

2 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Teaspoon of Allspice

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

This gorgeous simmer pot is so fun to make! Here’s how to make it:

1. Cut apples to reveal the star inside (against the core) and cut out mushroom shaped apple pieces with a vegetable shape cutter. This is optional. You can just slice the apple if you would like.
2. Add all of the ingredients to the pot and simmer.

Thankful Simmering Pot

Ingredients:

1 Orange

1 Lemon

3 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Tablespoon of Cloves

4 Dried Bay Leaves

This fragrant simmer pot offers a unique way to practice gratitude. Here’s how to make it:

1. Slice the citrus fruit.
2. Write what you are thankful for on the dried bay leaves. We used a fine tipped sharpie.
3. Add all of the ingredients to the pot and simmer.

Solstice Simmering Pot

Ingredients:

2 Oranges

2 Tablespoons of Cloves

2 Inches of Fresh Ginger

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla

This bright and sunny simmer pot is perfect for any solstice celebration! Here’s how to make it:

1. Slice one orange and gently peel the other orange. Cut out little orange peel suns with a vegetable shape cutter. Again, this is optional! The orange slices are beautiful on their own and also resemble the sun.
2. Poke cloves in the peeled orange. (Kids love this step!)
3. Add all of the ingredients to the pot and simmer!

Holiday Simmering Pot

Ingredients:

1 Lemon

1 Lime

3 Cinnamon Sticks

3 Small Branches of a Fragrant Pine Tree

1 Cup of Cranberries

This colorful simmer pot is perfect for any holiday celebration! Here’s how to make it:

1. Slice the citrus fruit.
2. Cut a few small pine branches from a tree. The trick is to make sure you have a fragrant pine tree. Some examples are: Balsam Fir, Douglas Fir, Fraser Fir, Scotch Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce.
3. Add all of the ingredients to the pot and simmer!

Simmer Pot Gift

Ingredients:

1 Sliced and Dried Orange or Whole Orange

3 Small Branches of a Fragrant Pine Tree

3 Cinnamon Sticks

OR

1 Sliced and Dried or Whole Lemon

3 Springs of Fresh Rosemary

1 Whole Vanilla Bean

This is a beautiful and useful gift to hand out this holiday season! Place all ingredients in a jar and add a tag with instructions. Here’s an example of instructions to add:

Slice fruit and cover ingredients with water in a small pot. Simmer these ingredients on low to infuse your home with the scents of the season. Refill water as needed. (Instructions will be a bit different for the gifts with dried citrus slices.)

Pin it and save it for later!

I hope you have fun making these potpourri simmering pot recipes! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more simple nature ideas?! Check out:

Homemade Cardboard and Nature Ornaments

A Simple and Adorable Holiday Wreath

The post Potpourri Simmering Pot Recipes for Fall and Winter appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

I’ve been wanting to make rolled beeswax candles for years. Every time the winter solstice comes around, I think about this craft but never seem to get to it. This year, we gave it a try and it was a huge hit with my boys! They couldn’t stop making them and this simple method of making candles gave them an immediate sense of accomplishment and satisfaction!

We loved them so much that we gifted a few of them to our family on Christmas! 

Ready to make a candle or two? Here’s what you’ll need….

Supplies for Rolled Beeswax Candles:

• Beeswax candle kit– I love this kit from Woodlark’s beautiful shop! We have also used this set of colorful beeswax sheets. 
• Modeling wax kit– Creates colorful pictures on your candles
• Small veggie cutters– Optional! We used this set for the circle in the sun and mushroom.
• Butter knife or something to cut the modeling wax.

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Clay Dish with Evergreen Pieces

Here’s How We Made Our Rolled Beeswax Candles:

First you need to cut a sheet of beeswax into an 8″ by 8 1/4″ piece. If you order the kit listed above, you just need to cut a sheet in half and it will make the perfect sized sheet. 

At this point, I like to slightly soften the beeswax by running a hair drying over the sheet for about 10 seconds. This will make it much easier for kids to roll the beeswax sheet. 

Cut a piece of wick, leaving about 1/2″ for the top of the candle. Place it at the edge of the candle. 

Now press tightly to secure the wick. I helped my boys with this step because you need to press the wick pretty firmly. 

Now they were all set and LOVED rolling the candles. I reminded them to gently apply pressure as they rolled the candle forward. They needed a little help with making sure the candles were straight and even, but had it down by the second candle. 

Continue until you reach the end of the sheet and gently press the edge into the candle. Don’t press too hard or you might ruin the honeycomb pattern!

The rolled beeswax candles are beautiful bare, but we decided to add colorful molding wax to add pictures to our candles. We used a couple different tools to make our pictures. First we used small veggie cutters. I used a Q-tip to pop out the wax pieces from the veggie cutters. Just gently poke the Q-tip through the veggie cutter top to loosen the wax piece. 

We also cut triangles and rectangles for the pine tree and sun rays. 

We played around with the beautiful colors in the modeling beeswax kit! I love the golden tree trunks on this rolled candle.

We love making these rolled beeswax candles so much! Which is your favorite?

Pin this activity to save it for later!

I hope you make some rolled beeswax candles! I promise, your little nature lovers will love this craft as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more nature activity ideas?! Check out:

Wikki Stix and Stones- A Must Try Activity!

Get Kids Outside with These 10 DIY Hiking Sticks

The post Rolled Beeswax Candles That Kids Will Love! appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, we lean into our winter traditions to fill our evenings with beautiful nature crafts. We’ve been making these ice lanterns for many years now and it never gets old. They add a touch of magic and whole lot of beauty to our winter days and nights!

Ready to make a few ice lanterns?! Here’s what you’ll need–

Supplies:

• • Tin cans- 2 sizes
  • Tape
  • Water
  • Pieces of nature
  • Stones 

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

Related: Check out Create a Magical Snow Garden

Here’s How We Made these Beautiful Ice Lanterns:

Step 1:

Fill up your larger can, a little less than half way with water. If you add too much, just pour some out!

Step 2:

Fill the smaller can with stones and place it in the center of the larger can. Tape the cans to anchor the smaller can in the center of the larger can. Make sure the smaller can isn’t tipping to one side or your lantern will have one very thin side. 

Step 3:

Place your pieces of nature into the water. We used various types of evergreens and burning bush berries from our yard. The color combination looks really beautiful and festive!

Step 4:

Place your lanterns in the freezer or outside if it’s cold enough. 

Step 5:

Once your ice lanterns are frozen, peel the tape off and take the stones out of the smaller can. Gently run warm water around the larger can and fill the smaller can with warm water as well. Melt just enough of the ice to wiggle the cans free from the lantern. Don’t let the warm water sit too long or it might melt too much of the lantern. 

Place a flameless tea light inside of them and enjoy the beautiful glow!

Step 6:

My boys love sitting by the ice lanterns. They offer an inviting spot to gather around on those cold days that you would rather stay inside. 

Make these ice lanterns on a cold winter day and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate near them! 

If you are looking for a fun winter solstice activity, try making a nature mandala around an ice lantern! It makes a gorgeous centerpiece for your mandala and will keep kids busy and active for a while!

If it’s too cold to be outdoors, then place the ice lanterns near a window so you can enjoy them from indoors. 

Pin it and save it for later!

I hope you try making these ice lanterns! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Check out over 30 Skills-Based Gifts for Kids!

Need more simple nature ideas?! Check out:

Pick a Pine Tree Nature Craft

A Playful Way to Learn About Colors in Snow

The post How to Make Ice Lanterns appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

Winter is here, along with the cold air and snow. It’s the perfect time to make some beautiful winter crafts! This snowflake craft for kids is easy to make and is the perfect decoration. They looks so pretty hung in a window, on a wall, or placed on a shelf.

Don’t miss my secret trick for making this a kid-friendly craft!

Here’s what you’ll need..

Supplies:

• Sticks
• Pieces of nature
• Twine
• Little white rubber bands
• White acrylic paint
• Hot glue

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Winter Small World Play Using Natural Materials

Here’s How We Made our Snowflake Craft for Kids:

Step 1:

Paint your pieces of nature. Kids will love this step! Painting pieces of nature is so soothing, making this a very calming craft.

We collected sticks and evergreen pieces outside and used some baby’s breath from a holiday bouquet. I let them dry on parchment paper. We did not paint the flowers.

Step 2:

I hot glued the sticks together before I tied them. This helped the sticks stay in place while I secured them with string.

Step 3:

Tie the string around the sticks to keep them in place. I started by wrapping the string around the sticks and tying a knot.

I continued around the whole star, winding the string around each section and tying as I went. Once I finished tying the string around each section, I cut end pieces.

Step 4:

This next little trick makes this a kid-friendly craft! Wrap little rubber bands around the sticks! You can wrap one or two on each stick. Kids can slide the pieces of nature through the rubber bands and they will stay put. This is so much easier than glue and mess-free!

You already have these rubber bands if you made the mummy rock craft from Halloween! We used the same white rubber bands in that activity.

They work so well in this snowflake craft because they blend right in with the white paint!

Step 5:

Weave your pieces of nature. Slide them right through the little white rubber bands.

This is great fine motor work!

You can experiment with different types of nature! Older children might enjoy weaving flowers with long stems through multiple rubber bands.

They look so pretty when finished! Which is your favorite snowflake?

Give this snowflake craft for kids a try today! You will love making these nature snowflakes with your children on a snowy day:)

Save it for later and Pin it!

I hope you give this snowflake craft for kids a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Need more winter activity ideas?! Check out:

A Heart Nature Weaving Craft to Try Today!

DIY Snowman Stone Puzzle with Loose Parts

The post Nature Snowflake Craft for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

On December 21st or 22nd, here in the northern hemisphere, we experience the longest night and shortest day of the year. After the winter solstice, we start to get back our sunlight little by little until we make it to the summer solstice in June.

Looking for the perfect way to welcome back the light this winter solstice? Try making these bright and beautiful pieces of nature jewelry!

Kids can help with this craft and will love showing off their jewelry on this special day!

 Supplies:

• Orange peels
• Hemp twine
• Plastic large- eye needle
• Wooden beads
• Mini Vegetable and Fruit Cutters- This is the exact set we have

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Winter Solstice Hiking Stick!!

Here’s What We Did:

Step 1:

Make your orange pieces by pressing the fruit cutters through the orange peels. These cutters have a nice thick plastic covering that makes it super easy to cut through the most stubborn pieces of fruits and vegetables.

Step 2:

Thread your plastic needle through the orange peel piece. Pull the twine through and make the strand long enough for whatever type of jewelry you want to make (necklace, bracelet or ring).

Step 3:

Thread a bead on the twine. We used yellow and orange beads to represent the sun.

Step 4:

Poke the plastic needle through the orange peel again.

Step 5:

Tie the twine to secure the bead in the middle of the orange peel piece.

Step 6:

Add more beads if you would like! I tied knots on both sides of the orange peel to make sure the beads wouldn’t slide behind it. I also tied a know after we were finished threading beads to keep them in place. I also think if gives it a nice polished look.

We made a ring, bracelet and necklace. They turned out great!

You’ll need to “fit” the bracelet and ring to make sure they aren’t too big or too small. Just wrap them around your child’s wrist and finger to get the exact length you need!

Pin this activity to save it for later!

I hope you give this simple activity a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more holiday nature jewelry ideas?! Check out:

Mini Rosemary Wreath Necklaces

The post DIY Solstice Jewelry for Kids appeared first on Little Pine Learners.

The winter solstice is a special day that only comes around once a year. It marks the day with the fewest hours of sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere. Many people build special traditions and celebrations around this day to celebrate the first day of winter and welcome back the light!

Are you ready to brighten up the darkest evening of the year with this simple hiking stick?

Here’s what you’ll need….

Supplies:

• Dried orange slices
• Hiking stick
• Tape
• Copper wire fairy lights– We got ours from Target. This is not the exact set we got, but these have the same amount of lights and length of wire. The copper wire twists really easily around the hiking stick.
• Batteries for fairy lights

This post contains Affiliate links for your convenience.

RELATED: Check out Glow-in-the-Dark Mummy Hiking Stick

Here’s What We Did:

Step 1:

First you need to dry your orange slices. There are many methods of doing this, but I put them in the oven on a cookie drying rack. Allowing air to move through them via the rack is key! I set the oven for 225 degrees for about 3-4 hours. I have done this several times and for some reason the drying time fluctuates a bit. Just keep an eye on them and take them out once they feel dry.

You can also stick some cloves in your oranges while they are drying. Your house will smell amazing!

Step 2:

Once your oranges are ready to go, you can start assembling your hiking stick! First tape the battery pack at the bottom of the hiking stick.

Step 3:

String the dried orange slices on the fairy lights. The center of the orange provides the perfect threading hole!

Step 4:

Wrap the oranges and fairy lights around the hiking stick. We found it easiest to have one person hold the stick and spin it around while another person held on to the light string and moved it up and down the stick. We moved the oranges around on the light string as we spun the stick so they were all facing the same way and had light peeking through behind the orange slices.

Make sure you wrap the light string tightly so it doesn’t move during your hike!

I was impressed with how well the string of lights stayed in place! They didn’t slide down the hiking stick at all.

We had a great time taking this out for a test run and now the hiking stick is sitting in my boys’ room as a decoration! We will bring it out again for another hike on the winter solstice.

Pin this activity to save it for later!

I hope you give this winter solstice activity a try! I promise, your little nature lovers will love it as much as my boys.

∼Tara

Looking for more winter activity ideas?! Check out:

Winter Small World Play Using Natural Material

Pinecone Nature Confetti Shakers for New Years Eve

The post Winter Solstice Hiking Stick appeared first on Little Pine Learners.