Nature Crafts Nature Crafts Girl Scout leaders love economical crafts, and nature crafts are about as low cost as they come. Here are some suggestions for dealing with nature's bounty. If wet, pine cones will dry out quickly if baked on a cookie sheet in a 250 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Follow the same procedure for unopened pine cones.
Acorns are also available in late spring.
Little critters lay their larvae in acorns and are rather grim when they hatch. Baking acorns in a 250 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes will prevent this. The caps have a tendency to fall off when they are baked but can be glued back on. Chestnuts also need to be baked at 250 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes. Use a skewer to punch a hole in the soft part of the shell to prevent splitting and to hasten drying.