Pine needle tassels
This is a great family activity as it combines going for a walk in the woods and crafting.
You’ll need: 3-4 pine needle branch ends (the greener the better, and not too thick), thin garden wire, string and a pair of scissors.
Pull the needles off the branch end, leaving 1-2cm attached to the tip (now ids the time to remove any brown or discoloured needles).
Gather together the needles around the tip so all the needle tops are level, about 2 cm from the tip of the branch.
Secure the needles in place with the garden wire (or short piece of string) so all the needles are held firmly in place.
Tie the string firmly at the bottom of the wire… do not cut from the spool and leave a 20-30cm string tail (this will form part of the loop to hang the tassel).
Wrap the string tightly around the wire so all the wire and the pine needle tops are covered, securely tie, and leave another 20-30cm length before cutting from the spool.
Cut the twig 5-10 mm above the string.
Trim the bottom of the tassel and tie the 2 string ends to make a loop.
Then you can use the tassels as decorations - they will start to fade in colour after 3-4 months as they dry.
We hope you enjoy making these as much as we do.