Making Colored Flame Pine Cones

Recipe Rating:	1 Rating5
Category:	Other Non-Edibles
Prep Time:	6 Hr 10 Min

Ingredients

	pinecones
	deep glass bowl
	any one of the counpounds for flame color

Pinched by cindersoot, and 111 more.

Stormy Stewart

Well Seasoned

Mount Morris, MI (pop. 3,086)

karlyn255

Member Since Mar 2011

Stormy's Notes:

This is an easy craft, requires about 15 minutes of your time, for those who love a great bonfire. The season is coming folks. Remember this project requires an adult supervision and 4 days to make so plan ahead

Directions

Tips:
To get the pine cones looking their best, heat them in the oven at 225 degrees F on a foil-covered cookie sheet. They will open all the way and look fuller.

Warnings:
Use only one salt or compound for color.

Be very careful handling these chemicals and follow the manufacturer' s directions. Some compounds can be poisonous if mishandled

Pour 1/2 gallon of hot water into a deep glass or plastic bowl.

Dissolve 8 ounces of any one of the following chemicals in the water:

Alum (thallium) for a bright green flame
Strontium chloride for a bright red flame
Boric acid for a deep red flame
Calcium for a reddish-orange flame
Calcium chloride for a yellowish-orange flame
Table salt for a yellow flame
Borax (sodium tetraborate) for a yellow-green flame
Blue vitriol (copper sulfate) or barium for a green flame
Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) for a violet flame
Or Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) for a white flame.

Soak the pine cones in the solution for 6 hours.

Dry them for at least three days in a warm, dry area on newspaper or hang in a mesh bag.

Comments

12 comments

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Stormy Stewart karlyn255

Stormy Stewart [karlyn255] has shared this recipe with discussion groups:
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Diane Whitbeck IRPELLC

Aug 18, 2012

Hi Stormy! Where do you get these chemicals? Do you heat the pine cones for fullness before or after the chemical soaking? Thanks!

Stormy Stewart karlyn255

Aug 18, 2012

Diane look under tip #5

Diane Whitbeck IRPELLC

Aug 18, 2012

Hi Stormy - me again! The placement of Tip #5 makes it look like you heat them for fullness after the chemical treatment, but that sounds dangerous to me! I also need to know where you get the chemicals. I appreciate your help with this, as these are fun to have in your campfire. Thanks!

Stormy Stewart karlyn255

Aug 18, 2012

No sorry will fix that it is if before

Stormy Stewart karlyn255

Aug 18, 2012

Thanks Diane I put it as #1 now so there isn't any mis communication. thank you for catching that

Diane Whitbeck IRPELLC

Aug 18, 2012

Sorry to be such a pest! Where do you get the chemicals? Thanks for your patience!

Stormy Stewart karlyn255

Aug 18, 2012

I believe they are all at rite aid and other drug stores, most craft shops, and if not they are on line. I know all but coper sulfate is there

www.calibex.com/Buy-Sulfate...

www.coppersulfatecrystals.c...

Stormy Stewart karlyn255