Enchanted Acorns

When we would take trips to Nana's farm as a child, the first stop I made was to the big oak so I could stuff my pocket with fallen acorns. As luck would have it, my home these many years later is blessed with century old oaks on all sides. Our yard is absolutely filled with acorns and each year we find new ways to make magic with these little treasures.

This year I expanded on one of my favorite fall jewelry designs from my shop - recycled leather bottomed acorns - and filled them with all manner of herbs, spices and crystals. These beautiful creations are a perfect craft for fall and a lovely way to carry the scents and sentiments of the season into your home.

Short of the acorn tops themselves, all you need can likely be found around your home. I have an abundance of leather scraps from which to choose, but you needn't use leather if you don't have any available. These are a great stash buster as they work great with felt, cotton or any other scraps you have lying around. 

First you will want to make sure your acorn tops are clean and dry. I give mine a gentle scrub with an old toothbrush and leave them to sit in the sun for a while. 

While those are drying, you can begin cutting your bottoms. My circles were about 2" in diameter and this seemed to work great for the size of acorn tops I had. You may need to cut yours slightly bigger or smaller depending on your acorns.

This next step is optional but will allow you to hang your acorns as ornaments or on a garland for seasonal decor. For the hole in the acorn top you will need a drill with a small bit, a dremel or something you can heat to burn through like a nail. Don't let your tool selection limit you, there is always a way to get it done! If you are drilling, go slow and use gentle pressure. If you are burning the hole, hold your nail with pliers over a heat source until it is hot enough to burn through the acorn top and again, use gentle pressure. I tie a small loop with hemp or jute and pass the loop through the hole, the knot keeps it secure inside the acorn.

The "filling" can be whatever you wish to work with. I chose herbs from my garden, spices from my cupboard and a few choice crystals to add a little something extra. Feel free to use whatever works best for you and your intentions. Starting from the top left, I have a single amethyst crystal, a pile of pumpkin spices, a mint and lavender mix with clear quartz and a simple salt blend.

Carefully fold your chosen material up to form the acorn bottom, it is always good to dry fit it to your acorn top before adding the glue. If it doesn't fit you can always trim away any excess material. Then all you need to do is add a bit of glue inside your acorn top and press them together until dry.

There are so many different ways you can tailor these to suit your needs. Different colors of material, scents, or even small notes tucked away inside. They make the most enchanting altar adornments, lovely personalized gifts or simply as autumn home decor.

I would love to see what you come up! Please tag me on social @hammerthreads or @hammerthreads_homestead if you feel inspired to craft your own.