When the holidays come around, we always find ourselves outside looking for pine cones. And, of course, we are never able to find them when we want them. So, now, when we find them, we collect them, and clean/or/prepare them for crafts later. This feels so much better than buying a handful of pine cones at our local craft store for $5. If you are so disciplined, you may want to clean your pine cones of sap and any bugs. You can do this by placing the pine cones on a foil lined baking sheet and baking them in an oven at 220 for 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can soak the pine cones in a large sink with antibacterial soap and hot water for approximately 15 minutes. Then, rinse and dry. If you will be using the pine cones in their natural state (as opposed to glittering etc.), you can spray them with a multipurpose polyurethane spray for a clear gloss effect.