Conkers - any other uses?

bramble1

Oooo my lovely house flowers are on their way out, so might use conkers and a variety of other natural things to make a new longer lasting center peice for the mantel!

flowertotmum

That sounds good...i got a wicker basket from a jumble sale for 50p and filled it with pine cones,acorns,conkers and some beautiful fake leaves..it looks really lovely...we got some rowan branches with the berries on and draped those over the mantel too..it looks so good and very autumnal...good luck..let me know what you do:D

adelight

They're so pretty! I collected a few from the park next door and put them around the rooms and entrance stairs as they're supposed to scare off spiders. Haven't had anymore beasty ones since but only time will tell!
You could laquer them and put them in a bowl all nice and shiny or fill up a tall vase with them and put a flower/foliage in a test tube water holder inside.

Pink.

Hi bramble,

These threads may give you some ideas:

Conkers - any other uses?

Do conkers keep away spiders??

FREE alternative to soap nuts..

I'll merge your thread with the first link later to keep the suggestions together.

Pink

bramble1

thanks pink! off to go forrage

Penelope_Penguin

Do what we do - gather tham when they're all nice and shiny, leave them in a bag in the shed until next year, when they'll be all mouldy, then chuck them on the compost with a clear conscience :rotfl:

Vaila

maybe coat them in varnish and add as a centerpiece, ie put in a bow;l with some dried pibe cones, or put in a glass jar ...

Seakay

James Wong makes horse chestnut gel for varicose veins:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/tv/features/growyourowndrugs/episode3.shtml

ALIBOBSY

Can't you make a detergent with them?

ali x

happyin_devon

i like to get nice fat shiny ones,and CAREFULLY peirce through them with a skewer and thread them on to thin wire,then i bend wire into heart shape,twist wire ends together add a bit of raffia as bow to cover wire joins and hey presto,autumn wreath for front door

my sister paid nearly £15 quid for one of these:eek:,and i admired it,then went and forraged and made my own!!!