Could you share some ideas on how to make decorations out of pine cones and branches?

Try brushing glitter glue on just the tips of the branches and pine cones, either after painting like Hawkers Bazaar suggested or on the unpainted surfaces. If you have small branches and pine cones, you can arrange them around a candle centered on a gold or silver "charger" (large plate) that you can find in craft or housewares store.

For a Christmas decoration try spray painting pine cones in gold and silver paint. Place a few of these around a candle and tie these together with a nice festive patterned bow.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.