DIY Candy Cane Wreath
This candy cane wreath is SO CUTE and festive! It’s so simple to make your own DIY Christmas wreath using candy canes from the dollar store.
This unique decoration is super easy to make, and it looks amazing hanging on any door! This budget friendly wreath is such a fun Christmas craft, perfect for both kids and adults.
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DIY Candy Cane Wreath
Materials:
- 20Candy canes
- Snowflake ornament(5 inch diameter)
- Red ribbon (7/8 inch)
Equipment:
Instructions:
Step 1: Find what you need
- Gather your supplies and materials.
Step 2: Glue down the ends of the plastic wrappers
- If your candy cane has plastic on either end that hangs off the candy cane, you’ll want to glue it back so it’s out of sight.Start by adding glue near the end of the candy cane hook, on the back side.
- Fold the extra plastic up into the glue and hold it in place until it stays on its own.
- Fold up and glue the extra plastic on the bottom of the candy cane, again towards the back side. Then repeat this process for all 20 of your candy canes.
Step 3: Glue the candy canes into heart shapes
- Arrange two of your candy canes into a heart shape with the glued side up. This shows you where the candy canes meet and where they’ll need to be glued.
- Add hot glue to the outside edge of one of the candy cane’s hooks.
- Then add another bit of glue to the inside bottom of the candy cane.
- Press the candy canes back together into the heart shape.Repeat with the next 9 groupings of candy canes.
- Arrange the candy canes into a circle, making sure the outside is even and nicely round.Because candy canes are usually slightly different shapes and lengths, you won’t be able to create a totally perfect circle. Just do your best, and try to make sure that the bottoms are touching at least half way up the candy cane.
Step 4: Connect the candy cane groups
- Without lifting the wreath, add a generous line of hot glue between 2 of the candy cane groupings, starting from the center. This will be the back of your wreath so don’t worry about the glue showing. Go back and forth with the glue gun horizontally across the candy canes, so that the glue touches both of them.
- Continue adding glue to the groupings of candy canes until you’ve made your way around the entire circle. Try not to move the candy canes as you go, otherwise it’s difficult to get them back into the perfect circle formation.Allow the glue to completely dry. Wait at least 5 minutes or until the hot glue is cloudy without any clear or warm spots.
- Flip the wreath over so that the glue is on the back.
Step 5: Add an ornament and hanger to the wreath
- Add a ring of hot glue around the inner circle of the wreath.Place the plastic snowflake ornament onto the glue, centering it in the middle of the wreath.
- Cut a piece of ribbon twice as long as you need your wreath hanger to be. We made ours about 28 inches, but the length will depend on where you’re hanging your wreath.
- Put the ends of the ribbon through the hooks of two candy canes.Pull the ribbon through until the center of the ribbon rests in the candy cane hooks.
- Tie a knot in the ends of the ribbon and pull the knot towards the top.
- Your candy cane wreath is complete!
Helpful Tips:
- Try using different colours of candy canes to change up the look of your candy cane wreath! Candy canes with a green stripe will add another pretty Christmas colour to your wreath, while bright coloured candy canes can add a colourful retro vibe to your decor.
- Focus on making the outside of the wreath a nice, round shape. The inside circle doesn’t matter, since it’ll be covered up by the snowflake ornament.
How many candy canes do I need to make a candy cane wreath?
We used 20 candy canes to make our DIY wreath, but you’ll definitely want to start with a larger amount. A lot of the candy canes we had were already broken in the package, so we had to filter through and grab the best looking ones. Some candy canes are also a bit warped and don’t fit together as nicely.
So we suggest buying at least 30 – 40 candy canes in order to get the amount you need for your wreath.
Do I have to use real candy canes on my candy cane wreath?
No, if you don’t want to use real candy canes you can also use plastic candy canes. These candy canes will make a stronger wreath, and you won’t have to worry about candy canes breaking as you work with them.
Plastic candy canes are also more likely to be a consistent size and shape which will make it way easier to make your wreath perfectly round.
What can I use to decorate the center of my candy cane wreath?
We added a glittery snowflake ornament to the center of our wreath. But you could use any type of round ornament, a gift bow, faux poinsettia flower, evergreen sprig, or anything else that you like the look of.
You can also cut a circle from cardboard and cover it with coloured paper, felt, or glitter. Or if you have an old CD or DVD lying around, you can glue that in the center. To cover the hole in the CD, add another another small flat ornament or some Christmas flowers or greenery.
How long will this candy cane wreath last?
We only made ours this year, so we can’t say for sure, but we’re guessing it will only survive for one, maybe two Christmas seasons. The candy canes break really easily and will likely dry up and crack after being kept in storage for a year.
How to store a candy cane wreath?
These wreaths are very fragile, so you need to make sure you store them flat in a box with either bubble wrap or tissue paper. Make sure the box is kept in a cool, dark space, since candy canes can easily melt in warm, summer months.
If you want to keep your candy cane wreath for years to come, we definitely recommend using plastic candy canes instead of real ones. They’ll hold up a lot better in the long term.
You’re sure to get compliments on your candy cane wreath! They’re so simple to make, but they give off such fun and classic holiday vibes. These red and white wreaths are a lot of fun, and you can make one in an hour or less!
Here’s even more easy Christmas craft ideas:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
