With Christmas just 6 weeks away, I thought I'd bring back a post I wrote at least 5 years ago (maybe more?): How to Make a Candy Cane Wreath. This a pretty and inexpensive way to bring some cheer to your front door this holiday season. Bonus... it's a great craft to make with kids!
Originally published November 2015, updated October 2022.
It’s finally NOVEMBER… and I could not be more excited about Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. More than ever, I feel like we could all use a little (or a LOT of) holiday joy!
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Simple DIY Candy Cane Wreath
Around 9 years ago my son made this Candy Cane Wreath for me. He'd seen the tutorial in a magazine (I think) and asked if I could buy candy canes so he could make it. Of course, I said yes because I always try to encourage my kids' creativity!
Well, I posted the wreath here, and my assistant recently pointed out to me that that post seemed to get a lot of traffic due to the wreath being pinned. So - on her recommendation, (thanks Susan - you ROCK!!) I asked Caleb if he remembered how to do it and he did! I asked him to make another wreath and shoot a tutorial for me and he was excited to do it!
So all of the pics from here forward are thanks to my very talented (then) 14-year-old son Caleb.
Materials Needed for Candy Cane Wreath
- Approximately 20-24 real candy canes
- OR plastic candy canes
- Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks
- ½" ribbon - I like red!
- And scissors
You can find all of these materials at the dollar store or your local Dollar Tree. If you'd like to keep this wreath year after year, I recommend making it with plastic candy canes instead of real ones. We learned the hard way (I'm not sure what we were thinking) that after a year in storage, candy canes melt and get sticky and it wasn't pretty anymore!
Besides, you really can't plan on eating the candy canes after this project - the glue could easily melt through the plastic wrapping and be ON the candy.
How to Make a Candy Cane Wreath
I have written instructions and step-by-step photos below for how to make this easy and adorable candy cane wreath.
- Take two candy canes and lay them down together with the long sides back to back.
- Use a little bit of hot glue to attach them to each other.
- Repeat this process again (and again and again)... but Caleb did them one set at a time. Then he laid the pairs next to each other to make sure they'd line up.
You'd think all candy canes would be made the same, but he ran across a few irregulars that threw off his overall pattern. Who knew?!
- Attach the pairs together by gluing the "hooks" together at the very bottom.
- Let those dry before moving on (it only takes a minute!).
- Repeat, repeat, repeat.... until you get a complete circle and you're almost done with your Candy Cane Wreath:
Note: As you can see on the left side (there's a gap) - these candy canes weren't quite as uniform as the previous ones we used so the circle wreath wouldn't close all the way. That's okay though - he made it work anyway! 🙂
- Cut off small pieces of ribbon (5-6" long) and begin tying them around the pairs of candy canes. You can tie small bows or knots - whichever you like best. As I'm editing these pictures, it also looks like Caleb started out doing bows, then decided to just do small knots. Really it's up to you and how you want your wreath to look!
- Tie on a long circle of ribbon at whichever side you want to be the top to hang it with and you're done!
Shopping for Candy Cane Wreath
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Variations of the Candy Cane Wreath
- You can use any color of candy canes that you like... blue or rainbow or yellow or even all-white candy canes.
- Switch up the ribbons for different colors or maybe go with jute twine for a rustic look.
- As mentioned above, you could use plastic candy canes for a wreath that will last for years.
- Skip the ribbons/bows around the pairs of candy canes and you'll just need one piece of ribbon or string to hang the wreath. You could even add a bow if you have wider ribbon.
- Fancy it up by gluing an ornament, some pine cones, or a snowflake in the middle for a centerpiece.
This was our original wreath:
And this is the wreath he made for the tutorial:
You can see slight differences in the wreaths but both "work." I think I like the trimmed version better than the loose knots, but either way - it works and it's such an easy project for a pretty, "sweet" wreath!
We have a red front door it's really pretty and festive hanging for this Christmas season and a cheap way to add to your holiday decor. This would also make a lovely, inexpensive homemade gift for someone special.
Do you like to do craft projects at Christmas? Check out some of my other holiday crafts:
- DIY Sprinkles Ornaments
- Easy Baked Cinnamon Ornaments
- Reindeer Noses Treat Bags (Free Printable)
- We Whisk You a Merry Christmas (Free Gift Tags)
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Are you ready for some more amazing inspiration?
Homemade Holiday Inspiration
It’s time to be inspired by these amazing Christmas decorating ideas from fellow bloggers! Click through and be inspired!
- Christmas Kitchen Tour from Design Dazzle
- String Art Christmas Tree from Domestically Speaking
- Christmas Front Porch from Hoosier Homemade
- DIY Chalkboard Banner from Marty's Musings
- Easy Farmhouse Christmas Mantel from Sondra Lyn at Home
- Elegant Christmas Mantel from My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
- Farmhouse Christmas Decor from Design Dazzle
Oleta Edwards
Your son did a great job with the wreath. I work with 8-14 year olds in 4H cake decorating and I am always amazed at the way they can accomplish what they set out to do.
Rose Atwater
Thank you - yes, kids really do well when we let them be creative!
niki goodman
Love this! I'm going to have a go myself...may try fitting some tinsel and a bauble in the middle too!
Rose
Thank you - that would be really pretty!
Lee
My residents love this, but ours all turned out unsteady and easily broken? It's like the glue just wouldn't hold tight enough? I read something about a kind of glue called G6300? In another post. I guess it's a hardware store thing?
Sharon
Mine is unstable too, I used hot glue as well.
Seems the middle ring isn’t “tough” enough so guess I’ll be looking for a “stabilizer”. Maybe a firm doily or a big center bow?
This wreath is for an elderly friend that really can’t store anything so I chose Candy Canes because I really think it will be ok in her head to throw it away after Christmas season is over.
Dareama
I make these all the time. if you use E6000 and hot glue together it is awesome. <3
Christine Skipper
Very pretty and yet dimple.
Judith Carol silva
Very nice. To stabilize the center, I took apart a ribbon spool and used the cardboard circle with the tube attached and placed it under the center circle. I used hot glue to secure the ends of the canes to the cardboard, then filled the tube with hot glue and placed a poinsettia in the middle.
Susan
Love this idea!
Susan Johnson
I tried to make the candy cane wreath and I thought I had every thing glued right and when I picked it up some fell off. I don’t know what I did wrong. Do you have a video that I could watch?
Owanate George
Love this
Rose
Thank you!