5 Candy Cane Ornaments that You Can Make With Kids

During the holiday season candy canes tend to make a dominate appearance in the candy aisle, and are a traditional holiday treat. But these red and white striped treats can be used for more than just a festive holiday candy to consume; they can also be used as an affordable way to make several holiday-themed ornaments. Pick up a box of candy canes the next time you’re at the grocery store and try making a few of these kid-friendly candy cane ornaments at home.

.       Heart shaped ornament – This one is simple to do, but it requires using a hot glue gun so you’ll need to help the kids to ensure that no little fingers get burned.  Use a low-temp hot glue gun, that way you don’t melt the plastic on the candy canes.  Start by hot gluing two candy canes into the shape of a heart.  Next, hot glue a round peppermint candy to the point where the top points of the candy canes touch.  Using some red ribbon or string, tie this heart shaped ornament to your tree.

.       Candy cane mice ornament – For this project you’ll need to gather up some felt in coordinating colors, scissors, glue and a black marker.  Cut out some fat tear drop shapes out of one color of felt.  These will be the bodies of the mice.  Out of the same fabric, cut out a shape for the ears.  The shape needs to be like two tear drops that have kind of spilled together at their points.  This shape will be threaded through a slit in the body, which is why the tear drop ear shapes need to be connected.  In a contrasting color cut out tear drops that are a little smaller to fit inside the ears.  Cut out a very small circle for the nose, also in the contrasting color.  Fold the body shape in half lengthwise and cut a slit just wide enough to slide the candy cane through a ½ inch from the rounded end of the tear drop shape.  Cut another slit an inch from the first slit so that the candy cane can slide back through.  The curve of the candy cane makes the tail of the mouse.  Open up the folded felt shape and fold it in the opposite direction about an inch above the 2^nd slit.  Now you will cut 2 slits ½ inch wide and ½ inch apart.  Open the felt shape up and lay it flat.  Glue the nose to the point of the tear drop.  Using a black marker, add two eyes above the nose (googly eyes work well too).  Glue the ear lining to the ear shape.  Once the ears have dried thread them through the slits closest to the nose.  Thread the candy cane through and your mouse is complete.

.       Reindeer ornament – You’ll only need to collect a few items to make this ornament: a candy cane, a brown pipe cleaner, 2 googly eyes, a small red pom-pom, glue and red ribbon for hanging.  Wrap the pipe cleaner around the bend in the candy cane and twist to make it stay.  Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner to look like antlers.  Glue the eyes on the curve of the candy cane and the red pom-pom on the end of the curve to make the nose.  Use red ribbon to hang the candy cane on your tree or to tie on a present.

.       Crisscrossed canes ornament- This ornament will require parental help on the first part.  Hot glue two candy canes together in a crisscross pattern.  Take a red, white and green pipe cleaner and wrap the center of them around the spot that the candy canes cross, then twist to secure.  Using a pencil, wrap each pipe cleaner end around it to create a cork screw.  After you have created all six cork screws you can stop there or take it one step further by gluing some jingle bells onto the center of the pipe cleaners.  Hang the ornament from one of the candy canes.

.       North Pole sign ornament – Cut out a 1 inch by 2 inch rectangle from a piece of green construction paper.  With a black marker write “North Pole” on it.  Glue the sign onto the candy cane.  The straight stick candy canes work best for this, but both kinds will work.  Use the crook of the cane to hang your North Pole sign or glue a loop of red ribbon if using the straight candy cane stick.

Doing holiday crafts together with your children gives you the opportunity to spend special time with them, making sweet holiday memories. Whether you decorate your tree with the finished projects or give them away as gifts, making these candy cane inspired ornaments will provide you and your kids with hours of holiday fun.

Source: nanny babysitter

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