Nothing's easier than grabbing a box of candy canes and tossing them on the tree. Get inspired to transform your plain candy cane ornaments into something spectacular with these unique and festive easy-to-make holiday decorations.
Festive Candy Cane Wreath
What better way to make a great first impression this holiday season than by making a unique candy cane wreath? The design options are endless!
Whether you add them to an evergreen wreath or let them be the star of the show, candy canes are the perfect way to welcome guests into your home during the holidays. Use hot glue to stick candy canes together or to adhere the candy canes to an evergreen wreath. Create your own fun, mesmerizing design with them!
Bright Holiday Candle Holder
A candle holder is an easy way to make your spirits just a little brighter this holiday season. Thanks to some festive candy canes, this candle holder will complement your favorite Christmas-scented candles. Go above and beyond by finding a peppermint candle so your holder will smell just like it looks! All you have to do to create this craft is hot glue either peppermint sticks or candy canes next to each other on a glass candleholder.
Minty Centerpiece
If you're looking to make a statement during the holiday season, this homemade candy cane centerpiece will do the trick since it screams Christmas time. Put some of your favorite red and white flowers in the middle to complete the look. Find a cylindrical flower vase or can and then adhere the candy canes to the vase with hot glue. Finish it off with a bit of your favorite ribbon, and voila!
Peppermint Candy Plate
Well, of course, Santa needs a special tray to eat his cookies off of, and this peppermint candy plate is a festive way to make it happen. The best part — it's easy to remake it every year! All you have to do is arrange the candy on a parchment-covered baking sheet any way you want. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 350° and wait at least 30 minutes for it to harden.
Related: 15 Popular Christmas Decorations & How to Make Them Merry
Sweet Treat Reindeer
How cute are these crafty reindeer? Whether you're hanging them on the tree, giving them out as party favors, or initiating a creative project with your kids, these candy cane reindeer are a quirky way to get your festivities on. In fact, they're almost too cute to eat — almost.
You only need small googly eyes, small red pom poms, and brown pipe cleaners to create your own DIY candy cane reindeer. Wind the pipe cleaner at the curved end of the candy cane to create antlers, then hot glue to adhere. Hot glue eyes and pom pom balls to create a nose and eyes.
Flavorful Tree Ornaments
Everyone's hung candy canes on their Christmas trees, but you should try something a little unconventional this year. Melt down some candy canes in your most festive cookie cutters for 15 minutes at 300° heat. Hot glue a string or ribbon on the back once they've cooled to hang your new candy cane ornament on your tree. It's a fun craft to do with the kids, too.
Red and White Topiaries
Here's a fun way to decorate for a quirky party that also doubles as a station for party guests to grab something sweet. These candy cane topiaries have all the red and white you could ever want — Santa hats, candy canes, and little tags that say, "Ho! Ho! Ho!" They're pretty much adorable.
This craft involves a little more time and effort, but you can lessen the load by buying small Santa hats. Paint a wooden dowel to look like a candy cane and stick it in a Styrofoam square you've adhered within a bowl, cup, or flower pot (whatever you're using as your base). Use cone-shaped Styrofoam to adhere the hats to the dowels. Paint the outside of the flower pots to decorate, then add candy canes to your base to finish it off.
Candy Cane Tree
These fun little trees are open for creativity. Whether you use traditional candy canes, mini candy canes, peppermint circles, or even Red Hots, you can make your own minty forest with ease. Add little red and gold Christmas tree ornaments around the trees to make a centerpiece. Get various sizes of Styrofoam cones and hot glue them to either silver or gold candle holders. Then hot glue the candy to the cones however you'd like.
Christmas Candy Cane Hearts
Sometimes simple crafts speak volumes, especially during the holidays. Simply hot glue two candy canes facing each other to make a heart shape and attach a bow to finish off these candy cane hearts. Hang them on your Christmas tree, place them on dinnerware during a holiday dinner party, or spread them throughout your living room with your other décor.
Related: 11 Festive Ways to Decorate for Christmas on a Tight Budget
Simply Striped Place Card Holders
What's quick, simple, and adorable? These candy cane placeholders! All you have to do is glue three mini candy canes together so that the rounded side faces the table, and viola — you have a place card holder for your delicious holiday meal. You can even set these babies up at your buffet to let guests know what each dish is.
Elf on the Shelf Peppermint Ladder
What shenanigans is your Elf on the Shelf up to now? Help him out with his holiday hijinks by creating a candy cane ladder for this little mischievous guy by hanging a strand of prepackaged candy canes for him to climb. Use some double-sided tape to secure him to his ladder and be prepared for some elf-y tomfoolery.
Tasty Ugly Sweater
Talk about taking the holidays to the extreme! Grab an old sweater, some tinsel, tree ornaments, real candy canes, and whatever other festive items you want to don your holiday sweater, then go to town attaching them with your handy hot glue gun however tickles your fancy. You're sure to win the Most Spirited Guest award for sure!
Sweet Spirited Beard
Take decorating up a notch with a few candy canes in your winter whiskers. Use beard wax to curl the whiskers like a Christmas tree and attach them with some double-sided tape. Make sure to use mini candy canes so they're heavy enough to fall out. Pop on a cute little Santa hat or headband to complete the look.
Have a Minty Fresh Holiday
Sure, candy canes are a traditional way to decorate for the holidays, but your decorations can be anything but traditional. Whether you turn yours into a centerpiece, change their look when hanging them on the tree, or wear them on your holiday sweater, candy canes will continue to surprise you with how versatile they are.
