how to make a candy wreath

One of my favorite challenges is finding a craft that doubles both as a fun family activity and a gift–especially during this crazy busy but totally festive time of year.

And the Candy Wreath is a serious winner in both categories.

It’s a project–several steps and takes a bit o’ quality family time and manpower.

It’s a gift–it’s beautiful when finished. And kids’ smiles upon completion are totally worth a million bucks.

For the most part, it’s inexpensive. Aside from the candy, the materials are pretty affordable–which makes it a big-time winner in my book.

Here’s the skinny. . .

• How to Make a Fun and Fabulous Candy Wreath: The Candy Wreath is simple: it’s wrapped candy tied to a wire hanger. That’s it.

To make it, you simply need:

• curling ribbon (we use gold curling ribbon, dark green curling ribbon, bright green curling ribbon, and red curling ribbon)
• holiday colored ribbon (thicker)
• teeny, cheapo scissors
• a wire hanger
• one small piece of duct tape
• 3-5 lbs of wrapped candy (do a mix! sour fruit balls, peppermints, Jolly Ranchers, fruit-filled hard candy, butterscotches, and caramel cremes!)

But it looks like a whole lot more:

Lots of cutting. . .

 

. . . and tying. . .

 . . . and candy-eating goes into making these wreaths!

 Want the real skinny?

Check out How to Make a Fun & Fabulous Candy Wreath vlog for the steps, the how-to, and a little more:

 

This is the very first year our family rocked out the Candy Wreath, though growing up, we made them quite often.  My grandma taught my mom, and my mom taught my three sisters and me, and many a winter night was spent watching tv, chatting, and cutting or tying, tying or cutting.

 

Final wreath? So pretty. And such a fun gift to give.

I think I cried hard my first year at college when the infamous wreath arrived at my dorm–a care package that spoke more to me than to the tons of friends who came by to grab candy before or after class would ever know. I knew the hours that went into making it. I knew the fingers that tied those ribbons.  And I wondered how it was at home–that year I wasn’t there to make them with everybody else.

I remember feeling my heart ache for the changes that this year signified.  But I remember feeling really loved.

So here’s to hoping that the Candy Wreaths are a from-here-on-out tradition for our family–and here’s to hoping that I don’t weep too heavily when I send that Candy Wreath off to my baby eight years from now–when my first heads off to college.

Happiest holidays to you!

• True Holiday Spirit Lunchbox Notes
• Holiday Fun Fact and JOKES Lunchbox Notes (with Hannukah!)
• Holiday Time Fun Fact Lunchbox Notes
• Little Holiday Notes and Jokes
• Holiday Notes for Families
• The Polar Express tradition
• Scratch-off Cards
• K-Cup Advent Tree
• New Year’s Family Interview
• Happy Holidays Backyard Birds 

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