Candy Cane Crafts: 13 Sweet Projects That Bring the Peppermint Stripe Home

Candy cane crafts are popping up everywhere this week, and searches for them jumped about 110 percent in just seven days. It makes sense. Thanksgiving is a month away, Christmas is right behind it, and nothing says holiday cheer faster than those red and white stripes. These projects are easy, cheap and perfect for doing with kids or grandkids at the kitchen table. You can make ornaments, a wreath, giant porch canes, stockings and even a striped vase, all with simple supplies like beads, yarn, paint and felt. None of these are meant to be eaten, but they are every bit as sweet. Here are 13 cheerful ideas to bring the peppermint stripe home..

Candy Cane Crafts Are the Sweetest Trend This Week

Red and white stripes are the happiest pattern of the holidays, and this week people are searching for candy cane crafts more than ever. Google Trends shows searches up about 110 percent in just seven days. The best part is that these projects are cheap and quick, and almost all of them are safe for kids to help with. You only need red and white supplies like beads, yarn, ribbon, paint and felt. One rule before we start: these are decorations, not candy, so nothing here is meant to be eaten. Which stripe project will you start with..

You will need: Red and white beads, pipe cleaners, yarn, ribbon, felt, acrylic paint, cardboard and white glue.

How to make it: 1. Gather red and white supplies in one box. 2. Cover your table. 3. Pick an easy project for kids and a bigger one for adults. 4. Make a few extra to give away.

Beaded Pipe Cleaner Candy Canes

This is the classic kids craft that every generation seems to make. String red and white pony beads on a pipe cleaner in a pattern, then bend the top into a hook. It is great for little fingers and teaches counting and patterns at the same time. Make a whole bowl full for the tree or tie them onto gifts. Small beads are a choking risk for very young children, so keep little ones supervised. How many can your kids make in one afternoon?

You will need: Red and white pony beads, white pipe cleaners and a small bowl to hold the beads.

How to make it: 1. Fold the end of a pipe cleaner over so beads cannot slip off. 2. Thread red and white beads in a pattern. 3. Leave a little pipe cleaner at the top and fold it over. 4. Bend the top into a candy cane hook.

A Crochet Candy Cane Ornament

If you crochet, these little canes are perfect for using up scraps. A beginner friendly crochet candy cane lesson on YouTube reached 89,000 views in two weeks, and it shows the stripes clearly step by step. You work a simple tube in red and white rounds, stuff it lightly and bend it into shape with a pipe cleaner inside. Add a tiny bow and they are ready for the tree. They make lovely handmade gifts for teachers and neighbors. How many could you make while watching a holiday movie?

You will need: Red and white yarn, a small crochet hook, a pipe cleaner, a little stuffing and a yarn needle.

How to make it: 1. Crochet a small tube, switching between red and white every two rounds. 2. Slide a pipe cleaner inside and stuff lightly. 3. Close the ends with the yarn needle. 4. Bend the top into a hook and add a bow.

Candy Cane Crafts for the Door: A Striped Wreath

Wrap a foam wreath ring in red and white ribbon on a slant, and it turns into a giant candy cane circle. It is bold, cheerful and costs only a few dollars. Overlap the ribbon a little as you go so no foam shows through. Add a big red bow at the top and hang it on the front door. Of all the candy cane crafts here, this one gets noticed from the street. Would you add a little greenery too?

You will need: A foam wreath ring, a roll of red ribbon, a roll of white ribbon, pins and a wide red bow.

How to make it: 1. Pin the end of the red ribbon to the back of the ring. 2. Wrap it around at a slant, leaving gaps. 3. Wrap white ribbon in the gaps. 4. Pin the ends and add a big red bow at the top.

Peppermint Striped Painted Flower Pots

Little terracotta pots painted with red and white swirls look just like peppermint candy. Plant them with rosemary, which looks like tiny Christmas trees, and you have a sweet gift for a neighbor or teacher. Use painter’s tape or paint freehand for a more relaxed swirl. Seal the paint so it lasts. These candy cane crafts look great in a row on a kitchen windowsill. Who would you give one to this year?

You will need: Small terracotta pots, white and red acrylic paint, painter’s tape, a brush, sealer and small rosemary plants.

How to make it: 1. Paint each pot white and let it dry. 2. Add diagonal tape strips or draw curved stripes. 3. Paint the stripes red and remove the tape. 4. Seal the pot and plant the rosemary.

Giant Cardboard Candy Canes for the Porch

Big porch candy canes make a house look like it belongs in a holiday movie. You can make them from long cardboard tubes, like the ones used for carpet or concrete forms, with a curved top cut from thick cardboard. Paint them white, add red stripes and seal them well for outdoor use. A big green bow finishes the look. Set one on each side of the door and wait for the neighbors to ask where you bought them. How tall would yours be?

You will need: Two long cardboard tubes, thick cardboard for the hooks, duct tape, white and red outdoor paint, sealer and two green bows (adult help).

How to make it: 1. Cut two curved hook shapes from thick cardboard and tape them to the tops of the tubes. 2. Paint everything white. 3. Wrap tape in a spiral and paint red stripes. 4. Seal well and add bows.

Candy Cane Heart Ornaments

Make two beaded candy canes, turn them to face each other and join them at the hooks, and you get a little heart. It is a sweet twist on the classic and perfect for grandparents, teachers or a first Christmas tree together. Tie a thin ribbon at the top to hold the two sides and make a hanging loop. These candy cane crafts take five minutes once you have the beads out. Who will get your first heart?

You will need: Red and white pony beads, white pipe cleaners and thin red ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Make two small beaded candy canes. 2. Turn them so the hooks face each other. 3. Twist the bottom ends together. 4. Tie the hooks together with ribbon and make a loop.

A Yarn Wrapped Striped Letter

Wrap a plain wooden or cardboard letter in red and white yarn on a slant, and it looks like a candy cane spelled out your family initial. It is perfect for a mantel, a door or a kids room. You can buy blank letters at craft stores or cut one from thick cardboard. Use a dab of glue at each turn to keep the yarn neat. Make one for each child with their initial. A thick yarn covers faster, while a thin one gives crisper stripes. Which letter would you make?

You will need: A wooden or cardboard letter, red and white yarn, white glue and scissors.

How to make it: 1. Glue the end of the white yarn to the back of the letter. 2. Wrap it on a slant all over the letter. 3. Wrap red yarn over it in spaced stripes. 4. Glue the ends on the back.

Candy Cane Crafts for Readers: Felt Bookmarks

A felt candy cane hooked over the top of a book is a fun stocking stuffer for readers. Cut a candy cane shape from white felt, glue on thin red felt stripes and let it dry flat. The hook sits over the top of the page so it never falls out. Kids can make a stack of these for classmates in an hour. These candy cane crafts cost almost nothing and are fully safe for little hands. Which book will yours mark?

You will need: White felt, red felt, scissors, fabric glue and a candy cane template.

How to make it: 1. Trace and cut a candy cane shape from white felt. 2. Cut thin red felt strips. 3. Glue the strips across on a slant and trim the edges. 4. Let it dry under a heavy book.

A Peppermint Stripe Mason Jar Vase

A plain mason jar becomes a festive vase with a few curved red and white stripes. Paint the outside, let it dry and fill it with white flowers and evergreen. It looks lovely as a centerpiece or on a kitchen windowsill. Glass paint holds up better than regular acrylic, especially if you hand wash the jar. Make a few in different sizes for the holiday table, since grouped candy cane crafts look extra festive together. What would you put in yours?

You will need: A clean mason jar, white and red glass paint or paint pens, painter’s tape and a small brush.

How to make it: 1. Paint the outside of the jar white and let it dry. 2. Tape curved or slanted lines. 3. Paint the red stripes and remove the tape. 4. Let it cure, then fill with water and flowers.

Candy Cane Crafts With Paper: A Striped Chain Garland

Paper chains are probably the first Christmas craft many of us ever made, and red and white makes them look like a long string of peppermint. Cut strips of paper, loop them together and glue or tape each ring. Kids can make a chain as long as the room. Some families add one ring for each day until Christmas and tear one off every morning. It is one of the simplest candy cane crafts and still one of the most fun. How long will your chain be?

You will need: Red and white paper, scissors, a ruler and a glue stick or tape.

How to make it: 1. Cut paper into strips about 1 inch by 6 inches. 2. Loop one strip into a ring and glue it. 3. Thread the next strip through and close it. 4. Keep alternating colors until the chain is long enough.

Candy Cane Crafts to Keep: Salt Dough Ornaments

Salt dough is a cheap, old fashioned ornament dough made from flour, salt and water. Roll it into ropes, twist two together or shape a single cane, bake it low and slow until hard, then paint red stripes. Poke a hole before baking for the ribbon. These ornaments last for years if you seal them, and they are not for eating. Write the year on the back for a keepsake. Will this become a yearly tradition at your house?

You will need: 2 cups flour, 1 cup salt, about 3/4 cup water, a baking sheet, red paint, a brush, sealer and ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Mix flour, salt and water into a smooth dough. 2. Roll ropes and shape them into canes, then poke a hole near the top. 3. Bake at a low heat until hard, with an adult handling the oven. 4. Paint red stripes, seal and add ribbon.

Striped Felt Stockings From Scraps

Finish with stockings that match the whole candy cane theme. Cut stocking shapes from white felt and glue or stitch wide red felt stripes across on a slant. Add a fluffy white cuff and a loop for hanging. Felt does not fray, so it is very beginner friendly. For more stocking ideas, our DIY Christmas stockings gallery has many more. Hang them in a row and the whole mantel looks like a candy shop window. Whose name will go on the first one?

You will need: White felt, red felt, white faux fur or fleece for cuffs, fabric glue or a needle and thread, scissors and ribbon.

How to make it: 1. Cut two stocking shapes from white felt. 2. Glue red felt stripes across one side on a slant. 3. Stitch or glue the two sides together, leaving the top open. 4. Add a cuff and a ribbon loop.