How to Make Lace Candy Cane Decorations

These cheerful, elegant lace candy canes look wonderful on a tree, wreath, or even taped to a Christmas present. The best part is that you can let the children decorate them, so the crafts become family treasures you can put on your tree year after year. These little lace candy cane decorations delight any grandma when presented by the grandchildren. Be prepared to make a bunch.

Things You'll Need

• Red or white craft pipe cleaners
• Several yards of lace, with a nylon hemmed side
• Craft glue
• Sequence, glitter, or other tiny decorations
• Thread or yarn

Instructions

1. Cut the craft pipe cleaners into 7-inch lengths. Go longer, or shorter if you wish. The one in the picture is cut at 7 inches. Don’t cut the lace until you decide how “ruffled” you want your candy cane.

2. 

   Bend the very end of the pipe cleaner over onto itself, about an 1/8 of an inch, or as small as you can get it. This eliminates the wire catching in the lace hem as you thread it through. Insert the pipe cleaner into the hem edge of the lace and thread it through. Ruffle the lace as you go by feeding more onto the pipe cleaner.

3. Arrange the lace until it is the fullness you want. Cut the excess lace away at the end and fold the very end of the pipe cleaner over to hold the lace in place. Lay the laced pipe cleaner on a flat surface and bend the pipe cleaner to form the shape of a candy cane. An adult may have to thread the lace and shape it, as you need to be somewhat gentle.

4. 

   Using small amounts of craft glue, apply the tiny decorations of your choice. Glue on small sequence, tiny foil snowflakes, glitter, tiny bows and ribbons, or anything else you like. It shouldn’t be anything too heavy though, as this will pull the lace. Let dry.

5. Cut a small piece of yarn or thread and make a loop. Glue the two ends of the loop to the back of the candy cane so that it can be hung on the Christmas tree.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also glue craft pins to the back of these and pin them to your shirt or coat for a festive look!