Day 3 at Beccy's Place - C is for Candy Canes

  I'm playing along with the

Ninth Annual Month Of Holiday Cards

at

Beccy's Place

I'm not colouring at the moment but I am working on Christmas craft projects for creative little hands around our neighbourhood ... the endless months of Covid-19 lockdowns has brought our community much closer and I look forward to sharing more crafty adventures with them over the coming weekends and school holidays now that restrictions have eased.

Beccy's prompt for Day 3 is the letter "C"

(Beccy's post with "C" inspiration words and

a candy cane card to inspire is HERE)

My "C" kids Christmas activity kit is for Candy Cane ornaments.  This is a fun and easy project that is great for counting, making patterns and fine motor skills.

First up are the pipe cleaner candy canes.

These twisty candy canes use pipe cleaners cut in half.  Twist a white and red pipe cleaner together, ensuring the ends are tight, then curve the end to make the traditional candy cane shape.  The more adventurous can try triple twist using white, red and green pipe cleaners.  The more creative little hands can combine their favourite colours to make their own Christmas Magic.

Next comes the pony bead and pipe cleaner candy canes.

Take a full length pipe cleaner, twist the end into a little loop to stop the beads slipping off, thread the first bead over the twisted wire and against the loop.  Thread on another twenty beads, making a total of twenty-one (21) beads.  Twist the end of the pipe cleaner after the final bead, make a loop to hold it in place, twist and cut off the excess, tucking the end into the hole of the last bead (this is another perfect opportunity to use tweezers).  Bend the beaded strand to make a candy cane shape.

The candy cane can be used as an ornament on the Christmas Tree, added to a garland decorating a window or tucked into the ribbon tied as an embellishment on a special Christmas gift.  It is quick and easy to add a ribbon loop for hanging.  I knotted some 12" lengths of ribbon then looped them around the top of each candy cane.  When it comes to doing this activity, I know the kids will have fun making their candy canes and will most likely spend as much time making them as they will do choosing their pipe cleaner and ribbon combos.

*** INGREDIENTS ***

pipe cleaners - white - green - red

pony beads - my traditional candy canes use 21 beads
white (11) and red (10)

green (7) and red (7) and white (7)

... or, for the the more creative crafters

pipe cleaners - assorted colours

pony beads - assorted colours (21)

*** REFERENCE ***

This project was inspired by the "Holiday Crafts" post

on the "Fountain Avenue Kitchen" blog HERE, the "Bead Candy Cane Ornament" post on the "All Kids Craft Network" blog HERE, the "Kid-made simple Candy Cane Decorations" post on the "Learn With Play At Home" blog HERE and the "Easy Pipe Cleaner Candy Cane Ornament For Kids" post on the "crafty Morning" blog HERE.