Candy Cane DIY

Easy DIY Candy Cane Craft: Turn a Candy-Filled Candy Cane Into a Cute Christmas Decoration

Every year, between church parties, work parties, and stocking stuffers, we end up with lots of these candy-filled candy canes! The crafter in me just hated throwing them away- so today, we are giving them a second life!

If you’re looking for a simple, affordable, and adorable Christmas craft, this DIY candy cane decoration is the perfect holiday project. With just a candy-filled plastic candy cane and some cozy wrapping materials like fabric or yarn, you can create a charming ornament that looks handmade, festive, and totally display-worthy. Whether you’re decorating your Christmas tree, styling a holiday tiered tray, or adding cute touches to your gift wrapping, this DIY is fast, budget-friendly, and fun for all ages.

⭐ Why You’ll Love This Candy Cane DIY

Budget-friendly – perfect for crafting on a small budget
Kid-friendly – safe and simple enough for little hands
Versatile décor – use as ornaments, garlands, gift toppers, or bowl fillers
Customizable – choose any yarn, fabric, ribbon, or color theme

🎄 Supplies You’ll Need

Plastic candy-filled candy cane (often sold at dollar stores or the holiday aisle)
Yarn, fabric strips, or ribbon in your choice of colors
Hot glue gun or craft glue
Optional: small embellishments like mini bows, buttons, bells, or tags

I opted for the thicker fuzzy yarn but I’m sure any size would work. If working withfabric, I ripped each section into about 1 inch wide pieces.

🎁 How to Make a Wrapped Candy Cane Decoration

This craft is beautifully simple—perfect for beginners or last-minute holiday DIYs.

1. Empty the Candy

Eat the candy inside! Each candy type has a different size of candy cane. Some of the plastic fills flimsy. If yours feels like it’s going to be easy to crush, you might want to stuff some extra fabric inside to help holds it’s shape when storing year to year.

2. Add a Small Dab of Glue

Start at the bottom part of the candy cane. Add a tiny dab of glue to secure the end of your yarn or fabric strip.

3. Begin Wrapping

Gently and tightly wrap the material around the candy cane:

Use yarn for a soft, cozy look
Use fabric strips for a rustic, farmhouse feel
Use ribbon for a polished and colorful finish

Try mixing colors or adding stripes for a classic candy cane style!

Figure out what side is going to be the “back” This is the only side that I added glue on to make sure I had a pretty side. I added a strip of glue, wrapped it until I covered all the glue, then added another strip of glue.

4. Wrap around the curve.

Wrapping the yarn around the curve was kind of a learning curve (see what I did there?) ha! I wrapped around and noticed some empty spots on the top.

Once I finished it off and glued it, I added another strip of yarn to cover up the empty spots.

5. Secure the End

Once you reach the end, add another dot of glue to keep everything in place. I accomplished it by adding glue to the circle that’s left, then rolling the yarn into a cinnamon roll shape to cover it all.

6. Add Embellishments (Optional)

Jazz it up with:

A tiny bow
A jingle bell
A stamped kraft tag
Buttons or mini holly leaves

This gives your handmade decoration a charming, personalized touch.

Notes: I didn’t have any colors peeking out (red candy cane, white yarn) but if you are worried about it, you could spray paint the candy cane before starting!

🌟 Ways to Use Your DIY Wrapped Candy Canes

Once your candy cane is all wrapped and decorated, here are some cute ways to show it off:

Hang it on your Christmas tree
Attach to holiday gifts as a sweet handmade topper
Add to a hot cocoa bar, mantel display, or tiered tray
Create a whole garland by stringing several together
Place them in bowls or baskets as festive fillers
Use on a wreath

To hang on a tree, I added a little loop of yarn to the back.

This project is perfect for creating a cohesive look for your holiday decorating theme.

📌 Final Thoughts

This DIY wrapped candy cane craft is an easy way to transform inexpensive candy canes into beautiful Christmas keepsakes. With just a little yarn or fabric, you can create custom holiday décor that matches your style—whimsical, rustic, modern, or traditional.

If you’re looking for a quick and cute Christmas craft for kids, classrooms, or holiday parties, this handmade candy cane decoration is guaranteed to be a hit.

Save for later

Too busy to get crafting today? No problem! Pin this post to remind yourself about this project later! Sharing my projects helps me reach more people, allowing me to continue sharing free content!