Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Twig and Tinsel Candy Canes
- 6 December 2023
- click to send Christine a smile
Fill a container with some Christmas greenery...
Snip out a few stems and remove the needles... make sure to keep the tiny buds on the stem.
Place the stems on a foam sheet.
Gently curve the stem and peg it in place with a bamboo skewer.
Book readers turn to page 284 where I show you how (and why) to manipulate stems. For more information about my book:
The Effortless Floral Craftsman
Curve all the stems into the candy cane (or staff) shapes.
Now, and this is important: go stare out of a window or have a cup of tea or hot chocolate. The twigs need to do their own thing for a bit. Let them dry into this shape.
Once dry the twigs are now candy cane shaped.
Place a drop of wood glue on the twig...
And place a single strand of tinsel on the glue at an angle to secure it to the stem.
Set the stems aside so that the glue dries.
When the tinsel is secured to the stem...
Wind the tinsel up the stem at an angle.
All the way to the top and all the way back down... and secure the tinsel with a knot.
Have a look at the tip that I shared in our email for making sure it is easy to knot the tinsel. There is a trick! If you are not yet signed up to receive a weekly tip email from me (on Wednesday mornings, Vancouver time) the moment the design is ready for you to view sign up below this post. It is also a great way for us to connect. Reply to the email if you have questions or comments or say hi.
Of course this is where you can have a bit of fun and add a bit of personality to the candy cane. You don't have to follow the same winding pattern down. Cross the tinsel or add a double line. Or (and this adds even more sparkle) twist the tinsel as you go...
You can even curl the tinsel into ringlets to add another festive touch.
See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to curl tinsel.
Finish off your candy canes by adding... whatever you like. And you know I like a sparkling dew drop crystal or two.
See the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to add the crystals.
Glue the candy canes into the design. Again this is up to you. Show off your own design style.
I added them to dangle from the branch tips...
To compliment these amazing black baubles and chocolate brown ribbon nestled in the middle of the greenery.
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Tutorials
Cover a cardboard shape in cotton and bark to create a floral armature
A quick and easy way to decorate a few candy canes for Christmas flower club favors
A fuzzy wool and twig snowflake that starts out as a handful of candy canes.
It's sometimes difficult to place a tiny crystal or bead exactly where you want it.
Most stems, twigs and even sturdier branches can be bend into shapes. It takes practice and more than a bit of patience. The main idea is to slowly manipulate the branch without...
Glue curved twig snippets to craft a delicate winter white Christmas tree
Craft an ethereal Christmas tree from Eucalyptus leaves, twigs and sparkling snow flake crystals.
A wrap-around-vase to show off new bits of Christmas and the last bits of our autumn treasures.
Kalanchoe flowers last weeks without a water source and is the perfect way to dress up a bark and silver bell sleigh
Wire a small twig gift-box for Christmas presents
Related Designs
From now to a bit after New Year's Eve I will show you my take on the trends for Christmas 2023. This week I start with natural styling with a handcrafted twig candy cane.
Candy cane favors for the members of the Capilano Flower Arranging Club at the Christmas Workshop
Glue bark to a wire frame to create a Christmas stocking armature
Glue the most delicate twig table top Christmas tree
A wire Christmas star with a secret plan to hide the twinkle
I used wire, fishing line (mono-filament) and Phalaenopsis orchid roots to make a messy lace Christmas stocking and dressed the stocking with frost green Cymbidium orchids
Now this is quite a discovery! And it honestly is the easiest and quickest way to go from "I still want to decorate for Christmas" to "... aaand I am done, I made our wreath"
Craft a bark sleigh that will last for weeks.
Wire a Tiny Twig Treasure Trunk for small Christmas gifts
A naturally fragrant, star shaped gift box basket. Merry Christmas to you.