these handmade candy wreaths are so great to have hanging around for holidays or birthdays or any other celebration where you want to share a treat in a fun way! not only do they act as a decoration, but they are also edible! everyone can just unwrap a candy whenever they feel like having a sweet treat.
you can use whatever your favorite wrapped candy is, like werthers originals (aff link), mini tootsie rolls (aff link), or these starlight peppermint candies (aff link) in green or red! you can basically use any candy you can imagine as long as it’s wrapped with the little twists at either end. depending on the size you make, these wreaths can take a little bit of time to make (maybe an hour or two) but the process is really simple. plus, it only uses a wire hanger, a bunch of candy (i used about 70-80 ounces of these starlight mint candies and had a few candies left over), and a roll of floral tape.
here’s how to make it:
start off by taking a regular ol’ wire clothes hanger (aff link). bend it, step on it, pull it – whatever it takes – to get it into a circle shape. this should only take you a couple of minutes, and it’s not all that tough to do.
note that normal, adult-sized wire clothes hangers can make a decent sized wreath – i think i fit somewhere around 300 candies on mine! if you’re looking for something slightly smaller, you can buy 8″ brass rings (aff link), but they don’t have a hook on them. in that case, you would just need some ribbon to be able to hang it on a door hook. or, if you can find some kid-sized wire clothes hangers, that would be a great option too!
next, take a length of floral tape (aff link). if you’re never used floral tape before, it is absolutely perfect for this project! it is just the right amount of sticky when pulled slightly. wrap it around the wire hanger a couple of times to anchor it…
…and then use it to attach a candy by wrapping it over and under one end of the wrapper a few times. this is why it’s important to note that whatever candy you decide to use to make your candy wreath, it needs to have the twisted wrapper ends – it makes it easier to wrap it with floral tape, securing it to the hanger.
keep adding candies, one at a time. it’ll take some getting used to, but you’ll get the hang of it.
just keep going…
and going…
and every now and again, use your fingers to push the candies back towards where you started at the top of the hanger, squishing them all together so that there are no gaps.
keep going, you’re almost there!
yay! you’ve made it full circle! give yourself a pat on the back. eat one of the extra candies…you deserve it!
now that you’re finished getting all the candy on the hanger, there is just one more finishing touch you need…tying a bow at the top. (i will be the first to admit that i do NOT know how to tie a good bow. but you get the idea….)
hang it on a wall or door and admire your handiwork…
and whenever you or anyone else has a hankering for something a little sweet, just unwrap one of the twisted ends of a candy…
…and enjoy!
and now you are all done! and you’ve got a great candy wreath to hang in your home during the holidays or to give away as gifts. let everyone come by and unwrap a treat or two! (that’s really the best part!)
happy candy wreath-making!!!
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Anne says
December 24, 2012 at 4:23 pmLooks good enough to eat!!
Jan says
January 1, 2013 at 7:14 amI have been making these for years. Tie a small pair of scissors on a piece of ribbon and hang from the top of the wreath so guests can snip the candy off easily.
Katie says
January 1, 2013 at 10:46 amgreat tip, Jan – thanks!
PlaysInTheDirt says
December 4, 2014 at 10:21 amThat’s what my grandmother did! She used to hang these on her front door every year with little craft scissors on a ribbon so we wouldn’t pull the wreath apart when we got our candy.
MCatherine says
April 5, 2013 at 8:53 amWhen I give a candy wreath, I include one of my hearts so that after the candy is gone, the love lingers on.
Robyn D says
December 16, 2013 at 9:47 amI use a styrofoam wreath form, cover it with some holiday cloth ribbon, hot glue it on and then hot glue the candy to the form. When the candy is all gone, they still have a nice holiday wreath and can put more candy on it if you want and definately add scissors. They are great gifts.
Mun Yee says
October 5, 2014 at 2:43 amHi,
I was wondering if I could use normal ribbon instead?
Katie says
October 13, 2014 at 11:07 amgood question! i’ve never tried it before. the floral tape has a little bit of stick to it and is really stretchy so it’s easy to use on this project. if you did use normal ribbon you’d probably have to tie it super tight to get it to hold. let me know how it goes!
Norma says
November 15, 2014 at 5:13 pmHi Kate,
I was wondering about how many bags of candy and rolls of floral tape would I need to complete one wreath?
Katie says
November 18, 2014 at 9:09 pmHi Norma! I found a 3-pound bag of the red and white mint candies you see in the pictures. As I was making the wreath I was afraid I was going to run out but ended up having enough. I guess it depends on what size the candies are and the shape and how closely you stack them together (mine are really close together). But there’s somewhere to start. Also, the floral tape, I didn’t even end up using a whole roll – it stretches as you pull it so that makes it go even further! Hope that helps!
Machelle says
November 19, 2014 at 2:05 pmCan you pull off the candy to eat easily?
Katie says
November 19, 2014 at 8:07 pmYes – because the candies are twist-tied at both ends, you can just untwist the exposed end and eat the candy! every now and again the whole candy comes off with the wrapper – it depends on how hard you pull 😉
Machelle says
November 19, 2014 at 2:10 pmAre you using ribbons are twist ties to hold candy on? Please help. Oh and and thank you. I’ve been looking for how to make these for Years & years. My grandma made them. No one knew what I was talking about. I’m so glad. I found how to do. So thank you!
Katie says
November 19, 2014 at 8:09 pmi used floral tape to hold the candies on – it’s a little bit sticky and a little bit stretchy so it’s perfect for keeping them put. hope that helps! and good luck, Machelle! 🙂
Linda says
November 28, 2015 at 1:19 amMy grandma had one years ago,but hers had a little pair of scissors also hanging from the reef by the bow. Everyone e came over just cut of a piece of candy
Katie says
December 4, 2015 at 4:33 pmGreat idea! Thank you!
Donna Crowe says
November 9, 2015 at 1:38 pmI have always used dental floss to attach the candy to the clothes hanger.
Katie says
November 9, 2015 at 8:46 pmThanks for the alternative Donna!
Kate says
November 25, 2015 at 10:07 amWhere does one buy floral tape?
Thank you!
Katie says
December 4, 2015 at 4:35 pmI’ve bought floral tape at Michaels or Walmart, but any store that sells crafting supplies should have it. Hope that helps!
Andi Thompson says
December 18, 2015 at 9:03 pmI made a few of these years ago and we were taught to use fishing line… it was clear and sturdy.
Katie says
December 26, 2015 at 12:09 pmGreat idea. I’ve never tried that.