Getting CRAZY!

Everyone ready for this holiday’s series of festive wreaths??  No, it’s not really a “series” per se, because there are only two of them... but it seems that every holiday that rolls around gets more than its fair share of wreath decor.  I apparently have a wreath fetish.  So much so that I was disappointed to see that my mom and sister already had Christmas wreaths up, so I couldn’t make them some.

Well, first up on the Christmas wreath list is The Crazy Cane wreath!  This idea actually sprouted way back in September when I began making my candy CORN wreath and my mom kept goofing and accidentally calling it a candy CANE wreath.  Hmmmm.  Candy CANE wreath... I could use that...

So I did.  I debated the style of this wreath long and hard.  On one side of the debate:  The nice and tidy, modern, sunburst style candy cane wreath, which would end up a little like this:

In the other corner:  The mixed up, fun-filled, haphazard CRAZY cane wreath.  Which, in the end, won out.  

I love sunburst style anything really, but was afraid of pigeonholing my style - since I’d already done the whole sunburst wreath thing.

I also debated the use of real or fake candy canes, and in the end went with fake.  For two reasons: 1.  I was pretty sure that real candy canes would attract all kinds of critters - the kind that are actually still around in the winter... like scary crows, and squirrels, and my niece.  and b.  I found these candy cane garlands at the dollar store.  Cute AND that’s a whole lotta candy canes for a buck.  

Oh, and ok, here’s the last debate along with my usual disclaimer.  Glue.  E6000 or hot glue?  On the one hand, E6000 is like the mercedes of glues.  On the other hand, hot glue is so much more instantly gratifying.  The candy canes wouldn’t slide all over the place while I was making it and I wouldn’t have to wait 24 before hanging the wreath up.  And since we all know what kind of person I am, we know I went with instant gratification.  Thus far, the wreaths have held up just fine - even outside in the bitter cold winds.  But E6000 is still the mercedes of the glue world.

So, to make a Crazy Cane Wreath, you’ll need:

wreath form (got mine at a thrift store for 25 cents)

Teeny tiny battery operated LED Christmas lights

Red duct tape

Candy cane garland (I used three) OR as many small real or fake candy canes as you will need to cover the front and sides

hot glue (or E6000)

Cover your wreath form with duct tape.  You don’t have to use duct tape.  You could use ribbon or fabric, or just spray paint it.  I chose duct tape because it will be durable in the elements.  ALSO, I wanted to keep it simple since the canes were going to be so crazy.  I would have just sprayed it (Banner Red, Krylon.  LOVE) but as stated before, it is past spray paint season here.

Now, you will duct tape your LED lights’ battery pack to the back of the wreath form.  Take the cover off the battery pack.  You want to make sure that you can easily remove the cover to change the batteries if necessary, so I just left the cover off through the process to remind myself.  

You’ll position it on the back of the wreath, like so

then turn the whole thing over, so the wreath is on top of it.

 Now, cut a strip of duct tape and wind it around, starting at the bottom of the battery pack, going over the front of the wreath and ending at the top edge of the battery pack.  Again, don’t cover the part where the batteries go in.

Repeat as necessary for security.

Now wind the lights around the wreath.  You’ll have to be careful as you wind around the part of the wreath where the battery pack is, because you can’t wind around the battery pack itself.

Secure the end of the lights in some fashion: like duct tape them to the back or something.

Now, detach all of the candy canes from the beaded garland.  I used a scissors at first, but then realized I could just pull them off, 

and you have two piles.

Now, you can skip this next part if you aren’t using the garland form of the candy canes.

Take two of the beaded garlands and wrap them around the wreath.  You’ll save the third one for later.  Again, be careful around that battery pack.

Now, the fun part!  Start hot gluing your candy canes onto the wreath form.  

Glue them on randomly at all different angles.  Overlap them.  Intertwine them.  Go crazy!  Cover the front, outside and inside of the wreath as much as you can.

When you are finished, take your remaining beaded garland and weave it around, in and out of the candy canes, all around the wreath.  

Secure it with hot glue.

And you’re finished!

Hang and light!

I meant for these to go over our garage lights, but they are too small.  So on to plan b.  As soon as I figure out what plan b is.