Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree

Seedpods from the Sweet Gum tree are wonderful for use in making decorations for the Yule tree. These prickly candy canes are a beautiful and easy way to use natural materials to decorate your Yule tree this holiday season.

Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree - Materials Needed

The first thing you'll need to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree is twelve sweet gum seed pods. These are easily gathered from nature or you may be able to purchase them from craft and hobby stores.

Other materials you need to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree are floral fixative spray, hot glue gun and glue sticks, a ten inch piece of metallic string and one yard of red velvet ribbon (1/4 inch wide).

Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree - Step #1

The first step to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree is to spray the seedpods with the floral fixative spray and set them aside. Allow them to dry completely before moving on to the next step.

Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree - Step #2

The second step to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree is to hot glue the seedpods together in a candy cane shape. For the best holding power, hot glue two seed pods together and hold them in place for a few seconds until the glue is completely dry. Then glue another seedpod to the cane and allow it to dry completely. Continue in this way until the candy cane is complete.

Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree - Step #3

The third step to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree is to make a hanger. Form the metallic string into a loop and tie the ends in a knot. Hot glue the knot to the back of the sweet gum candy cane where the curve begins.

Yule Crafts: Make Sweet Gum Candy Cane Decorations for the Yule Tree - Step #4

The next step to make sweet gum candy cane decorations for the Yule tree is to hot glue the one yard piece of ribbon to the back of the candy cane at the tip of the curved end. Then, wrap the ribbon around the candy cane in a spiral pattern so that the ribbon falls between the seedpods on the front side. Hot glue the other end of the ribbon to the bottom of the candy cane on the back side.

Now you've made a beautiful sweet gum candy cane decoration for the Yule tree. These are so cheap and easy to make, you can make as many as you like with little effort. Enjoy!