Christmas Candy Trees: Easy to make, great tutorial to make out of a piece of rolled cardboard, with candy and a glue gun.
One of the crafts I’ve been working on for our women’s ministry event tomorrow are these Christmas candy trees. I love how they turned out, and I keep thinking about “visions of sugar plums danced in their heads” every time I look at them. Not only am I pleased with how they came out, I’m also really pleased with their low cost.
Materials:
- bristol board
- staples
- piece of string
- pencil
- hot glue
- candy
How To Make a Christmas Candy Tree:
After pricing styrofoam cones at the craft store, and seeing it would cost over $20 just for the cones for this project, plus the cost of candy, I knew I was going to have to get a little creative. A friend suggested plain old white bristol board.
I bought a sheet for .50 at the dollar store. I rolled the bristol board into a narrow cone and stapled it. In order to get a nice even bottom, I used a little trick to trim them. I made a make-shift compass like contraption with a piece of string and a pencil. I held it at the top and drew around the bottom to ensure an even base. After it was trimmed I used a little masking tape to cover up the seam.
After securing the cones, I attached the candies with the glue gun. I used my cheapest candy on the largest trees, and found some of the candy at the dollar store to keep the costs down. The cheapest was the mini marshmallow tree. As I attached the hot glue to all those marshmallows, and the heat of the glue gun made the smell of roasted marshmallows fill the room, I definitely felt in the holiday spirit and ready for a hot chocolate!
A little tip: it’s easier to attach the candy with the cone laying down on the table, especially with the heavier candies.
I love all their different textures together.
I think they look great grouped together, and can’t wait to see them with everything else on Friday night.
Here’s to a “sweet” beginning to the holiday season!
With Christmas Candy Trees, life really is a party!
I love this idea! Not entirely sure how it would work in london (where in winter every house gets little furry visitors) but it sure looks great!
Absolutely adorable-love them!
Sadie saw this posting and wants to know if she can have the smarshmellows (!) and the striped candies. She approves wholeheartedly.
Sadie and I should have a Christmas crafting day!
this is an awesome craft! love it! can’t wait to make my own for the holiday season! so cool & inexpensive too! hugs!
Those are great! I bet my kindergartner would love to help make them. Fun!
SOO cute! I’d love for you to link this up to our holiday link up party! http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/11/crazy-christmas-crafter-link-up-w.html
I came over from Tater Tots and Jello. I love these! I have some cardboard tree forms I bought at Michael’s and I’m going to have to try this for my annual Christmas party! Thanks!
I love the “compass” trick! My bases are never even when I roll cones for crafting. These trees turned out so cute!
Love candy trees!! My mom put them in the attic one year and was surprised they didn’t make it until the next year.
I’m definitely using this one this year. You have such a gift! Keep the great ideas coming!
Definitely making these with the kids! I know their Sunday school teachers would love them too.
these are adorable!!!! i am definitely making these soon.
Those are so cute and pretty!
hi. i enjoy your blog & your ideas! i made one of your candy trees yesterday. the hot glue is a killer but the overall look is worth it. it will look adorable on my kitchen table!
thanks a bunch!
Molly -Wonderful to hear that you tried it and turned out great! Thanks for the feedback.
It’s great! However am afraid my kids wouldn’t resist and eat the trees!
Cheers!
That’s a great idea! I can’t even find any of those styrofoam cones offline and the online ones are horribly expensive!
This is great! I featured you today on Today’s Top 20!! I’d love if you stopped by!
Amanda
todaystoptwenty.blogspot.com
P.S. Isn’t styrofoam expensive? I made some candy topiarys (on my other blog werethejoneses.blogpsot.com) because our Christmas theme is Visions of Sugar Plums – and a gumdrop wreath – I def. used coupons to buy them. I wanted to do trees but had already spent alot on supplies. I never thought to make my own cone!! GENIUS!!!
I think these would be great if you made them eatable… use a hard drying frosting or icing, like royal icing or piping gel to create a “sugar glue”… then you can have them as a centerpiece AND a desert.
Adorable! Posted about this on my blog! http://deedsandpetunia.blogspot.com/2010/12/sweet-and-sentimental-handmade-ornament.html
Love the idea – think I’m going to make some this Christmas! I linked to your post on my blog:
http://twocheekymonkeysdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/12/festive-food-roundup.html
love the green jelly bean tree! the texture is great.
The trees are great.
Love them, but werent they top heavy? Did you use something inside the base to give it some edge not to fall apart.
Hi Candice,
Since they were cone shaped, with a larger base then top, I didn’t have any trouble with them tipping over. Good luck, I hope they work for you too.
Dannyelle
Thought of the icing trick too! I was glad that someone was on my same wavelength. With 5 Grandchildren, I had to think of a way to make them edible…It would have been too much temptation. Now, if I can just think of a way to keep them away from my cat with a sweet-tooth! Ha!
I was completely on the same page as ‘Echo’. I thought the idea was ‘edible. A nice way to complete a special dinner…..or little ‘take-home’ gifts. You could have a REAl HAYDAY decorating those trees with Christmas-coloured jelly beans and cake trims, To save them for another year would probably not be very feasible….so make them to be enjoyed by the sweet teeth in your crowd!.
What kind of glue do you use to attach the marshamellow without any wrap?
Hi Dunia,
I just used hot glue for all of mine. It did make the marshmallows melt a little…and put me in the mood for hot chocolate from the smell. 😉 Best of luck with yours.
Dannyelle
I used melted chocolate for the glue on my trees . I use melted chocolate as a glue on my gingerbread houses as well. So much better than royal icing