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Looking for an easy Christmas craft for all ages? Try making a Wood Bead Candy Cane! These are a simple craft for preschool-age to teens to make! You just need pipe cleaners and wooden beads to get started.
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The best part about this craft is that it’s easy for kids of all ages to do! It’s also the perfect fine motor activity. And for younger kids, skip the snowman and have them just add the wooden beads to the pipe cleaner.
You can also make these using pony beads – see our pony bead candy canes.
Hook them onto a branch on your Christmas tree or tie them onto a gift as a cute handmade gift topper!
Supplies Needed
- Large wood beads – for the snowman (16mm size), 1 per candy cane. You can also skip adding the snowman and just use the smaller beads or use a large or smaller bead for the snowman.
- Small wood beads – 8mm size. Paint your own wooden beads red and green or get colored ones.
- White pipe cleaners – 1 per candy cane
- White paint – to paint the large bead
- Paintbrush
- Acrylic paint pens – black, orange, and pink for the snowman bead. You can also use a toothpick with acrylic paint to paint on the eyes, mouth and cheeks and use a fine paintbrush to paint on the nose.
Watch the Video Tutorial
How to Make a Wood Bead Candy Cane
1. Paint the large wood bead.
Use white paint and a brush to apply paint onto the large wood beads. You will need 1 large bead for every candy cane you are making, so paint as many as needed. Set aside to dry completely.
2. Draw a snowman face onto the large bead.
To make the snowman face: Use a black paint pen to draw eyes and a dotted mouth onto the painted wood bead. Then, use an orange paint pen to draw on a carrot nose and a pink paint pen to add rosy cheeks.
If you don’t have paint pens you can also use a toothpick and acrylic paint to add the snowman face to the large wood bead.
3. Shape a pipe cleaner into a candy cane.
Shape a white pipe cleaner into a candy cane shape. Trim off the end if it is too long for the size you want. Our candy canes are 8 inches long with a little extra on the ends for folding in.
4. Add the snowman bead onto the pipe cleaner.
Add the snowman bead first, positioning it where you want it on the candy cane.
Kids can also start from one end and add beads but we found it easier to add the snowman bead first and then fill each side with smaller beads.
Slide it up to the upper middle part of the pipe cleaner.
5. Add the smaller beads.
Begin sliding the smaller beads onto the pipe cleaner, alternating colors to make a candy cane pattern.
We painted some of the smaller beads red and green before doing this part. You can also use pony beads or use colored wood beads.
Do this on both sides of the pipe cleaner, so that it’s completely covered but with a little extra pipe cleaner remaining on both ends.
6. Twist the pipe cleaner ends.
Carefully bend the pipe cleaner ends over, locking the beads in place.
Do this step for both ends.
Your wood bead candy cane is now complete!
