Paper Bead Candy Cane Ornaments
I loved making paper beads when I was a kid! We’d get a bunch of mom’s old magazines, cut the pages into strips, and roll them into beads to make homemade jewellery – necklaces and bracelets mostly.
Well, we’ve used that same, simple process today to make some paper bead candy cane ornaments! You can involve kids of all ages when making this fun and easy Christmas craft! The big kids can roll the beads, and the toddlers and preschoolers can thread them on to the pipe cleaners, and bend them into candy canes.
Let me show you how it’s done.
To make your paper bead candy cane ornaments, you’ll need:
- pages torn out of magazines (we went with pages that contained a lot of red and green)
- scissors
- glue
- pencil
- pipe cleaner
- thread for hanging your candy cane ornament
How to make paper beads:
Begin by cutting the pages of your magazine into length-wise strips. Your strips should be about an inch wide at one end, and taper into a point at the other end.
To make your beads, place the wide end under a pencil, and roll it a couple of times to get it started.
Then drizzle a bit of glue along the length of the strip. You won’t need much because it will spread as you roll the strip up.
Now, roll your pencil along the strip until you reach the pointy end.
When you get to the end, make sure the glue holds the point in place. You can spread a little glue around the outside of the bead to make sure it’s going to stick.
Slide the bead off your pencil, and repeat the process.
Make as many beads as you you’ll need to fill the length of a pipe cleaner, and let them dry for a few minutes.
Now, thread the beads on to your pipe cleaner, and bend the ends of the pipe cleaner to hold everything in place.
Now shape your pipe cleaner into a candy cane!
If you’d like, you can try making different shapes. This paper bead Christmas tree is kind of cute:
Tie a piece of string to the top of your ornaments and hang them on your Christmas tree.
Awww. So pretty!
Looking for more candy cane crafts for kids?
Easy Paper Candy Canes
Paint Chip Candy Canes
Candy Cane Tissue Paper Wreaths
Creative Ways to use Leftover Candy Canes
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Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
