Friday, October 14, 2011

Candy Corn Wreath Tutorial

I've been wanting to make one of these since I saw one on the cover of Woman's Day last year and I finally got around to it!  I think candy corns are really cute (and Brach's are gluten free for those who are gluten intolerant like me) but I don't want to eat a zillion of them so I think it's a really cool idea to use them for Halloween decor.  Since my threshold for scary/spookiness is The Muppet Christmas Carol (hey, that ghost of Christmas future is pretty freaky!) I don't get into the scary or gross decorations at all.

Materials you will need:
-Hot glue gun and about 8 glue sticks
-Wreath form (I used a 14" styrofoam one you can get at Hobby Lobby but be sure to use their 40% coupon because they are normally $7.99!  Or check the tips below for cheaper options.)
-Black paint or electrical tape (I found the electrical tape at Lowe's for around $1)
-Candy Corns- (2) 1lbs bags (I got mine at the dollar store)
-Ribbon of your choice
-Optional: Waterproofing spray sealer if you will be hanging your wreath outside.

Instructions:
1-Wrap black electrical tape around your entire wreath form, overlapping as you go.  It doesn't have to be too perfect since you will be covering it with candy corns later.  (If you are using black paint, paint your wreath on all sides and let it dry.  I have also read of people who used black ribbon.  In that case you would want to glue it down with your glue gun as you wind it around the wreath form.)



2- Glue your candy corns to your now-black wreath form with your glue gun.  I found it easiest if you start with a row in the middle of your wreath form, laying the candy corns all in the same direction, like in the following picture.  Also, it's much easier to put a dab of glue on your wreath and press the candy corn on to it lightly instead of trying to put glue on the candy corn and then placing it on the wreath (It took me a few burnt fingers to figure out the obvious!)


3- Try not to let yourself or your children eat all of the candy corn before you can glue them to the wreath!  (But somebody's got to eat the broken ones, right?)

4-Glue another row of candy corns right next to your first row, but have them face the other direction.  Keep doing this with rows facing alternating directions all over the front, inside and outside of your wreath (obviously leave the back blank so it will lay flat against your door.)

5-Spray on your sealer now and let it dry if you will be hanging your wreath outside.

6-Attach a ribbon and hang your wreath!  (It is a little heavy so I used a wreath hanger to hold up my wreath and used the ribbon over the top of it for the look I wanted.)




Extra tips:
-You can use a lot of cheaper options for a wreath form like a swimming noodle duct taped together or use foam tubing (found in the plumbing dept at a hardware store for under $1 for 6 feet!)  Cut to the size you want and duct tape the ends together.  I used the wreath form because I liked the look of the flat front and back (like the shape of a life saver.)
-If you live in a place that is hot and/or humid during the Halloween season you will probably want to hang your wreath indoors.  I've heard of some wreaths melting in the heat or attracting bugs!

Let me know if you have any questions or comments and how your wreath turns out!

Happy Halloween!