When it comes time to decorate for the holidays, you want more than just a visual display. Memories of the holidays are often brought to mind simply by detecting familiar sounds or fragrant smells. Bring hearing, touch, smell, and taste into your holiday décor to create a memorable display for your whole family, and what better way to do that than with candy cane decorations.
Peppermint Scent
Candy canes and their distinctive, invigorating peppermint scent are a staple of the winter holidays. You can incorporate the smell of peppermint in your home with decorated peppermint-scented candles. Select large pillar candles and create a candle holder to place them in by gluing together wrapped candy canes around an empty vegetable can. The can should be the same height as your candy canes. If it is taller, wrap the can in ribbon before adding the candy canes to hide the metal. Have the curved cane portions of each candy facing outward at the bottom of the candle holder to keep the plastic wrap around the canes from melting.
Candy Cane Bells
Bells abound during the winter holidays, and you can make these auditory decorations even more stunning with the addition of candy canes. Turn a candy cane upside down so it looks like the letter J. Hook a bell onto the bottom of the J and tape the straight portion of the cane to the front of a card. You might also try to tape the top of a bell to the bottom portion of the candy cane, and hang the crook of the cane from one of the branches of a Christmas tree.
Tactile Touches
Appeal to the sense of touch with bows on your packages that are inspired by candy cane decorations. Use red velvet ribbon and white satin ribbon to create a tie for your gifts with the colors of a candy cane. The velvet and satin make this added accent to your presents a treat to touch. You can also use these bows or wreaths to decorate your mantle.
Table Top Treats
When setting the holiday table, for a delicious accent, place a candy cane at each place setting. These give your guests a sweet finish for the meal while they double as candy cane decorations. You can place the canes at the top of each place setting or with the silverware.
Garland
Use candy canes as garland in your home. Hook together the crooked ends of two candy canes and tape the straight ends to the straight part of two other candy canes. This garland can also be made by taping together wrapped peppermint candies. Make several of these candy cane decorations for your home as a simple way to use up extra holiday candy.
Yard Decor
You can readily find outdoor candy cane decorations at garden centers or home stores. These larger-than-life candy canes are usually made of plastic to be weather-proof. You can even design your own candy canes from PVC pipe. Connect a curved pipe to the top of a long, straight pipe. Since PVC pipe is white, you only need to wrap a red ribbon around the pipe to create the candy cane look. Make several and adorn your yard with them.
The holidays should be more than just decorating for the eyes. Consider all five senses for the best possible holiday display.
Roberta Meyers is a candle maker and DIY enthusiast. She also makes homemade candy cane decorations.
Holiday Decorating Ideas For All The Senses
