Glittered Candy

This is really a reprisal of an ornament that I originally made for last year’s whimsical halloween tree. It’s so simple, but effective, and you should all know by know that I’m never going to miss a chance to glitter something. This time I used a variety of different sized styrofoam balls, and I started […]

[Continue reading...]

Ribbon Candy

This is such a classic ornament that everybody has a version of it. Martha and BHG both put beads in between each fold, I saw a paper version floating around somewhere this year, I think even the long lamented Carol Duvall show featured a version. Mine keeps it as basic as possible. I think the […]

[Continue reading...]

Braided Candy Canes

A Christmas Sweets tree would be unworthy of the name without some prominent candy canes, so I’ve come up with a couple of different options. Today’s uses strips of fabric to make a nice substantial ornament, but it’s easy and cheap enough that it would make a great package decoration too. Start by cutting three […]

[Continue reading...]

Fabric Wrapped Candies

When I was a kid being dragged along to the grocery store, my sisters and I would hightail it to the bulk candy section and beg for the different Brach’s candies available there. I still remember the specific way I had of eating the jelly nougats or the coconut Neapolitan coconuts, and I remember the […]

[Continue reading...]

Visions of Sugarplums

This project is so simple I feel a little silly even posting it as a tutorial. But then I finally got around to reading this month’s Martha Stewart Living* and saw an article where she demonstrated how to make the same thing using real fruit. And heaven knows if it’s good enough for Martha it’s […]

[Continue reading...]

Knit Gumdrops

I always look for ways to bring in as many different types of crafting as possible when I make my trees. For one thing, the contrast looks better, for another, it keeps me far more interested than churning out one clay (or paper, or fabric, whatever) ornament after another. I’m what I would describe as […]

[Continue reading...]

Peppermint Discs

Peppermint is really what inspired this whole tree. Over the years I’ve seen so many gorgeous themed trees in that high contrast red and white and I knew I wanted some of that in my house. I couldn’t bring myself to stay there, but I wanted plenty of it reflected around all the other treats. […]

[Continue reading...]

Paper Gingerbread Houses

Is there any Christmas sweet more iconic than a gingerbread house? Maybe a case could be made for the candy cane coming in first, but a gingerbread house is an absolute must. I went for a house that looked a little less candy-draped, and a little more realistic looking, but still covered in loads of […]

[Continue reading...]

Lollipop Ornaments

When I was a kid and saw those giant lollipops in Willy Wonka, my eyes nearly bugged out of my head. It seemed like the height of decadance to have a lollipop as big as my face. Then we went on a family trip to Disneyland and I used up all my vacation money to […]

[Continue reading...]

Iced Sugar Cookie Softie

Sugar cookies are Bear’s very favorite treat in the whole world. Especially those kind you can sometimes find in vending machines or gas stations where the frosting is neon pink and the cookie is about an inch thick. Even now that he’s a baker and knows so much better, that technicolor sugar cookie stays with […]

[Continue reading...]