Turn your wine corks into sweet candy cane ornaments using our FREE printable template! A great gift idea for the holidays, and they look SO cute hanging up on the Christmas tree!
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Break into the spirit of the holiday season and upcycle wine corks into some whimsically festive Christmas decorations! This great craft is perfect for kids and adults, as it requires just basic craft supplies and just a little bit of time to make.
These fun ornaments are a great way to use up that surplus of leftover wine corks, and they make an adorable gift idea for wine lovers or anyone on your list! With the handy free printable template included for download, it’ll be an easy addition to your list of winter crafts. If you’re not a big wine drinker, don’t worry! You can order recycled wine corks in bulk straight to your doorstep! (If you have a bunch, check out our collection of our favorite wine cork craft ideas!)
Pop open a bottle of wine and grab your hot glue gun – ’tis the season to get crafty!
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DIY Candy Cane Ornaments
With minimal supplies needed, this fun project is perfect to make while sipping a glass of wine on a chilly winter evening.
Supplies Needed for Wine Cork Ornaments:
- Printable Candy Cane Template (available below)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Paint Brush
- White Paint
- Red Paint
- Wine Corks
- Ribbon
- Wooden Skewers (optional)
NOTE: For this project, we made two candy canes in a large and a smaller size, in total this project used 20 wine corks. You can add more or less to shape your candy canes how you’d like! Champagne corks will also work for this project but may not fit the template provided.
How to Make This Wine Cork Christmas Ornament:
If you plan on making both candy canes pictured in both sizes – set aside 20 wine corks divided into 2 piles. 1 pile will have 9 wine corks, and the other will have 11.
Starting with the larger pile of 11 wine corks, paint each wine cork with your favorite shade of red paint. I poked a wooden skewer into the end of the wine corks to help move along the painting(and drying) process. Stand them up in a mason jar or piece of foam to let them dry completely.
Complete the same process with the pile of 9 wine corks – paint these with white acrylic paint. Set aside to dry completely.
Line up your painted wine corks on the template provided and get your hot glue gun ready!
Using your hot glue gun, begin gluing each wine cork on top of the other, following the shape of the candy cane template.
Keep gluing until you’ve completed the candy cane shape.
Snip off a piece of ribbon that is about 8 inches long.
Fold your ribbon into a nice loop for your ornament and pinch it at the base.
Secure a bead of hot glue at the pinched space of the ribbon, and press it onto the back of your candy cane ornament.
Allow the glue to cool before hanging your DIY Christmas ornament onto your tree.
Aren’t they so cute?! Make them for friends, family, or even teachers as a sweet holiday gift idea! You could also add a little Mod Podge and glitter to the ends of the corks if you want to fancy them up a bit!
Get the PRINTABLE CANDY CANE TEMPLATE Here
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Type Of Paint Is Best For This Christmas Craft?
For best results, stick to acrylic craft paints! Oil-based paints may be too thick and take too long to dry, and watercolors will soak into the corks far too fast and result in muted colors.
Can I Use Champagne Corks For This Project?
Yes! But, they likely will not line up with the printable template provided here. You’ll just have to wing it!
What If I Don’t Have Hot Glue?
Any kind of strong adhesive will work! We recommend quick-drying tacky glue or super glue for best results.
Candy Cane Ornament Instructions
Easy Wine Cork Ornament Craft
What You’ll Need:
- Printable Candy Cane Template
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors
- Paint Brush
- White Paint
- Red Paint
- Wine Corks
- Ribbon
- Wooden Skewers optional
Instructions:
- If you plan on making both candy canes pictured in both sizes – set aside 20 wine corks divided into 2 piles. 1 pile will have 9 wine corks, and the other will have 11.
- Starting with the larger pile of 11 wine corks, paint each wine cork with your favorite shade of red paint. I poked a wooden skewer into the end of the wine corks to help move along the painting(and drying) process. Stand them up in a mason jar or piece of foam to let them dry completely.
- Complete the same process with the pile of 9 wine corks, paint these with a white acrylic paint. Set aside to dry completely.
- Line up your painted wine corks on the template provided and get your hot glue gun ready!
- Using your hot glue gun, begin glueing each wine cork on top of the other, following the shape of the candy cane template.
- Keep glueing until you’ve completed the candy cane shape.
- Snip off a piece of ribbon that is about 8 inches long.
- Fold your ribbon into a nice loop for your ornament and pinch it at the base.
- Secure a bead of hot glue at the pinched space of the ribbon, and press it onto the back of your candy cane ornament.
- Allow the glue to cool before hanging your DIY christmas ornament onto your tree.
Notes:
I’m always amazed by how many interesting and useful things can be made from wine corks! Like these adorable wine cork angels and even cute wine cork snowman ornaments.
If you’ve got a hoard of wine corks just waiting to be turned into something incredible, head over to our post on 25+ Wine Cork Crafts for Kids & Adults for even more great ideas!
Happy holidays & happy crafting!
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Heidi Kundin has captivated the hearts of millions with her colorful and inspiring approach to crafting, celebrations, and family fun. With over 15 years of experience, Happiness is Homemade has become a must-visit destination for those seeking quick and easy creative ideas and last-minute solutions. Heidi’s warm personality shines through her posts, inviting readers to join her on a creative journey that’s fun, rewarding, and achievable. Heidi is also the author of Homemade Bath Bombs & More and DIY Tie-Dye.