Mum Crafts Giant Candy Lollipop Christmas Decorations For Under £10 Each
- The oversized candy cane lollipop decorations are made from two pool noodles, gaffa tape and a broom handle
- Claire Lynch, from Great Yarmouth, says each one takes “a couple of hours to make”
- Is “so happy that they are bringing a bit of joy” to the neighbourhood
If you are looking for a fun theme for your Christmas decorations that won’t cost the Earth, check out this sweet idea.
Claire Lynch, 37, has been busy crafting these giant candy cane lollipops that take pride of place outside her home in Great Yarmouth – and each one costs under £10 to make.
The creative mum of two (to Joe, 11 and Sonny, 8), who is a Training Coordinator for an engineering company, set about making the joyful decorations after spotting a similar idea on social media.
“Each one takes a couple of hours to make, and costs under £10 in total,” she told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. “That’s £2.49 per noodle (each lollipop requires two), £4 for the roll of white gaffer tape (although this will provide enough for more than one) and 99p for the broom handle. I had the extra materials already at home.”
“The lollipops are on display in my front garden,” she says. “I also have a candy cane themed garland around the front door, featuring red glittery bows, as well as lights in the trees, nutcracker wall hangers and candy cane lights along the path. A snowfall projector covers the whole house, making everything look and feel very festive.”
If you want to recreate these festive lollipops for your own front garden, follow Claire’s step-by-step guide…
You will need (per candy lollipop):
- 2 x pool noodles
- White gaffer tape
- 1 x broom handle (you can spray paint it white, it needed)
- Glue gun and glue sticks
- A sharp knife
- Cellophane for covering the ‘lollipop’
- Ribbon to decorate
How to make it:
Step 1: Take your two pool noodles and glue the ends together to make one long noodle. Leave it to dry overnight.
Step 2: Once it’s dry, take the gaffer tape and stick it to the noodle in a spiral pattern to create the red and white candy cane effect. Wrap and twist the noodle as you go, until you reach the end.
Step 3: Fold and tuck one end of the noodle to make the centre point (the inner curl of the lollipop) and then start the rolling process to create the circle.
Step 4: Stick the first layer of noodle together using the glue gun and hold it in place until the glue is completely dry. (This will take a few minutes, depending on how quickly your glue dries.)
Step 5: Once the glue is dry, continue rolling and gluing the noodle in sections until you reach the end. You should then have a complete, circular lollipop head.
Step 6: Position the underside of the head of the lollipop against the broom handle. Trace around the circumference of the handle with a pen and then put the broom handle to one side.
Step 7: Carefully cut around the traced line on the lollipop head, removing the foam as you cut. This should leave a neat hole that’s the same size as the broom handle.
Step 8: Add some glue to the top of the broom handle and insert it into the hole in the lollipop.
Step 9: Once the glue is dry, wrap the lollipop with the cellophane, secure it with clear tape, and then tie the ribbon at the base.
“I love the end result, and will use them every Christmas,” says Claire. “They bring a smile to our faces.”
“Friends, family, colleagues and neighbours think they are great, too” she adds. “I heard one of my neighbour’s children excitedly telling her grandparents: ‘Don’t forget to look at giant lollipops when you go past!’ It was lovely, and I’m so happy that they are bringing a bit of joy, not only to my family but also others.”
Fellow crafters looking to get the best result should follow this advice:
“Holding the noodle together at the start of the roll can be tricky if your hands aren’t very strong. My husband helped with this,” says Claire. “Plus, don’t leave the glue gun on for too long. If it’s too hot, the glue can melt the foam of the noodle,” she says. “Lastly, when rolling the noodle, make sure the glue is completely dry before moving on in stages.”
The joyful Christmas craft is just one of many projects that Claire has turned her hand to over the years.
“I’ve done lots of crafting in the past. I love the process of making things, whether it’s decorations, gingerbread houses, clothing, or gifts for friends and family,” she enthuses. “I enjoy baking and sewing and have made my own clothes and pyjamas before. I’ve also made wreaths, jewellery, plant pots from old dinosaur toys, and upcycled furniture.”
Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk comments: “It's so much fun seeing how people are decorating their homes for Christmas.
“If you’re keen to get in on the action, remember that you don't need to spend a lot to get a great result.
“There’s a lot of inspiration out there on how to turn everyday items into larger-than-life decorations that will bring some festive magic to your neighbourhood.”
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