Candy Cane Wreath

So now that Christmas is well over, who wants to make a nice wreath in the spirit of the season???

I know, I know.  No one.  BUT.  I have all these nice photos, and I love my awesome wreath (being the first I've ever made), and maybe if it's on your radar now, maybe you'll want to make one next year, too.  This isn't really a tutorial, just an idea.  And the lighting and colors in the nice photos, just to warn you, are not stellar.

I took a wire wreath form and pulled off the inner ring of wire leaving 3 wires left on the form.  Then I glued my mini candy canes on like this:

 I got that sparkly red pick from Hobby Lobby on their pre-Christmas clearance.  I just wrapped the wire on, and it's not very sturdy.

Then I glued another layer of candy onto the first.  Seriously, I tried gluing them onto the form, but they wouldn't stay, so I glued one cane to the next instead.

 It seemed to work.

I got these round peppermints in the $1 aisle at Target, and I debated about sprinkling them all over the wreath, leaving the wrappers on or taking them off, or just not using them at all.

 I decided in the end to use just a few right under the sparkly pick (they disappear into the red/white business, anyway).  I also added another pick with big sparkly peppermints inside the first pick (they are almost just balanced there, but I'm not real worried about it...no elephants in my house right now).  Then I safety-pinned a red ribbon onto the back by which to hang it (on a Command hook, of course).

Do you like it?  I do.  I love it.  I'm going to shellac it and attempt to store it for next year...but if it doesn't make it (my hopes are not high), it won't take much to replace broken candies or to totally replace the whole thing.  The total cost was about $10, and it would've been less if I'd already had the ribbon on hand.  I probably should have spray painted the wire form white, but it was really cold outside, and I didn't feel like bothering.

 And since we're decorating for Christmas here, wanna see my Christmas "mantel"?

 It's not really a mantel.  It's an iron tree.  You may remember it from the wedding.

I've decided that this will be the focus of any and most of my themed/holiday decoration enthusiasm.  I haven't filled the picture frames yet, but y'all have already seen my options for printing.

Happy New Year!  I'm spending mine at work.  So is Dave.  But I got to eat lunch offshore, and they gave me filet mignon, dungeness crab, and homemade cheesecake with some kind of sour cream icing.  The year is starting off deliciously!