Candy Cane Reindeer: decorate your tree with dressed up candy canes!

I absolutely love making these little guys every year!  When they begin to pop up around the house, it really feels like Christmas.  I have been making candy cane reindeer for years now. Everyone loves them!

For some reason, I always need to make these reindeer before making christmas sugar cookies. I made a triple batch of sugar cookie dough on friday and just had to make these reindeer yesterday before rolling out and baking the cookies.  I hung them around the kitchen so they celebrate with me while I blast Christmas music and get covered in powdered sugar.  I love this time of year:)

They are really easy to make and can be used as tree ordainments, house decorations, gift toppers, or gifts themselves!  I love how something as simple as a candy cane can be transformed into a unique and truly special Christmas decoration.  


Candy Cane Reindeer

Materials:
candy canes (any type/variety will do)
two different colored pipe cleaners
multi-colored small pom-poms
red pom-poms
googly eyes

hot glue gun

Note:  The color and size of all the materials is completely up to you.

Directions:
1.  Heat up a hot glue gun.  Designate one color of pipe cleaners to be bands for the earmuffs and the other color as the antlers.  Cut the earmuff pipe cleaners into 2 inch segments.  Bend each segment into a "U" shape.

2.  Fold an antler pipe cleaner in half and twist around the top of a candy cane.  Fold about 1/2 an inch down from the top of each side.

3.  Add a drop of hot glue to each side of the candy cane, right in front of the antlers.  Slide a pre cut and shaped earmuff pipe cleaner around the candy cane and press the sides so they stick.  Add two drops of glue on either side of the earmuff pipe cleaner and attach a pom pom on either side.

4.  Add a drop of glue on the end of the candy cane curve and attach a red pom pom.  Make a small line of glue horizontally across the candy cane between the antlers and the red nose.  Attach two googly eyes.

5.  Repeat with all the candy canes you want to make.