How to Make Giant Foam Candy Canes

Mytour will show you how to create a simple yet stylish decoration for festive occasions: foam candy canes. Thanks to their waterproof quality, you can hang several candy canes outside to celebrate the holiday spirit. Your neighbors are sure to love them and will likely ask you how to make your own.

Find a foam pool float. Red or white works best, but any color will do as you can cover it to create the desired effect. This process won’t damage the float, so you can reuse it after the holiday season by tossing it back into the pool or lake.

Bend the pool float tube. Divide the float tube into three equal parts. Bend only the top third of the tube to form the cane shape. Hold this shape for about 20 minutes using your hand, sitting down, or placing a book on top to maintain its form.

Secure with fishing line. Tie the fishing line around both sides of the curve to hold the cane shape in place. You can adjust the shape as you wish at any time.

Create stripes. If your pool float is red, use white electrical tape to create stripes, or do the reverse if it's white. If you choose a different color (like purple), wrap the entire float in that color, then create alternating stripes. Wrap white or red tape around the float diagonally to complete the candy cane.

• If you want the stripes to be neat and even, leave a consistent gap of 5-7.5 cm (or larger, if you prefer). Use a pencil to mark along the float and then wrap the tape according to the marks. This will make the stripes evenly spaced and more visually appealing.

Draw the outline. Use a piece of plywood and a trash can lid (or any round object) to draw a semi-circle, forming an arc shape.

Build the frame. To secure the PVC pipe while bending it, create a frame using scrap wood pieces. Place the wood pieces 10-13 cm apart along the outline you've drawn.

• It's best to drill the wood pieces in place to keep them secure.

Bend the PVC pipe. Lay the 13mm PVC pipe flat on your work surface. Divide the pipe into three equal sections. Use a hairdryer to soften the plastic and make it flexible, then slowly feed the pipe into the frame. Note: only bend 1/3 of the pipe.

• If you’re in a rush, you can estimate the bending spot and adjust as needed.
• Avoid focusing the heat on one spot for too long, as it may cause the plastic to melt.
• This step will take a few minutes, so be prepared.
• Wait for the pipe to cool down before removing it from the frame.

Insert foam float into the PVC pipe. Depending on the size of your pipe, you might need two foam floats.

Cover with tape. First, use tape to cover the joint between the two foam floats (if there’s a seam). If not, simply wrap the entire cane with white tape.

• Due to the curves and the nature of the foam, the tape won’t sit perfectly flat.

Create stripes. Wrap red tape diagonally across the foam float. Feel free to add extra decorations like glitter, bows, and so on.

• If you want the candy cane to look neat and precise, leave a consistent space of 5-7.5 cm (or larger, depending on your preference) between the stripes. Mark the pipe with a pencil, then wrap the tape along the marked lines. This ensures even and attractive stripes.