It’s the middle of April and I’m in the thick of all things graduation and prom. I’ve been running non-stop this week approving announcements proofs, event planning, and candy lei making! But I’m not making any ole’ candy lei, I’m making a candy lei with candy box pendant!
Being from Hawaii, it’s a tradition to adorn a graduate in leis. And with my oldest daughter graduating this year, she threw out a few not so subtle hints to remind me of this tradition. She even put in requests for the type of leis she would like. Oh, and did I mention that she has a growing list of friends that she wants to gift leis too?!
If you’ve ever priced leis, it can get expensive. Lei prices can range from the low end at $10 and go up to $50 or more! Since my daughter wants to give out a good amount of leis, candy leis with giant candy box pendants are the best way to keep cost down when mass amounts of leis need to be made.
Candy Lei with Candy Box Pendant
Supplies:
- cello wrap – school color or clear
- bag of candy
- box of candy (find a candy box in a similar school color or wrap the box in paper)
- curling ribbon in school colors (I used three colors)
- tape
- scissors
- hot glue gun/glue
- ruler
How to Make Candy Lei with Candy Box Pendant
Step 1. Cut two (2) 6″ pieces of cello off the roll.
Step 2. Place candy on one cello, approximately 1″ apart. Leave about 1 1/2″ – 2″ space at each end. Set aside and repeat this for the second piece of cello.
Step 3. Bring one side of the cello over the candy and place a small piece of tape between each candy.
Step 4. Carefully roll the entire candy tube to cover the candy. It’s ‘ok’ to have a little extra flap to wrap around the candy.
Lei Sizing Tip
This lei is suitable for a tall person. I left about 2″ on each end of the candy cello tube. For a petite person, adjust the amount of candy used and leave 2″ on the top end of the cello candy tube and 4″ on the bottom. The 4″ end will be tucked into the candy box or it can be cut to 2″ and tied together to make a regular candy lei.
Step 5. Cut enough 12″ long ribbon ties from each color ribbon to go between each piece of candy. Tie the ribbons between each candy, leaving the ends of the candy tubes untied.
Step 6. Tuck one end of the cello tube into the end of the other, making sure the cellophane overlaps by at least an inch. Then tie ribbons close to the each candy, catching the overlap of the cellphone. This should leave you with two ribbons tied next to each other.
Note: If you want to skip the candy box for a regular candy lei, tie the other end of the lei together with ribbon. Curl all the ribbons and the lei is complete.
Adding the Candy Box
Step 1. Gently open the top of the candy box. Then add glue to the small flaps, using low temperature hot glue and press the ends of the cello tube onto it.
Step 2. Next, add glue onto the top of the cello and press one of the large flaps onto it. Press the top of the box flaps onto the cellophane until the glue dries.
Step 3. Add more glue onto the top of the large flap and close the box to seal.
Step 4. Cut two sets of 18″ colored ribbon. Tie at the corners of the box and use a scissors to curl.
Here is my son modeling the completed Candy Lei with Giant Candy Box Pendant.
Want to add money to the lei or jazz it up the pendant even more? Check back to see how easy it is to add even more pizzazz to this lei!
More Lei Ideas…
- Easy Accordian Fold Money Flower Candy Lei
- Fluffy Money Lei
- Easy Eyelash Yarn Lei
- DIY Lei (made from almost anything) via Organized 31
This is such a neat idea! And delicious, too, of course 😉