Creative mum makes giant lollipop Christmas decorations for £10

Wanting to create a fairytale garden for Christmas, Claire Lynch decided to get creative.

The mum-of-two made giant candy cane lollipops for under £10 each to add to her display.

The 37-year-old training coordinator, from Great Yarmouth, spent a few hours putting together the props.

Claire, who is mum to Joe, 11 and Sonny, eight spotted the idea on social media and adapted it to work with her scheme.

She told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk. ‘It’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. 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.’

Claire loves the end result and says her garden has been getting lots of attention.

She added: ‘Friends, family, colleagues and neighbours think they are great, too. 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.’

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.’

How Claire did it

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.

Claire has a few tips to make the project come together.

‘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.’

Do you have a hack to share?

Get in touch at [email protected].

Source: Read Full Article