Candy Cane Poinsettia Centerpiece-DIY

Did you know December 12th is National Poinsettia Day in the US?  To celebrate, I’ve got a tutorial for creating a fun candy cane covered vase for a small poinsettia.  The poinsettia is a member of the spurge family and is indigenous to Mexico.  Its English name originated from the first US minister to Mexico, Joel Roberts Poinsett, who introduced the plant to the US in 1825.  In Mexico the plant is called Flor de Noche Buena or Christmas Eve Flower, which is such a pretty name.  The Aztecs used the plant to produce red dye and as an anti pyretic.  Today, the plant is mostly ornamental and beloved around the world.  Did you know that the flowers of the poinsettia are really small and grouped in the yellowish center of the colored bracts?  That’s right.  The bright red “flowers” of the classic poinsettia are actually its leaves.  The bracts can also be pink, cream, orange, pale green or marbled.  Now let’s get to this fun project!

For this project you will need:

• 48 oz can, rinsed and dried
• 3 dozen candy canes
• a sturdy elastic band
• double-sided tape
• a poinsettia plant that can fit in your can
• a festive ribbon  to cover the elastic band and long enough to wrap around the can

1. Place your elastic band in the center of the can.
2. Place a row of double-sided tape on the top and bottom of the can.
3. Insert the candy canes inside the elastic band, curved section at the top and facing outwards until you have covered the whole can.
4. Wrap a pretty ribbon over the elastic band to conceal it and secure the ends with a strip of double-sided tape.
5. Place the poinsettia inside your festive container.  That’s it!  So easy and fun to make.

Thank you to my friend Sharon for teaching me how to make this.  To read more about poinsettias, please visit the Wikipedia site here.

To see a similar tutorial for creating an asparagus covered vase for a rose arrangement, please click here.

Enjoy the holiday season!

Information source: Wikipedia