Each year I choose a different Christmas Theme and this year I decided on a fun candy cane Christmas tree theme and decorations with a matching tablescape. Here are some tips on how I plan my Christmas decor, affordable Christmas decoration ideas, and where to find many of these items.
Christmas is my favorite time of year and I knew months in advance that I wanted to do a Candy Cane theme this holiday season. What really inspired me was when I came across one of my favorite Christmas characters, The Abominable Snowman from the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer cartoon. That’s when I decided to draw inspiration from the cartoon which brought everything together.
Table of Contents
Candy Cane Christmas Theme Inspiration
This year I wanted to do something a little more fun and playful, but as I started decorating something just didn’t feel right. I was using red and white, but I wasn’t getting that fun feeling. I get my best ideas when I’m sleeping and one night I had an epiphany. I needed to add blue to the tree for more color and to give the tree a playful feeling.
How to pick your Christmas Decor
When you’re shopping in-store or online, it’s good to have an overall idea, but be flexible based on what you can find. Sometimes while you’re looking for items, you will come across something that inspires you as I did when I found my collection of Rudolph Dog Toys which I used for my fireplace decor. I then used the same color blue from the Abominable Snowman to pick out various ornaments.
For a Candy Cane-themed tree, I wanted to use an abundance of white ornaments with a sprinkle of red ornaments and some flashy light blue ornaments as my color scheme. I then adorned the tree with about 30-40 real candy canes. I also selected some candy cane ornaments and cute ornaments that featured candy cane stripes. You do not need to go overboard, just a few themed ornaments are needed.
What really made the tree pop was the simple candy cane-striped festive ribbon which is super easy to put together. I also used one of these bows at the top of the tree.
Candy Cane Christmas Tree Theme Decorating Tips
Here are some simple steps and helpful tips you can follow to put together the perfect Candy Cane Christmas tree theme, even if you don’t have a designer touch.
- Include ornaments in different sizes
- Always including a few jumbo-sized ornaments and oversized decorations. On this candy cane tree, I tied large bows with ribbon, added white poinsettia flowers, and found two giant red and white balls.
- Find a few ornaments with a unique texture or pattern that really stands out, such as my light blue sequin ornaments.
- Include decorations that you stick into the tree which pop out from the tree. For this tree, I have a few branches with pearls, fabric candy canes, and glittery sticks with balls at the end.
- Always add your lights first, then garland and ribbon
How to Design an Affordable Themed Christmas Tree
I think it is a misconception that an amazing beautiful tree needs to be expensive. Here are some secrets to creating an amazing Candy Cane Christmas Tree Theme and Decorations on a budget.
Use Ribbon
One of my favorite Christmas decorating hacks is to use ribbon in the colors of your theme. I found this candy cane ribbon cheap and used it to make large bows for the tree, to tie around the dining room chairs, and for wrapping around presents. I even used it as the tree topper. Using ribbon is a great way to tie together your Christmas theme and it also makes a pretty gift topper.
Buy Cheap Basic Ornaments
If you have a large Christmas tree, it will need a lot of ornaments to make it look full but you do not need to waste a ton of money on tree decorations. I purchased all my cheap filler ornaments from the 99 Cent Store and I use these every year just changing them out for the theme. I then only purchase a handful of nicer ornaments which make the tree seem as if it’s more expensive.
Even my large white poinsettia flowers are from the 99 Cent Store. Whenever I’m planning my Christmas tree, it’s a good idea to always check the 99 Cent Store or the Dollar Tree Store to see what cheap decorations they have. You can find great things at these stores like cheap candy and festive decorations.
Decorate with Candy
If you’re doing a Candy Cane Christmas theme, decorating with various types of red and white candy is a great cheap way to add Christmas decor. I used candy canes, peppermints, and peppermint coffee stirrers.
Shop at the right time
The best way to save on your Christmas decorations is to plan a few months ahead or even a year in advance. The two best times to buy your Christmas decorations are right after Christmas when everything goes on sale or the end of November during all the black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Other Candy Cane Christmas Tree Ideas
I try to be reasonable when I decorate for a Christmas theme and not go too crazy. I also choose from what I can find available. However, here are some additional Candy Cane Christmas tree ideas.
- add white garland such as white wooden ball garland
- create ornaments by doing fun arts & crafts projects with your kids
- add cute signs to your Christmas tree or as a tree topper. For example, one that says “Candy Cane Lane”
Real Tree or Artificial Tree
I used to be obsessed with having a real traditional Christmas tree because I honestly had never seen an artificial tree that looked real. I told my fiance if he could find an artificial tree that genuinely looked real we could get it. We ended up getting a Basalm Hill Tree on sale during black friday and it was a great decision. Getting a real tree is a lot of work and this allows us to decorate earlier. This is the Basalm Hill 9ft tree we got and it was worth every penny. The quality is amazing and it will last for many years to come.
Candy Cane Christmas Tablescape
When I was dreaming I came up with the idea to do a Candy Cane Tablescape by using candy dishes and jars of various sizes. I then filled them with whatever cheap red and white candy cane and peppermint treats I could find. I was able to find mini candy canes at the 99 Cent Store and large candy canes at Target for only $5. All together I only spent about $20 on candy to fill up the different candy dishes and jars.
For a focal point, I added a tall candy cane centerpiece I found at Marshalls, but you can find similar ones like this Amazon Candy Cane Christmas Tree.
For candy dishes and jars, I used much of what I already had and flower vases. I purchased one additional 2 gallon glass jar with a lid that I found for $12. Then to dress up the table I added some additional ornaments.
To add a little interest I added a few playful nutcrackers which you can get a set for less than $15 and use in other areas of your home as well.
For the plates, I found these adorable small plates and placemats from Homegoods. If you cannot find cute salad plates, you can also just wrap your flatware in a red bow with a candy cane. For placemats, any red and white striped placement will work, or silver placemats.
Finally, one of my favorite touches is to tie ribbon around the chairs in a bow which is such a cute idea that really pulls everything together.
Picking a Christmas theme is so much fun and a great time to spend with the family. I hope this Candy Cane Christmas tree theme has inspired some of your own creative ideas. Be sure to also check out my previous year’s Black & White Buffalo Plaid Theme Christmas!
Sondra Barker
