Food gifts for Valentine and more

SWEETHEART CANDY WREATH

Judging from the number of hits on last year's Valentine crafts, plenty of you are ready to get into some holiday crafting. I thought I'd start out with a project that's perfect for the minimalist - a sweetheart candy wreath. It's small, at only eight inches in diameter, the perfect decoration to tuck into an unexpected place. I thought I'd hang mine on my inspiration board, but my son made off with it before I could. Which reminds me - it's a project you can make with your kids.

Materials:
salad plate or large lid to create a circle
Thin, but sturdy cardboard (package backing, gift box, etc.)
pencil
scissors
Sweetheart candies
Quick-setting gel glue (I used Beacon 3-n-1 Adhesive)
Seam binding or other ribbon, for hanging


Directions:
 1. Place your plate or lid facedown onto cardboard and trace around it with a pencil.  Cut out the interior of the circle, along the traced line, then cut around the outer edge so that you end up with a ring that's 1/4-inch wide. (I cut mine freehand since the ring wouldn't show and the outer portion didn't need to be precise, but you can trace around a larger plate if you're more comfortable.)
2. Start by arranging candies face down along the inner edge of the cardboard ring, the top edge of the candies resting along the middle of the cardboard ring and the pointed ends facing the center of the wreath.
3. Arrange candies along the outer edge of the cardboard ring, with the top edge of the candies meeting the edges of the first row of candies and the pointed ends facing outward.
4. When you're satisfied with your arrangement (If there's a small gap that's not large enough to fit an entire piece of candy, use that space for the hanging ribbon), glue the candies in place with the quick-setting glue (for less mess, apply a dot of glue to the cardboard ring, put the candy in place, then attach the next one).
5. When the two bottom rows of candy have all been attached, glue another row of candy on top, covering the seam where the bottom rows of candies meet, pointed ends facing outward.
6. Hang with seam binding or other ribbon. Further embellish, if desired.