Gingerbread Candy Cane Swag

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Directions

• Grab your Flocked Fairmont Pine Swag and let’s begin to shape it up. In design school we call that “Shaking Hands.” We will take each piece and spread and manipulate it to make it full. Not so much fun, but oh so necessary. 
• We will be using a dense floral foam block for this craft. To prep our swag to place the foam, with wire cutters, cut away some pine branches in the center. Set aside because we will use again. This will make it a little more naked in the middle of the swag. 
• Prop swag up on your wreath board so it is easy to work with. This helps to visualize your piece, so that you properly add features to create depth and dimension throughout.
• On the back of your foam block, add some hot glue. Place it onto your swag using the midline with stem as base to secure it. Once on swag, use floral pins to help secure foam to swag as well. To hide the foam showing on back, add some pine pieces you cut off earlier with hot glue and floral pins.
• Beginning at the top of swag, insert your first Red and White Peppermint Stick Pick directly into your foam. Don’t forget to use hot glue as you insert into foam. Trim the stems if needed a bit. Add your second one next to it, standing a little taller than your first. Create a staggered look in height. You don’t want to give the appearance of a “Goal Post.
• Add your 3rd Candy Cane Peppermint Stick down on your swag, directly into the foam. Use floral pins to secure it in place. You don’t want it to be too much longer than your swag so that is why we are pinning it up a bit. 
• Creating a center base, grab your gorgeous Glitter Round Candy Stem and a foam skewer. Cut the skewer to be much shorter so it will fit into the back of your peppermint candy foam. Use hot glue to help it stay sturdy. Then easily poke directly into your foam on swag in the center of the piece. Make sure it is nice and secure. Use floral pins to make it extra sturdy as the Gingerbread doll will add some weight.
• Let’s add our Light Brown Plush Gingerbread Doll. With scissors remove his tag to begin. Then cut 2 little tiny holes/slits on his upper back area. You will need a good amount of fabric in between the holes to hold him steady onto the swag.
• Slip a zip tie through the holes of your doll and close it uptight. Trim excess.
• Eyeball where you want to add him. Don’t forget you will later add your large premade bow. Check out this bow tutorial to see how to make the perfect bow for this project.
• Placing floral pins in the zip tie, place your doll at an angle on your peppermint candy. When working with foam it is always a good idea to use hot glue for security in placement.
• Next, grab your large bow and fluff your loops and long tails to be nice and full. Add your bow so he straddles behind the gingerbread doll. Use floral pins to hold securely. Wrap pipe cleaner from the bow around a candy cane stick as well. 
  Use floral pins to help secure where you see fit.
• Grab your Snow Flocked Pine Garland and trim off some pieces to serve as filler on your swag. Cut with wire cutters. Insert in and around your swag using hot glue. Have it peek out here and there, filling any gaps.
• To add more festive fun, grab your Red and Green Jingle Bells Stem. Trim several pieces from your main bundle.
• Work those jingle bell stem pieces underneath directly inserted into your foam base. Don’t forget to dip in hot glue first. Have some poking out on the sides. Some poking out from the top by your 2 candy cane stems is also a great spot. Play with placement.
• Since we have a long tail from the bow, use a floral pin to create a “Roller Coaster Ribbon.” That simply means to gather 1 long tail, create a poof and pin in place.  Using floral pins into that foam is the easiest way.
• Repeat with the other long tail on the other side of the gingerbread doll. Add a jingle bell on top of floral pins to hide.
• Since you have some leftover of your jingle bell stem, pop those in on your swag to keep it fun. Play with the stems by curling them a bit. 
  Grab your 3 Red and White Curly stems. (Not in her supply list). Before committing to placement, pop them in easily in certain spots to see what you like best. I talk a lot about visualization in my Design School. I created a zig zag shape as I added my curly cues. One on the top off to the right side. One out to the left in the middle of swag. Last one poking out on the bottom right side. But you do what you think is best. Don’t forget to use hot glue on ends to secure it in place. 
• With excess pieces of your Flocked Garland, insert pieces here and there filling in any gaps you might find. Almost done. Step back with a critical eye. Adjust, fluff, and manipulate any part of your swag that needs a little love. Then give yourself a part on the back for all your hard work.