Metallic gold wrappers create a festive glow, while burgundy accents and fine tinsel give the tree its full, sparkling appearance. The sweets do not need to form perfectly straight rows—the slightly uneven placement is part of the original handmade charm.
Make a small tree for a teacher, neighbour or coworker, or use a larger cone to create a shared office gift or edible Christmas centrepiece.
Get more details about this project
What you need
Individually wrapped sweets or lollies
Cardboard for making a cone
Alternatively, a ready-made polystyrene or papier-mâché cone
Strong glue dots or double-sided adhesive squares
Alternatively, a low-temperature hot-glue gun and glue sticks
Sticky tape, staples or craft glue for assembling the cone
Fine metallic tinsel in gold, red or burgundy
Burgundy, red or gold ribbon
Scissors
Cake board, tray or decorative plate, optional
Clear cellophane for gifting, optional
Choosing the Sweets
Select small, individually wrapped sweets with twisted ends. Gold wrappers create a traditional Christmas look, but red, green, silver, purple or mixed metallic wrappers can also be used.
Choose sweets of a similar size so they sit comfortably against the cone. They do not need to be arranged perfectly. Slight variations in angle, height and spacing will create the loose, abundant finish seen in the original tree.
The number required depends on the size of the cone. A large tree may use several bags, so purchase extra sweets to fill gaps and replace any with damaged wrappers.
Instructions
Choosing the Sweets
Select small, individually wrapped sweets with twisted ends. Gold wrappers create a traditional Christmas look, but red, green, silver, purple or mixed metallic wrappers can also be used.
Choose sweets of a similar size so they sit comfortably against the cone. They do not need to be arranged perfectly. Slight variations in angle, height and spacing will create the loose, abundant finish seen in the original tree.
The number required depends on the size of the cone. A large tree may use several bags, so purchase extra sweets to fill gaps and replace any with damaged wrappers.
Choosing the Adhesive
Strong glue dots or double-sided adhesive squares are recommended because they do not expose the sweets to heat.
If you use hot glue, choose a low-temperature glue gun and place only a tiny amount on the twisted or sealed wrapper end. Never apply glue directly over the sweet.
Do not push pins through the wrappers. Piercing the original packaging may compromise the food inside.
Before You Begin
Sort the sweets by wrapper colour and check that every wrapper is completely sealed.
Stand the cone upright and make sure the base is flat. The first layer of sweets must finish level with the bottom edge so the completed tree remains stable.
Cut several manageable lengths of fine metallic tinsel before beginning. Very long pieces can become tangled among the wrapper ends.
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the cone
Skip this step if you are using a ready-made cone.
Roll a large sheet of cardboard into a cone. Adjust the overlap until the cone has the height and width you want.
Secure the seam with strong sticky tape, staples or craft glue. Trim the lower edge until the cone stands upright without rocking.
Reinforce the inside seam with additional tape if necessary.
Step 2: Test the first lolly
Hold one wrapped sweet against the bottom of the cone.
Position it with one twisted wrapper end level with the base. The body of the sweet should sit against the cone while the opposite wrapper end points upward or slightly outward.
This first sweet will help you judge the spacing for the entire bottom layer.
Step 3: Attach the first sweet
Place a strong glue dot on the back of the upper wrapper end.
Press the sweet against the cone and hold it briefly until secure.
If using low-temperature hot glue, apply only a tiny bead to the twisted wrapper end.
Step 4: Cover the bottom of the cone
Continue attaching sweets around the widest part of the cone.
Keep the lower ends approximately level with the bottom so the tree remains stable. Angle some sweets slightly to the left or right for a naturally full, handmade appearance.
Place them close enough to conceal the cone without crushing the wrappers.
Step 5: Begin the next layer
Start the second layer immediately above the first.
Rest the lower end of each new wrapper over the top portion of the sweets beneath it. This helps conceal the adhesive points and creates a fuller surface.
Stagger the sweets rather than placing them directly above one another.
Step 6: Continue toward the top
Work around the cone in loose, overlapping layers.
Allow the rows to become narrower as the cone tapers. Vary the angle and height of individual sweets slightly so the tree does not look overly uniform.
Check the tree from several directions and add extra sweets wherever the cone remains visible.
Step 7: Add the metallic tinsel
Tuck short lengths of fine metallic tinsel between the wrapped sweets.
Allow some strands to trail loosely over the surface. Use small dots of adhesive on the cone or wrapper ends to hold the tinsel in place.
Distribute the tinsel unevenly for the light, wispy finish shown in the original design. Avoid covering so much of the tree that the sweets become difficult to remove.
Step 8: Finish the narrow top
Attach the final sweets close together around the tip of the cone.
Use fewer sweets and allow them to angle slightly inward. Conceal any remaining visible cone with a small amount of tinsel or coordinating ribbon.
Make sure the top remains light enough that the tree will not become unstable.
Step 9: Make the ribbon bow
Tie a small bow from burgundy, red or gold ribbon.
Leave several narrow tails hanging from the centre. Mix ribbon with a small bundle of metallic tinsel if you want a fuller topper.
Step 10: Attach the topper
Glue the bow securely to the top of the cone.
Arrange the ribbon and tinsel tails so they trail over the upper sweets. Allow any hot glue to cool completely before moving the tree.
Step 11: Check the finished tree
Stand back and look for large gaps, loose sweets or areas where the cone is visible.
Add extra sweets or small tufts of tinsel where needed. The final shape should be full and festive without appearing perfectly symmetrical.
Confirm that the base sits flat and does not wobble.
Step 12: Prepare the tree for gifting
Place the tree on a cake board, tray or decorative plate.
Wrap it loosely in clear cellophane, making sure the packaging does not crush the bow. Gather the cellophane above the tree and secure it with coordinating ribbon.
Add a label identifying the sweets and any common allergens.
Design Variations
Use only gold-wrapped sweets for an elegant metallic tree.
Combine red, green and gold wrappers for a traditional Christmas palette.
Use silver and blue wrappers for a winter-inspired tree.
Add alternating bands of wrapper colours around the cone.
Replace the ribbon bow with a lightweight star or small ornament.
Use a miniature cone to make individual place-setting gifts.
Add a terracotta pot beneath the cone for a more traditional topiary shape.
Gift and Display Ideas
Give the tree to a teacher, neighbour or coworker.
Use it as an edible centrepiece for Christmas lunch.
Make a large version as a shared office gift.
Donate one to a school, club or community raffle.
Place the tree on a dessert or hot-chocolate station.
Create several small trees for a festive market stall.
Food Safety and Storage
Use only sweets in their original, completely sealed wrappers.
Do not pierce the wrappers with pins, staples, wire or skewers.
Apply adhesive only to the outside of the twisted or sealed wrapper ends.
Store the finished tree in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, heaters and open flames.
Check the best-before dates before assembling the tree.
Provide allergy information when giving the tree to another household. Ingredients may include milk, nuts, soy, wheat, gluten or other allergens.
Remove each sweet by holding the wrapper close to its adhesive point and pulling gently. Do not tear the wrapper away from the tree forcefully.
what kind of pins would i use for this?
this helped me alot thanxs
great stuff, now i can sell them at my local markets to share the love.
What a really nice idea, and it looks easy enough to do too. I’m going to give it a try.
This looked great at our church cristmast party, though it was just wrappers by the end. I used a cardboard base.
I use a terracotta pot as a base, a small piece of dowel will plug the hole in pot then push a foam ball on top. Pin your lollies on, I always spray paint the pot gold and glue ribbon around the top of pot, they always look gr8.
my mum makes them with fruit bursts 😀 they are awesome as..s
it only takes her about half an hour i think.
Turned out beautiful! I made two, one for my daughter’s teacher and one for an aide. I used taped together cardboard, but I taped on the chocolate wrapped candies. The candy was too heavy for the pinning method and the pins kept falling out. These two ladies are crazy over chocolate, so I know they will love these gifts! Thank you so much for sharing your idea.
D. Walden, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
That’s AWESOME!!!!!!! Does it take long does anyone know? 😀
yum….
cool
Excellent idea! Great for kids to help with too! I am going to make some for the teachers this year instead of hours of baking- thanks!