Candy cane clipart & coloring pages: A blend of holiday tradition and creative fun
With the holiday season around the corner, the classic candy cane emerges as a favorite holiday treat — as well as a symbol of festive joy and creativity.
Take a sweet journey with us through the history of candy canes, and get some tips on how these handy candy cane clipart images, coloring pages and templates can infuse your family’s holiday with creativity and learning.
Let’s unwrap the history of candy canes
Candy canes started as straight sugar sticks which were all white. The story of how candy canes got their famous J shape isn’t quite clear. One story says that many years ago, a choirmaster in Germany had the sweets made to keep the kids in church occupied and quiet.
Supposedly to give them a little bit of a Christian theme, he turned the straight candy sticks into hooks — a shape like a shepherd’s staff — the sticks people who tend sheep use when they take care of their flocks.
Other stories suggest the shape isn’t really a hook or a cane, but the letter J for Jesus. It could also be as simple as a candymaker wanting to form a shape that could easily be hung from a Christmas tree.
There’s no clear answer about when candy canes started to have red and white stripes and being flavored with peppermint — but the sweet minty taste and festive striping instantly bring to mind the spirit of Christmas for many of us.
Candy canes made their debut in the United States largely due to a German immigrant, August Imgard, residing in Ohio. Back in 1847, Imgard decorated his Christmas tree with candy canes, delighting everyone. From that moment, candy canes have grown to be a significant element of Christmas celebrations — not only in America but globally.
These printable coloring pages of candy canes are all ready for some Christmas fun (and will make great gift tags, too).
Fun and festive candy cane crafts
Wreath wonders: Use candy cane clipart and templates to craft a festive wreath. Children can cut out candy canes and arrange them in a circle, adding a dash of glitter or colored paper for extra sparkle.
Garland galore: Color in candy cane coloring pages and string the finished products together for a vibrant holiday garland.
Personalized holiday cards: Create unique holiday cards with candy canes clipart, letting kids add their own messages and designs.
Tree ornaments: Transform colored candy cane coloring pages into homemade tree ornaments by adding a ribbon loop at the top.
Candy cane frames: Decorate picture frames using printed candy cane clipart as borders.
Candy cane bookmarks: Use candy cane templates to create festive bookmarks, perfect for holiday reading.
Learning activities with a candy cane twist
Candy cane counting: Use various candy cane clipart pages for a fun counting game, ideal for young learners.
Coloring patterns: Encourage children to create patterns with different colors on candy cane coloring pages, teaching them about sequences and artistic design.
Alphabet exploration: Use candy cane templates to help kids learn about the letter ‘C’, decorating with items that start with this letter.
Simple science: Experiment with dissolving candy canes in different liquids (water, oil, vinegar) to teach basic scientific concepts and observation.
Storytime creativity: Inspire kids to craft their own stories about the origin of candy canes, using clipart as visual storytelling aids.
