How to Draw a Candy Cane (Easy Step-by-Step for Kids)
To draw a candy cane, start with a long, straight stick with rounded ends. Bend a hook at the top and add slanted stripes all the way down. Finish with a bow, two holly leaves and three berries.
- Steps
- 6 easy steps
- You need
- Pencil
- Eraser
- Black marker
- Red and green crayons
){kind=link}
Teaching this to a class?
Show one step at a time on the board and wait for the class before the next. The directed drawing for kids page explains how to run it.
How to draw a candy cane step by step
-
Step 1 of 6: Draw a long, straight stick with rounded ends.
-
Step 2 of 6: Add a curved hook at the top that bends to one side.
-
Step 3 of 6: Draw slanted stripes all the way down the cane and around the hook.
-
Step 4 of 6: Add a big bow with two loops and two ribbon tails around the middle.
-
Step 5 of 6: Draw two pointed holly leaves and three round berries on the bow.
-
Step 6 of 6: Color every other stripe red, the bow and leaves green, and the berries red.
Tips for little artists
Tip: Press lightly with the pencil first. Trace the lines you like with the marker, then erase the rest.
Tip: Keep the stripes slanted the same way. Parallel stripes make the cane look twisted.
Tip: Color every other stripe red and leave the rest white. Skipping stripes keeps the pattern even.
Make it yours
Candy cane heart
Draw two candy canes with the hooks facing each other, so the hooks and sticks make a heart.
Rainbow candy cane
Color the stripes in a repeating rainbow order instead of red and white.
Candy cane letter J
Turn the cane upside down and it looks like the letter J. Use a striped J in a name or on a holiday card.
Common mistakes and easy fixes
The hook is too thin
Keep the hook as wide as the stick. Draw the outer curve first, then the inner curve at the same distance.
The stripes go flat across
Tilt each stripe at the same slant, like a slide. Flat stripes make the cane look like a ladder.
The bow hides the whole cane
Tie the bow around the middle and keep each loop only a little wider than the stick. The stripes should still show above and below the bow.
Fun facts about the candy cane
A recipe for straight peppermint candy sticks, white with colored stripes, was published in 1844. (Source: Wikipedia)
The earliest known mention of a candy cane is in a short story published in 1866. (Source: Wikipedia)
In 1919, Robert McCormack began making candy canes for local children in Albany, Georgia. (Source: Wikipedia)
Questions grown-ups ask
How do you draw a candy cane easy?
Draw a long stick and bend a hook at the top, like an upside-down letter J. Add slanted stripes and color every other one red. The 6 steps above add a bow and holly.
How do you draw a candy cane heart?
Draw two candy canes with the hooks bending toward each other. Tilt the sticks in so their bottom ends touch. The hooks make the top of the heart and the sticks make the point.
How do you draw a cute candy cane?
Add two dot eyes, pink cheeks and a small smile on the stick. A bow with holly leaves on top makes it look like a little present.
If the stripes came out different widths, that's fine. Uneven stripes make your candy cane look handmade. More easy drawings for kids are on the home page.