Project

Ribbon-Candy Decoration

Photography: Ryan Liebe

Source: Martha Stewart Living, December 2014/January 2015

Introduction

Sources

Wooden beads, 1 1/2" with 3/8" hole, $4.75 for 10, craftparts.com
Aluminum flashing, 10" by 50", $16 a roll; and zinc threaded rod, by Crown Bolt, 1/4" by 24", $1.50, homedepot.com

materials

Spray paint

Wooden beads, 1 1/2 inches, with 3/8-inch hole

Aluminum flashing, 10 inches wide

Permanent marker

Drill and 1/4-inch bit

Coupling nuts, 1/4 inch

Threaded rod, 1/4 by 24 inches

Eye bolts, 1/4-inch diameter and 1/4 by 2 inches

Paracord

steps

Working in a well-ventilated area, spray-paint beads; set aside to dry.
Unroll a sheet of flashing. Measure 7 inches in from one end of sheet and mark at center with marker. Then measure and mark at 14-inch intervals (ours measured 238 inches total, with sixteen 14- inch intervals). Measure a final 7-inch-long section and cut sheet with scissors.
Working on top of scrap wood, drill a hole at each marking.
Screw a coupling nut halfway onto one end of rod. Screw an eye bolt into coupling nut (to use for hanging).
Working from other end of rod, slide wooden bead onto rod. Then slide rod through first hole in flashing, fold flashing over, and slide rod through next hole. Continue threading rod through flashing, adding a bead between each section. (When you near end of rod, you will need to push flashing down to prevent it from springing up.)
After last section of flashing, add final bead. Screw a coupling nut onto end of rod, then screw an eye bolt into coupling nut. Hang using paracord.