OH NO!!!

It's only a few days before Christmas, and you still haven't found time to decorate! Everyone else in your neighborhood has decked out their houses inside and out with fancy garlands, lights, and ornaments, while your walls and windows are as bare and lifeless as the grey winter sky. This is so embarrassing... How can you ever show your face to the neighbors again if you look like a Scrooge during the holidays? What a disaster!!!

Don't fret! I'm here to help!

Using only a few household items and a just minutes of time, you can swiftly craft a beautiful and sophisticated holiday decoration that speaks volumes to your festive yet reserved sense of aesthetic... Er, never mind. This is just a last-minute project that will hopefully prevent you from being ostracized this Christmas...

This quick craft can be used as a:

Decoration
Gift
Kid's project

You don't have much time to lose! Click that "next" button, and let's get started!

Step 1: Materials

To build this simple craft, you will need the following:

A medium-sized (16 ounce) mason jar. This jar should have a two-piece lid with an outer ring.
A few candy canes of multiple sizes (and colors).
A battery-operated tea light.*
A bendable evergreen branch, such as those found on artificial Christmas trees and wreaths. Real branches can be used as well, but doing so will make the decoration perishable over time.**

You can also add or substitute any other festive or seasonal objects you wish! Get creative, but remember that the amount of objects you add should fill the jar about one-third of the way when the project is completed.

*Do not use real tea lights, because doing so would create an extreme fire hazard.

**If you use the garland I linked to, make sure you cut it down to size.

Step 2: A Luminous Branch

Bend your evergreen branch into a circular shape so that it resembles a mini-wreath, as seen in pictures one and two. Next, insert your battery-operated tea light into the center of the loop, as seen in pictures three and four.

Step 3: A Glittering Jar

The center portion of the mason jar lid will not be necessary for this project. Still, you should save it for any future uses of the jar.

Remove the outer ring first as in picture two. Next, remove the center portion of the lid as in picture three. Finally, wash and clean your jar to make the glass appear crystal-clear.

Step 4: A Heart-Warming Glow

Turn on the battery-operated tea light, and insert it and the looped evergreen branch into the jar. The assembly should fit snugly together.

Step 5: A Sprinkling of Sweetness

Take some of the smaller or more broken candy canes and scatter them around throughout the jar. The colors should be balanced and symmetrical all the way around to yield the most pleasing look.

Step 6: Ringing in the Season

Replace the outer ring of the mason jar lid. Do not replace the center portion of the lid to avoid blocking light from shining out and impeding the next step.

Step 7: A Dazzle of Color

Insert two or more large candy canes through the opening in the mouth of the mason jar. The candy canes should be placed in such a way as to render the project symmetrical, and thus as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Step 8: A Done Decoration!

Congratulations, you have completed your Christmas jar project! Use it to fill your house and heart with holiday cheer, no matter how much time you have! Have a wonderful holiday, and may your future be filled with more free time and continued positive relations with your neighbors, friends, and family!

Merry Christmas!