Cinnamon Stick Ornaments: Bundles, Trees and Stars

Cinnamon stick ornaments bring a warm brown color and a gentle spice scent to the tree, and they need almost no skill: the sticks are tied, stacked or glued just as they come. Three designs are covered here, from a five-minute bundle to a small tiered tree.

One point before you start: these are decorations. Once a stick has been handled, glued and hung, it is no longer food, so keep your crafting sticks separate from the ones in the kitchen.

Choosing your sticks

Cinnamon sticks are rolled bark, so no two are identical. For ornaments, sort through the jar or bag and pick by shape rather than by scent.

• Straight: roll each stick on the table. Bent ones will not sit together in a bundle or lie flat in a frame.
• Tightly rolled: a firm, closed roll is stronger. Loose, flaky sticks crumble when tied.
• Similar thickness: about 3/8 to 1/2 in (1 to 1.3 cm) across is typical. Matching sticks look tidier.
• Length: most are around 3 in (7.5 cm) long. Longer craft sticks of 6 in (15 cm) or more are useful for the tree.

Shorten a stick by squeezing garden snips gently around it while turning, rather than chopping straight through, which can split the roll. Smooth the cut end on a nail file. Snips are an adult tool.

What you need

• 10 cinnamon sticks, each around 3 in (7.5 cm) long, for all three designs, plus a spare or two
• Jute twine or thin cotton string
• Ribbon about 3/8 in (1 cm) wide
• Tacky glue
• Two-hole buttons and a scrap of felt
• A small sprig of faux or dried greenery
• Garden snips, scissors and a ruler

Design 1: the tied bundle

1. Hold three sticks together in a triangle, two below and one on top, with the ends level.
2. Cut 16 in (40 cm) of twine. Lay its middle under the bundle and wrap both ends around the center twice, pulling firmly.
3. Thread both ends through the holes of a button, one end per hole, and slide the button down onto the sticks.
4. Tie a tight double knot over the button so it is held against the bundle.
5. Tuck the stem of the sprig under the twine beside the button, with a dot of tacky glue to hold it.
6. Knot the two twine ends together about 3 in (7.5 cm) above the bundle to make the hanging loop, and trim the tails.
7. Tie a 10 in (25 cm) piece of ribbon in a bow around the twine, just above the button, and trim its ends at a slant.

Design 2: the tiered tree

Five sticks hang one above the other on doubled twine, like the rungs of a rope ladder.

1. Cut five pieces measuring 3 in, 2 1/2 in, 2 in, 1 1/2 in and 1 in (7.5, 6.5, 5, 4 and 2.5 cm). Four whole sticks cover it: leave one whole, cut one down to 2 1/2 in, cut one into the 2 in and 1 in pieces, and take the 1 1/2 in piece from the last.
2. Lay them out in order, shortest at the top, with gaps of about 1/4 in (6 mm), and mark the center of each with a pencil dot.
3. Cut 32 in (80 cm) of twine and fold it in half. Tie an overhand knot about 2 1/2 in (6.5 cm) below the fold; the fold is now your hanging loop.
4. Place the shortest stick between the two strands, tight against that knot, with its pencil dot in the middle. One strand passes in front of the stick and one behind.
5. Tie the two strands together directly under the stick with a double knot, pulled tight.
6. Tie one more overhand knot about 1/4 in (6 mm) lower to set the gap, then add the next stick in the same way.
7. Continue down to the longest stick and finish with a firm double knot beneath it. Trim the ends to about 1 in (2.5 cm) so they form a small trunk.
8. Hold the tree up, straighten the tiers and put a tiny dot of tacky glue where the twine crosses each stick, front and back, so nothing can slide out.
9. Cut a star about 3/4 in (2 cm) across from felt and glue it over the top knot.

For a softer tree built on a single upright stick, the fabric strip tree ornament uses a long cinnamon stick as its trunk.

Design 3: a small triangle frame

1. Choose three sticks of equal length and lay them in a triangle, with each end overlapping the next stick by about 3/8 in (1 cm).
2. Put a generous dot of tacky glue at each overlap and press the sticks together.
3. Leave the frame flat for about an hour, until the glue holds; the exact time depends on the room and the product, so follow the label.
4. Cut three 10 in (25 cm) pieces of twine. At each corner, wrap the twine diagonally over the joint three times one way and three times the other, then knot it at the back with a double knot.
5. Tie a loop of twine to the top corner. Glue a button or a small felt star to the bottom stick, or hang a bead on thread in the open center.

Small touches that finish the set

• Use the same ribbon on all three designs.
• Stack two buttons, a larger one under a smaller one, for more depth.
• Hang them with other woodland pieces; pinecone ornaments share the same color range and twine.

Decoration only: care and storage

The scent is strongest in the first season and fades with time. Do not add oils to revive it; they can stain ribbon and the branches around the ornament.

Cinnamon is brittle, so pack each piece separately in tissue and keep the box in a cool, dry place away from damp and direct sun. More packing advice is in the guide on how to store handmade ornaments.