Yard Plotted to scale, promise

make it yourself

Giant Peppermint Candy Stakes

Six oversized peppermints on stakes, all six out of one scrap of plywood. They fill the low layer nobody thinks about, for about twenty dollars. Short enough to sit near a corner without breaking any rules, too.

  • $22 ish
  • 3 hrs start to finish
  • total beginner
  • 3' tall when done

grab this stuff

What you need

  • 1/2 in. exterior plywood, 2x4 ft scrap $12
  • Exterior white paint, quart (share it with the signpost) $4
  • Exterior red paint, sample pot $5
  • 1x2 furring strip, 8 ft (makes all 6 stakes) $1
  • 12× 1-1/4 in. exterior screws you have these
  • All in $22

Tools, and that is it

  • Jigsaw
  • Drill
  • A pencil and a piece of string
  • Sanding block

before the saw

How it comes off the sheet

Everything fits on 1/2 in. exterior plywood, 2 x 4 ft scrap. Draw the whole layout before you cut the first piece.

Disc 1Disc 2Disc 3Disc 4Disc 5Disc 648" wide24" tall
nesting

All six nest into one 2 x 4 ft scrap with a quarter of the sheet left over. The stakes come out of the strip that is left.

shapes

Stencils

Print these, cut them out, draw around them. Anything bigger than a sheet of paper prints as large as it fits with the scale written on it, so you can enlarge it at a copy store or copy it square by square.

Peppermint disc and spiral 12" × 12"
Print the stencils (opens in a new tab)
printer gotcha

Set page scaling to 100 percent or "actual size", never "fit to page". Every sheet has a ruler on it. Measure it before you trust it.

Or buy a reusable one

Mylar stencils survive paint and last for years, which is worth it if you are making more than a couple. These are searches rather than specific listings, because the good sellers rotate.

here we go

How to make it

  1. Draw six circles

    Tie a pencil to 6 in. of string, pin the other end, and swing six 12 in. circles onto the plywood. Nest them up close together.

    oops-proofing

    Nest them in two rows of four spaces and all six fit with room to spare. Spread them out and you run out of sheet on circle five.

  2. Cut and sand

    Jigsaw them out, staying a hair outside your line. Sand every edge round.

    oops-proofing

    A sharp plywood edge splinters after one wet season and then it is a hazard, not a decoration.

  3. Paint everything white

    Front, back, and all the way around the edge.

    oops-proofing

    Bare plywood edges drink water and peel apart in layers. This is the step people skip and then wonder why year two looks like that.

  4. Swirl on the red

    Start at the middle of the front face and spiral outward, six turns, letting the line get fatter as you go.

    oops-proofing

    Do not try to make them perfect. A perfect spiral looks printed. Slightly wobbly looks like candy from the sidewalk, which is the only place anyone sees it from.

  5. Add the stakes

    Cut the furring strip into six stakes: two at 16 in., two at 20 in., two at 24 in. Point one end of each. Two screws into the back of each disc.

    oops-proofing

    One screw and the whole thing spins around backwards in the first real wind.

  6. Stick them in the yard

    Push them in at all three heights, tipped 20 to 30 degrees toward whoever is looking. Group them in odd numbers.

    oops-proofing

    Flat-on and evenly spaced makes them look like signage. Angled and clustered makes them look like candy.

one more thing

These do not light up, on purpose. They live inside the glow of your path lights. Tallest one finishes at 36 in., which stays under the 3.5 ft cap most cities put on anything near an intersection.

where it goes

Layouts this one lives in

Same build, any yard shape. Here is where it lands.

  • → The North Pole on a Wide Shallow, No Porch Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Narrow Shallow with Porch Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a L-Shaped with Projecting Garage Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Deep Narrow Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Corner Lot Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Split-Level or Raised Ranch Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Sloped or Terraced Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Small Urban Postage Stamp Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Circular Driveway Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → The North Pole on a Long Driveway, Rural Frontage Signposts, candy stripes, toy soldiers and a little workshop situation. This one is a whole place rather than a single motif, so it loves a yard with room to spread out and more than one thing to look at.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Wide Shallow, No Porch Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Narrow Shallow with Porch Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a L-Shaped with Projecting Garage Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Deep Narrow Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Corner Lot Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Split-Level or Raised Ranch Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Sloped or Terraced Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Small Urban Postage Stamp Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Circular Driveway Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Nutcrackers on a Long Driveway, Rural Frontage Guards, not decorations. Red and gold, standing to attention, and the whole thing works on symmetry, which makes it the one theme where lining things up is correct rather than a mistake.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Wide Shallow, No Porch Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Narrow Shallow with Porch Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a L-Shaped with Projecting Garage Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Deep Narrow Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Corner Lot Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Split-Level or Raised Ranch Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Sloped or Terraced Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Small Urban Postage Stamp Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Circular Driveway Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Santa's Workshop on a Long Driveway, Rural Frontage Busy rather than grand. Elves mid-job, a sack of parcels put down on the grass and a workshop with the lights on, so the yard looks like somewhere work is happening rather than somewhere things were arranged.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Wide Shallow, No Porch Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Narrow Shallow with Porch Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a L-Shaped with Projecting Garage Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Deep Narrow Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Corner Lot Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Split-Level or Raised Ranch Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Sloped or Terraced Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Small Urban Postage Stamp Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Circular Driveway Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.
  • → Vintage Christmas on a Long Driveway, Rural Frontage Blow molds, fat colored bulbs and a street lamp. The look your grandparents had, which is currently the most wanted look on the street and the easiest one to get wrong by mixing in anything modern.