Candy Corn Segmentation

Here’s a fun little project, just in time for Halloween.  I used a cedar fence board to make these cute segmented candy corns.  It features a rough and rustic look.  I show you how to add an aged patina to the project for that vintage folk art look.  This project can be easily batched out and finished very quickly to add to your spooky Halloween decor.  

First, sand down some cedar fence boards from the home center ($2-3/board) with 80 grit sandpaper. Don’t sand it completely smooth, just enough to remove the splinters. We want it rough.

Sketch out the basic candy corn shape. It’s just a triangle with rounded corners. Two curved lines in the middle make up the candy corn color bands.  Don't make them all the same, vary the size and shape a bit to keep things interesting.

Cut the board down to something more manageable.

Cut them out on the scroll saw. I’m using a #9 scroll-reverse blade. Cut out the perimeter first, then come back and do the bands. Keep each set of pieces together.

With a rotary tool (like this one) and a small sanding drum, knock off the edges. Be a little rough with them so as to give them an aged and worn look.

Time to add paint. The bottom is orange, the middle is yellow, and the top is white. Don’t get hung up on getting it perfect.  If it's rough, it'll add to the final look.

With 80 grit sandpaper, sand each piece. Sand away the paint on the edges and high areas revealing some bare wood.

Glue your pieces together. I’m using wood glue. They don’t need clamps but be sure to clean out any glue squeeze-out.

Time to add the weathering. I use a medium wood stain and paint it on really thick. With a clean rag, wipe off the excess and set it aside to cure.

I use furniture wax to soften the feel and protect the wood. (I like Howard Citric Shield.)  Glop it on thick and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then with a clean rag, buff off the extra wax. I use a toothbrush to get the wax out of the cracks and crevices. Set aside to cure.

The wax will build up in the recesses and may give some parts a cloudy look. You can use a heat gun to melt the wax and let it soak back into the wood.