These pretty gumdrop acorn napkin rings are very easy and fun to make. Once you start, you will want to keep making them! Mix in any extras with other seasonal nuts or fruits as a colorful centerpiece. Warn your guests not to nibble them, or they might eat some glue. And of course, keep them well out of reach of small children. If you want, use pom-poms to make a kid-friendly version (see last pair of photos). In fact – just swap the hot-glue gun for Elmer’s or craft glue, and this would be a great craft project for kids to do too.

Materials needed: Small gum drops (or pom poms), double acorn caps (two acorn tops still attached together), hot glue gun (or craft glue), thin ribbon

Step 1: Gather double acorn tops. If you don’t have an oak tree in your yard or neighborhood, you can find them on Etsy.
Step 2: Dab a small dot of hot glue on the top of the gumdrop.
Step 3: Insert a gumdrop into acorn top. Repeat to fill both tops.
Step 4: Cut a 9” or 10” length of ribbon.
Step 5: Tie the ribbon around each napkin, knot it, and leave 3” of ribbon on each end.
Step 6: Attach a gumdrop acorn to each hanging length of ribbon.

PS: Since gumdrops are so tempting (I may have eaten half the bag while making these), leave a small bowl of fresh gumdrops out for people to enjoy!

Photography by Tim Gibson