These cacao pods made an appearance earlier this week as one of the items in the Happy Mail for Chocolate Lovers envelopes, but you can make them easily at home!

Materials needed:
- Cardstock or a chocolate bar wrapper
- A needle
- Embroidery Floss
- Scissors
- A small hole punch or an awl and a hammer (and maybe a piece of wood or work bench that it is okay to hammer on)
- Print out patterns (or make your own)
Step one
Print out the patterns. If you can print right onto a cardstock weight paper, you can save a step.
Step two

Punch out the holes on the pattern with a hole punch or hammer and awl.
Step three
Trace holes from printout onto cardstock or chocolate bar wrapper.
Step four

Punch or use the awl and hammer to make holes in your cardstock or chocolate bar wrapper.
Step five
Thread needle with embroidery floss and sew. Honestly this is a great way to unwind, it is quite meditative. Take a look at these photos for ideas on how to vary your sewing to create different looks. Tie a knot when you are finished.

Step six
Add a string to the hole in the top if you want to use as an ornament, or just tape it onto a gift as a fun topper.

You can also make up your own pattern or follow along the edge of a design on your favourite chocolate wrapper.






Have fun! It’s the joy in the making that is fun and enjoyable.