Wednesday, July 27, 2011

DIY: Marshmallow Cross Kabobs

Recently I received a phone call from a client in dire need of some marshmallow kabobs for displaying table numbers for her granddaughter's Christening.  She showed me a photograph of her idea; I  thought the idea would be one that I could pass along to others.  Simple. Easy. Cute. Especially for her fun-loving marshmallow-crazed family.

I am sure if you played around a bit, you could make anything with marshmallows, but a cross was very fitting for this religious occasion.

The order was for 30 marshmallow kabobs, so I gathered my material:

Material:
30 large skewers
15 small skewers
4 bags of Kraft marshmallows
1 bag of pink melting chocolates
1 small Wilton squeeze bottle
1 tube of Wilton white pearl sprinkles
30 clear cellophane bags (I used 6x9 inch with a gusset of 2 inches)
pink dotted 1/4 inch fabric ribbon

Steps:
1.  Place four marshmallows on a large skewer, sliding them down covering about 1/3 of the skewer.  Be sure the marshmallows have their flat side facing toward you.

2.  Because the small skewers are so thin, you could actually use scissors for the next step.  Cut one small piece of skewer to fit in perpendiculiarly to the large skewer, placing it through the second from top marshmallow.

3.  Place one marshamallow on each side of the small skewer piece.

4.  Then, melt the chocolate and pour it into the squeeze bottle.

5.  I am sure if you are talented with chocolate, you can be more creative, but I replicated the design I was given.

6.  Save the middle marshmallow until last.  As soon as you finish that middle marshmallow, immediately place one pearl sprinkle in the center.

7.  Let the marshmallow cross dry for about five minutes.  You may need to stick the skewer in the refrigerator for a minute or two to harden.  When it is hardened, you are ready to place it in the bag and finish it off with a pretty ribbon.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

DIY: Tissue Pom-Pom

I first caught a glimpse of the tissue pom-pom ball on Martha Stewart's website.  Then, they started appearing all over the web.  They looked simple and fun, so I decided to dive into a new project.  Of course, they can modified for size, color, and thickness.  More options for their use will come to you the more you experiment with them. 

Necessary Supplies:
  • Tissue paper (20 inches x 30 inches). Choose one color, choose two colors for more of a flower-effect, choose three hues for some multi-colored FUN! *HINT* Using dinner napkins offers a varied thickness that is less likely to tear when you are manipulating their "puffiness."
  • Scissors
  • Wire Cutter
  • Floral wire. I used silver, but the color is pretty-much hidden once you play with them
Instructions:
  1. Stack six to eight sheets of paper on top of one another, depending on what type of volume you are looking for.  If they are going to be placed on a flat surface (wall or table) they will appear more puffy.

    2. Now, fold the sheets into approximately 1 1/2 inch accordion folds, all the way across.

    3.  Cut about a foot length of floral wire.

    4.  Wrap the wire around the center of the folded tissue and secure it by twisting.

     3. Prune the ends of the tissue into round shapes, to give them a petal-like look or cut them in a
         triangular shape and get a funkier design.

        4.  Spread the sides out like it has butterfly wings.  Then carefully, pull apart each layer toward
             you, separating it from the center one piece at a time. The first time I attempted this
             project, I ripped the tissue because of its thinness.  Hence, I opt to use the thicker
             dinner napkins.

         5.  After puffing each pom-pom, I work like Edward Scissor-Hands and cut away perfecting
              the pom-pom to the size and puffiness I prefer.

Uses:

1.  Adding dimension on a wall or table for decoration
2.   Creating floral-looking arrangements on the wall of your baby girl's room. *Add two sheets of another color to the top of your layer in Instruction #1 to form the center of your flower.  When you are cutting in Instruction #8, cut the center a little shorter, allowing it to appear like the stigma, or center of the flower.*
3.  Hanging focal points for a fun party or gathering.
4.  Jazz up your dessert table!

HAVE FUN!!