Trick....or Treat Topiaries

   This is another excellent idea from www.craftysisters-nc.blogspot.com .  Enjoy making a few of these and use them as gift for friends and family.

Trick....or Treat Topiaries

Here's the project that Nicole received many hot glue burns from. We had so much fun last spring making the Jellybean topiaries and thought it would be fun to make some more for Halloween.

We gathered candy corn, gum drops, and jelly beans, and gummy worms for these spooky topiaries. The bulk food section in the grocery store is a great place to find supplies. Candy corn is great too, because who really likes the taste of candy corn? After I eat a few, I tend to get a sick-overly sweet feeling.

I just love the spikes the candy corn produce when you glue them to a ball. The unfortunate thing is -when you open the bag at least half of the tips are missing.

So, the candy corn ball is fragile. :(

Ours have held up if you are careful, and after a while they get stale.

We put the topiaries into canning jars, old glass jars and metal cans. The clear jars work perfectly to show off all the scary stuffing.

We made up some labels on the computer, backed them with scrapbook paper and attached them to the jars. Nicole went to work decorating the topiaries with ribbons and spiders.

Here's Nicole gluing away with the candy corn. We used 3 inch foam balls, first painting them yellow. It goes pretty fast once you get the hang of it. Nicole started by putting big globs of glue on and then quickly sticking on the candy.

Nicole painted some dowels orange and white. I think it adds a bit of whimsy to the topiaries.

I drilled holes in the metal lids and thought about how I really should be learning how to can food with my mom's canning jars instead of crafting with them... :) One day, Mom...one day.

We hot glued a chunk of floral foam at the bottom of the glue so the dowel would be anchored. Make sure to leave enough room to stuff the jar. You could also weight the jars with glass pebbles or whatever you prefer, if you are worried about it tipping.

And, there you go...our "Trick....or Treat Topiaries."

There are so many possibilities of what you could fill the jars with to make them a little more fun or spooky.