Adventures in Holiday Crafts

THE PLAN: Create a beautiful replica of the Marshmallow Wreath featured in this winter's Food Network magazine. I showed it to A yesterday at our cookie-making playdate and she asked if we could embark on this mission of holiday joy together.

I never turn down a chance to craft, and I never turn down a chance to eat marshmallows. I agreed.

Photo Exhibit A:



THE DIRECTIONS: While you’re picking up marshmallows for hot chocolate, buy a few extra bags to make this easy (30-minute!) winter-white wreath. Insert about 150 toothpicks halfway into a 12-inch flat foam wreath, then skewer a marshmallow onto each toothpick. Refrigerate overnight to set. (Birds may fancy this one, so consider hanging it inside.)

Could it BE any more simple? How easy and breezy do these directions sound?

So A came, armed with foam wreath forms (green, because they didn't have white extruded forms), and bags upon bags of marshmallows, and toothpicks. She also brought some white styrofoam balls to make a marshmallow snowman because her DH really didn't like the look of the marshmallow wreath, but she still wanted to make something.

HOW IT WENT:

First of all, I am typing this with 9 fingers because my right index is pretty impaired from the multiple toothpick stab wounds I suffered as a result of this 30 minute project.

A and I had a little pow wow about priorities and we decided that should I really start bleeding heavily (and I did bleed), she would grab the wreath and I would attempt to tend to myself. Blood would be difficult to get out of marshmallows and we didn't want to take the chance.

So we started poking the toothpicks randomly into the foam form. This was our first mistake.

It would seem that Food Network has a group of people who are specially trained to select all perfect marshmallows from their bags. And also, that they left off the instructions that it's probably best to trim the toothpicks a bit for easier placement and sticking.

Ok, Food Network. We see the game you're playing.

After a few attempts, with our somewhat squished sort of marshmallows, I threw up my hands and went for the gorilla glue. Gluing the candy seemed a much easier approach.

This is the start of the wreath. Please notice that I tied the ribbon on first. I used raspberry pink. Isn't it festive?



Meanwhile, A was cruising ahead with her snowman. She stuck the balls together with takeout chopsticks, which were pretty sturdy.



After a while, I hit a groove, abandoned the gorilla glue and went back to the toothpicks. Not too shabby, despite the injuries. Here is my finished wreath, before being shoved in the fridge for hardening.



And back to our snowman. After some experimenting, A made the eyes, nose, mouth and buttons from mini fruit-flavored marshmallows. Adorable.

Just a little note of warming. Mini fruit-flavored marshmallows? Vomitous. Disgusting. Do not eat. Ever.

Another note of warning? The snowman started shooting random marshmallows back at us. Not sure why. A deemed them kamikaze marshmallows and put a halt to their shenanigans by sticking them back on extra hard.



And then I went ahead and suggested she use yellow mini marshies to fill in the holes in the head, thereby turning the snowman into a blond. A was inspired, added a little pink bow, and voila... Marshmallow SnowWoman!



She also made a much smaller wreath with a pretty silver ribbon. Gorgeous.



Time it took? About 3 hours.

But we had fun.