Clowning Around Birthday Party Centerpiece and Favors

Clowning around allowed with fun, colorful clowns made from foam balls, cones, and candy-filled flowerpot bases.

Clown Centerpiece

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • Ball, 4"
  • Cone, 6" x 3"
  • Sheet, 1" X 12" X 18"
• Terra cotta pot, 4"
• Ribbon: 3" x 10" satin, primary color (red used on model); 2" x 36" polka dot; 5/8" x 24" rainbow
• Rick rack, to match satin ribbon
• Wooden dowel, 1/2" x 10"
• Wiggle eyes, 5/8", two
• Acrylic craft paint, to match satin ribbon
• Thread, to coordinate with satin ribbon
• Yarn, orange
• Pom poms, two (nose and hat)
• Buttons, two heart-shaped (cheeks)
• Felt, scraps red and black
• Needle
• Thick, white craft glue or low temperature glue gun and glue sticks
• Assorted, brightly colored candies (models used jelly beans and lollipops)

Steps:

1. Paint pot; let dry.
    
2. Wrap wooden dowel in polka dot ribbon, gluing as you go. Let dry.
    
3. Twist bottom of foam cone against foam ball until two shapes fit together snugly. Cut four, 6" lengths polka dot ribbon; glue strips to hat. Glue rick rack between ribbons.
    
4. Cut smiling mouth from red felt. Glue mouth, pom pom nose, heart-shaped buttons (cheeks) and wiggle eyes to face. Cut three thin strips of black felt for eyelashes; glue to face.
    
5. Glue hat to top of head. Glue pom pom to top of hat. Glue rick rack around base of hat. Glue orange yarn to head, just below hat, for hair.
    
6. Push dowel 1-1/2" into head; glue in place.
    
7. Gather running stitch along edge of satin ribbon; pull thread, making ruffle. Place ruffle around dowel under head; pull thread tight and knot. Glue ruffle in place. Tie rainbow ribbon in bow around dowel, between ruffle and head.
    
8. Cut foam sheet into blocks to fit in pot; glue in place. Insert dowel into foam and glue in place. Fill pot with candies, covering foam.

Clown Favors

Materials:

• STYROFOAM Brand Products:
  • Ball, 3"
  • Cone, 4" x 2-1/2"
  • Sheet, 1" X 12" X 18"
• Terra cotta pot, 3"
• Satin ribbon: 2-1/4" x 10", primary color (red, blue and green used on models)
• Candy stick or wooden dowel, 1/4" x 8"
• Wiggle eyes, 1/2", two
• Acrylic craft paint, to match satin ribbon
• Thread, to coordinate with satin ribbon
• Yarn, orange
• Pom poms, two (nose and hat)
• Buttons, two heart-shaped (cheeks)
• Felt, scraps red and black
• Needle
• Wooden skewer
• Thick, white craft glue or low temperature glue gun and glue sticks
• Assorted, brightly colored candies (models used jelly beans and lollipops)

Steps:

1. Insert wooden skewer into bottom of cone and use as handle while painting. Paint cone, pot and wooden dowel (if using); let dry.
    
2. Twist bottom of foam cone against foam ball until two shapes fit together snugly.
    
3. Cut smiling mouth from red felt. Glue mouth, pom pom nose, heart-shaped buttons (cheeks) and wiggle eyes to face. Cut two thin strips of black felt for eyelashes; glue to face.
    
4. Glue hat to top of head. Glue pom pom to top of hat. Glue orange yarn to head, just below hat, for hair.
    
5. Push candy stick 1-1/2" into head (do not glue). If using dowel, push 1-1/2" into head; glue in place.
    
6. Gather running stitch along edge of satin ribbon; pull thread, making ruffle. Place ruffle around dowel under head; pull thread tight and knot. Glue ruffle in place.
    
7. Cut foam sheet into blocks to fit in pot; glue in place. Insert candy stick into foam; if using dowel, insert dowel into foam and glue in place. Fill pot with candies, covering foam.

®™ Trademark of The Dow Chemical Company ("Dow") or an affiliated company of Dow. For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.