Holiday Candy Wreath

This holiday wreath is a treat for the eyes!  This beautiful and bright Christmas wreath craft is great for displaying both indoors and out.  You could even hang it in your kitchen during the holidays for a sweet decoration every baker is sure to love!  All the sweets on this wreath are made from Styrofoam, so it's light weight and easy to assemble.  Have fun decorating these sweet treats with everyone in your family!

Materials:

• 3 3" balls of STYROFOAM* Brand Foam
• 3 2 1/2" balls of STYROFOAM* Brand Foam
• 3 4"x2 1/2" cones of STYROFOAM* Brand Foam
• 21 1" balls of STYROFOAM* Brand Foam
• 36" x 12" x 1/2" sheet of STYROFOAM* Brand Foam
• Acrylic paints in the following colors: tan; light brown; medium brown; red; metallic white pearl; metallic pink pearl
• Spray paints in the following colors: white/silver pearl; iridescent glitter
• Pre-mixed, lightweight acrylic spackling
• Artificial pine wreath, 18"
• Ultra-fine iridescent glitter
• Chenille stem, any color
• Pink/white gingham wire-edged ribbon
• Cloth-covered floral wire, 9" length
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Fine-line black permanent marker
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Gingerbread boy cookie cutters, one each size: 5"; 2"
• Wooden items: skewers; round toothpicks
• Metallic paper muffin cups, standard size, three
• Waxed paper
• Paintbrushes: medium flat; small round; fine-line paint bottle tip or liner brush
• Disposable palette
• Water basin
• Paper towels
• Scissors
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue

Instructions:

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Cut thin slice from one side of foam balls as follows, creating flat base: 1/4"-thick slice from three 1" balls (cherries); 1/2" slice from each 2-1/2" ball (cupcakes); 3/4" slice from each 3" ball (ice cream). Press 14 remaining foam balls (mints) against work surface to flatten to 1/2" thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut twelve 2" and two 5" gingerbread boys from foam sheet; save remainder of sheet for drying stand.
    
2. Using damp finger, spread spackling "icing" on cupcakes and ice cream; let dry. 
    
3. Insert toothpicks or skewers into back or bottom of foam shapes. Holding toothpick, paint shapes as follows: cones, tan; gingerbread, medium brown; ice cream, metallic pink pearl; cherries, red; cupcakes and mints, metallic white pearl. While paint is still wet, lightly sprinkle shapes with ultra-fine glitter. Insert toothpicks into scrap foam to dry.
    
4. Place paper muffin cups upside down on waxed paper. Paint cups red; let dry.
    
5. Draw gingerbread features using paint bottle tip, or liner brush, and metallic white pearl. Use round brush to paint red swirls on both sides of mints. Use paint bottle tip and light brown to add diagonal lattice pattern around sides of each ice cream cone. 
    
6. Twist chenille stems ends together at back of wreath to make hanger. Lightly spray wreath with white/silver pearl paint; apply more paint to random areas, if desired.
    
7. Cut 2 yd. length from ribbon. Twist ribbon into eight-loop bow with center knot. Center bow over remaining ribbon length; wire center of bow to center of tails. Wire bow to center top of wreath. Spray bow and wreath with iridescent glitter paint. Cut ribbon ends in a "v".
    
8. Use glue gun to assemble treats. Break two toothpicks in half. Glue half toothpick into bottom of each cherry. In same way, glue two whole toothpicks into bottoms of each ice cream scoop. Working with one shape at a time, apply glue to protruding toothpick ends and flat sides of cherries, ice cream, and cupcakes. Glue cherries to cupcakes; glue cupcakes into muffin cups. Glue ice cream to cones. Let dry.
    
9. Place wreath flat on work surface. Glue large gingerbread boys to ribbon tails; arrange as desired. Using photo as guide, glue remaining shapes to wreath. Let dry.