Aww...Can't you just picture a child's wide-eyed gaze looking up at the tower of candy you've created? Their imagination running wild with excitement at the thought of having it all to themselves...
Always looking for school auction or raffle ideas? You are not alone! It seems there's always another reason to fundraise, and this easy and inexpensive jumbo candy tower is sure to attract kids of all ages! Wanna try it?
All you'll need is:
1. Candy....think bulk bins and $1 Store
2. Cardboard Cupcake Stand
3. Poster Board, 1 Sheet
4. 2 White Foam Circles (Dollar Tree)
5. Board for Base (I used a sheet cake board!)
5. Hot Glue Gun
6. Toothbrush...just for fun!
7. Clear Cellophane
I know it looks like it took a lot of time, but it went together in only an hour start to finish. I just wish I had taken photos while working...when I make another I'll add them to this post! So, for the shopping, I spent about $15 on candy (Chicklets, Bazooka Gum, Laffy Taffy, Lemon Heads, Kisses, Pixie Sticks, Smarties, Sixlets, and Lollipops), PopTarts, and fruit snacks to fill my tower. I did not buy any candy with nuts due to the potential for allergic reactions, but maybe I'm just over-cautious!
So, to assemble the tower you'll begin by cutting the poster board into strips that will fit between the tiers of your cupcake stand. Once this is done, you will roll the poster board to create a circle around the stands center. I stapled the poster board top and bottom, then used the hot glue gun to adhere it to the bottom tier of the stand. Then attach the second tier, and repeat the application of the poster board. After attaching the third tier, I pushed the two foam rings over the top of the stand (mine had kind of a handle or top decorative portion.) The foam was secured with a little hot glue. Now, this is where is gets fun! You just start at the bottom and apply the large, flat items first (in my case PopTarts, Chicklets and Lemon Heads). You'll want to space them out before glueing down to ensure a well laid out design. Then using the smaller wrapped candies fill in all the blank spaces until you can no longer see the poster board or foam. For the tower's topper I pushed the lollipops directly into the foam, and put a toothbrush in the center...cause let's be honest, they'll need one after eating all these sweets! Then I glued the tower to the cake board and glued some fruit snacks around the base for added effect. Lastly, I wrapped the tower with cellophane to prevent sticky fingers. And, that's it, you've got a quick, easy and cheap auction or raffle item that's sure to be a crowd pleaser!
"Mirror, mirror on the wall...whose's the fairest of them all?" Well, I transformed these $1 mirrors into a sell-out at my eldest daughter's recent dance team competition's gift table. Fairest? Well, at least cutest! And, they're super easy and inexpensive to make.
I started with black hand mirrors I purchased at the local Dollar Tree for, you guessed it, a dollar. I like the mirrors in black because of the versatility, but of course you can customize it to fit your needs (my store also had navy, maroon and dark green). Then using scraps of ribbon, tulle and some rhinestones I made each mirror unique. Why not add more bling? Well, in this case, I wanted to keep the cost down to maximize profits but go crazy if you want!
I began by using an ordinary pencil to write the word I would be outlining with rhinestones. Then I used my heat-setting tool and set the rhinestones. But, here's what I learned...the hard way! Even though the tool is literally melting the stone to the plastic once it cools the stones don't always stick. So, I switched to some high-powered craft glue that dries clear and that did the trick! On some mirrors, I used sequins to outline the letters which was cute too. You'll see in the pictures that I also added some jewels along the handle, then lastly, added the ribbon and tulle around the top. I secured this with a hot-glue gun front and back. Voila! You're ready for your close-up!
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| "Shine" |
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| "Frilly Pink Heart" |
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| "Hi!" |
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| "Sass" |
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| "V.I.P" |
This is just a sample of the mirrors I made, and I must say it was really fun to think of words that would appeal to a high school dance team member (social media buzz words, slang, etc.). I would also suggest using team colors to really make the girls fall for them! But, best of all the other teams just loved them, and many told their parents which one to buy them via text before the parents even had arrived. They would also make a fun 'welcome to the team' or senior send-off gift. Not to mention...they would be great as a party favor for that little princess in your life!
Hello! I suppose I should begin where most new bloggers do, with an introduction. I am a married rarely-at-home-unpaid-for-her-work mother of two beautiful daughters living on 5+ acres in rural Washington County, Oregon. Why blog? I need a sense of purpose. I've spent the last 9 years doing countless tasks around my girls' grade school, and as they move on to bigger things, I thought it might be fun to share my projects with other moms who may be looking for some inspiration. Specifically, I'll be posting elementary school Art Literacy projects, crafts for the high school dance team moms out there, and the type of things you'd expect to learn in Home Ec 101 (sewing techniques and projects, crowd pleasing recipes, entertaining ideas, and homekeeping solutions). Sounds fun, right?! Well, I guess you'll have to follow along and find out!
