Mummy Conversations

"What did one mummy say to the other mummy?"

This must be the year of the mummies here at Pretty Petunia.  I was sending a Halloween package to my favorite missionary and all of this mummy goodness just kind of rolled out of my brain.

So let's talk about Mummy Pretzels.  I LOVE chocolate covered pretzels.  But not just any chocolate covered pretzels...they must first be dipped in caramel.  Caramel makes everything better.  Most people like to use the long pretzel rods.  But not me.  I much prefer the Rold Gold Wheat and Honey Twists.  They are delicious.  And they provide a much better chocolate caramel to pretzel ratio!  Let's be honest.  The pretzel is merely the vehicle for all that other goodness.  Don't worry--there will still be plenty of pretzel at the bottom for a little "handle".

So go buy a bag of wheat and honey twists.  I'll wait.

Now you will need some caramel.  Obviously.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I prefer the homemade caramel route.  But I do not discriminate.  Whatever is easiest for you.  Make some.  Buy some.  You will find no judgment here.  When your caramel is all warm and melty, dip the pretzel twist.  I like to pour my caramel into a glass cup measure with a handle.  Just hold the pretzel rod by one end and dip the other.  Easy.  Let it firm up on a Silpat mat (or a greased cookie sheet).

After your caramel has cooled onto your pretzel, you are going to dip it into milk chocolate.  I like to use the Guittard milk chocolate discs.  Melt them in a glass cup in the microwave at 30-40 percent power for 30-40 second intervals.  Stir frequently until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Dip your caramel pretzels into the chocolate and tap off the excess.  Place them on the Silpat mat again or on a piece of parchment paper. Let them solidify.  You may want to pop them into the freezer for a minute or two.

Now melt some white chocolate discs in a plastic bag or in a squeeze bottle.  Use the white chocolate to stripe your pretzels.  Just snip the corner off of the plastic bag.  It will work fine!  We are going for a bandaged look here...so stripe away!

After the white chocolate has solidified, you will want to add some eyes.  Use the same technique that we followed here.

Package three or four to a bag.  Otherwise, how will they chat amongst themselves?

Top it all off with this bag topper!

And give them to all your favorite goblins and ghosts...of corpse!

Mummy Pops

 

Whew.  That was a long break.  Far too long.

Let's bring this blog back from the dead...with Mummy Pops!

You'll want to dig way back in the archives for instructions on how to make these delicious twix pops.  Dip them in the milk chocolate and definitely stripe them with white chocolate.  You want the white chocolate to look like mummy bandages.  I tapped the pop a bit while the chocolate was still warm to smooth out the lines a little.  Let the chocolate harden.  Then take some black circle sprinkles and "glue" them on or between the "bandages".  Use a small amount of warm white chocolate as your "glue".  I just dipped a toothpick into the chocolate and dabbed it where I wanted the eyes to be.  Then carefully place the eyes over the dabs and apply a little pressure with the other end of the toothpick to make sure they are really attached well.  I used a Halloween sprinkle mix.  It had green and purple and black circular sprinkles.  I think they ended up to be the perfect size for my little mummies!

Let your mummy pops set up really well before you package them.  I put them in a small plastic bag and twisted the plastic around the lollipop stick.  Then I secured the end with some clear tape.

To "dress" your mummy you will need some gauze.  I found a new roll of gauze in my first aid kit.  You want it to be about an inch wide.  Cut it into 6" strips and wrap each one around the stick.  I liked leaving a little "collar" at the top and some fringe at the end.  Secure it in place with glue.

And that's it!  You're done.  Aren't these the cutest little mummies you've ever seen?

No go...relax and unwind!

*****

I'm linking up with:

Skip To My Lou

Christmas Treat Boxes

Back by popular demand....treat boxes!  Christmas style!

These are perfect for giving to friends and teachers.  Anyone really.  Follow these easy steps to make your own:

1.  Download and print the file.

2.  Follow the general assembly instructions from this post.  You will need some double sided sticky tape.  I liked to orient my Santa so the point of the triangle is at the top of his hat.  As for Rudolph, you will want the point of the triangle at his chin.  The snowmen can be oriented either way.

 

3.  If you wanted to get all fancy-pants you can embellish your containers a bit.  You could put a small white pompom on Santa's hat or a red pompom for Rudolph's nose.  Put a bow around Rudolph's neck.  You get the idea.  Have some fun!

3.  Fill your little container of cuteness with some Christmas candy.  I chose to use m&m candies of all varieties.  But the sky's the limit here people!  Well, as long as your candies are smallish.

4.  Seal your containers and give them to all of your friends and loved ones this Christmas!


Enjoy!  And have a very merry Christmas.

Christmas Candy Calendar 2012

 

 

Grab your glue guns and a bag of candy!!  It's that time of year again. 

Time to make a candy calendar!  Remember this one from last year?  I made an updated version for 2012.  I've pretty much done all of the hard work for you.  It's basically a four step process.

Step One:  Click here to print your calendar onto a piece of heavy card stock.

Step Two:  Use your glue gun to carefully glue a piece of candy (small wrapped candy works best) to each square of the calendar.

This is a great step for the kids to help with.  I put the glue on the back of the candy and let her press it onto the paper.

 Step Three:  Cut a strip of heavy cardboard (I used a piece of a box) to reinforce your calendar if your candy is particularly heavy.  I cut my strip eleven inches long and three inches wide.  Punch two holes on each side of the top of your calendar.  You will also need to punch matching holes in your cardboard.  The card board strip obviously goes on the back of the calendar where it won't be seen.

Step Four:  Thread some ribbon through the holes and tie it in a bow at the top.  Hang your calendar in a place of distinction, and enjoy!

We went with a red and white candy theme.  You can buy one bag of your favorite candy and use the same kind for each day.  Or buy a variety of candy to mix things up a bit. 

 "So simple...so easy...so perfectly perfect!" (Name that children's book!)

I had a lot of candy left-over.  It would be really fun to make a bunch of these and gift them to your friends.  Or hide your candy in the back of the pantry and save it for a really fun project that I will be posting soon.  Which is of course, what I did.  Can't wait to show you what I have up my sleeve!

[The Gratitude Project] Cousins!

Today I am thinking about extended family...and cousins in particular.  Cousins are like instant best friends.  The only sad thing about our cousins, is that they live so far away!  Let's do a shout out to cousins today and send them some fun mail!

Cousins and corny go hand in hand, right?  That's what I figured.  So I came up with this corny pun. (To print your own tags, click here)

And I bought a lot of candy.  Grrr-ape flavored candy.

And I put in a clear box to amp up the fun.

And we wrote a little note on the back of the card.

We sealed it, we addressed it, and we dropped it in the mail.

Fun mail!  It's what makes cousins happy!

Scarecrow Spree

 Now these are really something to crow about!

Remember this guy?  Let me introduce you to his country cousins...

This could very well be the fastest cutest treat you will ever make.  All you need is four simple supplies.

1.  Scarecrow wrapper (FREE--just click on the link)
2.  Chewy Spree or something similar (I bought mine at our local grocery store for 69 cents)
3.  Glue stick (I consider this to be basically free--just dig a stick out of your craft drawer.)
4.  2" straw or sinamay doll hat (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby.  A package of eight was 99 cents! I was hoping for a natural straw color.  All they had left was red.  But hey, it's a scarecrow--he'll take whatever you got!)

Print and cut out the scarecrow wrappers.  Wrap them around your candy tube and secure in place with the glue stick.  Put a hat on the scarecrow's cute little head and you are done!

I told you.  Fast.  And you get all this cuteness for under a dollar.  These would make great little gifts for friends or teachers.  Need a craft for a Halloween party?  I got you covered!

Now go make a whole corn field of them!

I am linking up with:

Skip to My Lou

Lil Luna
Whipperberry

(The plaid shirts were made using various papers from Weeds and Wildflowers Design)

Bus Driver Appreciation

**CHECK OUT MY NEW MAIL TRUCK CANDY WRAPPERS

We just had a whole week devoted to appreciating teachers.  But, why should they get all the fun?  There are so many people that make the school year successful and keep our children safe and happy.  As I was making this little gift, I kept thinking that those little candy bars would make the cutest little buses!  And I was right!

You know by now, that I have a little love affair going on with these Hershey Nuggets.  They are the most fun candy to work with.  And they taste great too!  To make these little gems, just follow the steps below:

1.  Print out the digital file 

2.  Cut-out the "buses" and the bag topper.

3.  Wrap the "buses" around a Hershey Nugget and secure in place with tape or glue.  I like to use glue dots.

4.  Toss your "buses" into a cellophane bag.

5.  Fold your bag topper in half and staple over the cellophane bag.

6.  Greet your bus driver with this little goodie tomorrow morning and let them know how much you appreciate them!

These little buses are also terrific for bus themed birthday parties or back-to-school treats!
 

[Prom Week] Lest We Forget the Boys

I was at the grocery store and found some Breathsavers on clearance for ...50 cents!  Perfect.  I'll take seven.  I wrapped them in brown kraft paper and glued on a little yellow "button".  Finished it off by stamping p-r-o-m in black ink.  Simple and fast.  That's how I roll.

**We had the big party last night.  If the smiles and laughter and really full bellies are any indication, I'd call it a huge success!  I will post more of the details as soon as I sort through the hundreds of photos that were taken.

[teacher appreciation] Nuggets of Wisdom

Teacher Appreciation Week is coming right up.  I thought I would share a few ideas that I've had over the next few days.  For the first time in many many years, I don't have any children in the elementary school.  But this idea is very adaptable.  You could send it with your little one to preschool, or with your teenagers to give to a favorite teacher.  Everyone likes to be appreciated!  This is also easy to do with your children or as an entire classroom.  I was the room mother for my daughter's sixth grade class last year.  The PTA asked me to take over the classroom for 45 minutes to give the teacher an extra long lunch.  We did something similar to this to keep the children busy and show our appreciation as an entire class.  So, it's up to you!  Adapt away.

Nuggets of Wisdom:

You will need just a few supplies:

 Hershey's Nuggets (these are the most useful candy!)
scrapbook paper-I chose a school themed design
tape
pencils or pens
plastic pillow box or other suitable container
paper band and tag

Cut your paper into strips that will wrap around each candy bar.  Mine measured an inch in width and three inches in length.

Have your child (or all of the students) write something on the back of each paper strip that they learned this year from their teacher.   Some wonderful bit of wisdom that the teacher shared with them.  It could be something as simple as learning to write their name.  Or maybe something more complex like the Pythagorean Theorem or Newton's Laws of Physics.  Maybe they had a great literary experience or learned the lyrics to a particularly awesome song.  Whatever.

Next you just tape the paper strips around the candy bars and package it up all cute. I chose to put my candy bars in this darling plastic pillow box that I found at my local copy store.  If you are doing this on a larger scale you will need a larger cellophane bag or box.

To finish it off, I made a paper band to wrap around the box.  I labeled it "nuggets of wisdom".  Then I made a thank you tag and included a quote from David Viscott.

"The purpose of life is to discover your gift.  The meaning of life is to give your gift away."

I just taped the band together around the back and punched a hole in the tag.  Then I attached it with some baker's twine.

It would be a lovely gesture to slip a gift card into the pillow box before you give it to your favorite teacher!  Thank goodness they are willing to share their gifts with our children!

I'm linking up with:

Skip To My Lou

[Easter] Candy Kabobs

Candy kabobs.   

So dang cute!  

Grab yourself some soft-ish Easter candy.  I opted for salt water taffy, and large gumdrops in bright spring colors.  The crowning jewel?  Peeps!  You could definitely add mini candy bars or other chocolates.  I decided I wanted a non-meltable version.  But that's the fun of it--you get to add what you like.  You will also need some skewers or sticks.  I happened to have some  super awesome swizzle sticks.  They worked perfectly.  Thread your candy onto your stick.  That's it! 

Stack them, arrange them, put them in a cute vase. Above all, try not to eat them all in one sitting.

(For the record, we paired ours with this and dropped it on a neighbor's porch all ninja-like!)

[St Patrick's Day] Peppermint Patty Favor

 
Are you looking for a quick little treat to give to your friends, co-workers, or teacher this St Patrick's Day?  Do you need a simple party favor?  Have I got an idea for you!  It only takes three items to pull this cute favor off.

1.  Pearson's Peppermint Patty  (I bought the large patties-there are 2 per package)
2.  Cute little tag (print out below)
3.  baker's twine or ribbon (green of course)

Print out the tags and cut them out.  Punch out the holes on each side.  Thread the twine through the holes and wrap around the peppermint patty package.  Tie it in a bow.  That's it.  You're done.  Give them away to all of your lucky friends and they won't even be tempted to pinch you!

I chose to put a white wrapper around my candy first, so the tag would show up better (you know, for the pictures).  I pulled out a white envelope and sealed it.  Then I cut off each side and slid my candy in.  Simple.

*****

I'm linking up with:

Skip To My Lou

Blue Cricket Designs 
Itsy Bitsy Paper Blog 
Whipperberry
Every Creative Endeavor
I Heart Nap Time 
The Tablescaper

[Birthday] Pull-String Pinata Part Two

Finally.  Our pinata is completely dry.  I am so excited to decorate it and stuff it full of goodness.  Shall we?

I was in a bit of a hurry and neglected to take some pictures of the next few steps.  But, I'm sure that you will be able to picture it in your mind. 

1.  As you can see, I decided to spray paint my pinata bright pink.  I didn't want the newsprint showing through.  I would advise you to not paint it in the garage unless you want a bright pink garage floor.  Yeah.

2.  Pop the balloon.  I just grabbed the elastic string that I left intact, pulled on it a little and snipped off the end of the balloon.  (It makes the weirdest noises as it pulls away from the paper!) By the way, the hole left behind by the elastic string will become the top of your pinata.  This is important.

3.  Cut a "trap door" on the bottom of your pinata using an exacto or a utility knife.  I cut a circular door leaving only an inch or two uncut on one side for the hinge.  (Don't forget to pull out the old shriveled up balloon)

4.  You will need a ribbon to hang your pinata from.  A two inch wide grosgrain ribbon would work well.  I cut mine about two feet long.  Tie your ribbon around a popsicle stick and thread it through the hole at the top of the pinata.  You know, the hole the elastic string used to go through.  The stick will prevent the ribbon from pulling loose. (see the picture in step 6)

 
5.  Prepare your candy or toys for stuffing the pinata.  I opted to stuff mine with individual treat bags instead of loose candy.  Put all of the goodies inside your pinata.  I also put lots of confetti inside of mine.  You should know by now that I love confetti!

6.  Poke a hole in the bottom of your pinata.  Tie another ribbon around a popsicle stick and thread it through this hole.  You could tape the stick to the inside of the trap door if you want.  This will be the "pull-string" that opens the pinata.  Once again, the popsicle stick prevents the ribbon from pulling loose.

7.  Seal the trap door closed.  You don't need much.  A few strips of tape should do the trick.  You don't want the door to open on it's own, but you do want it to open when the pull string is, well, "pulled".

8.  Decorate the outside of your pinata.  I considered lots of techniques.  I loved this one and this one and this one.  But I wanted to do something a bit different.  Really girly and pink.  I decided on ruffles.  I used two different shade of pink crepe paper streamers.

9.  If you want ruffles too, follow this tutorial to ruffle your crepe paper streamers.

10.  Hot glue your ruffles onto your pinata.  Turn your pinata upside-down and work your way towards the top.  A helper comes in really handy for this step.  Make sure your ruffles don't prevent your trap door from opening!

11.  All that you have left to do, is to glue some more ribbons to the bottom of your pinata.  (you can kind of see them at the bottom of this photo.)  These are the fake pull-strings.  It adds to the suspense.  Trust me.  I used a bit of hot glue on the tip of the ribbon and it worked just great.  You want these to come off with a gentle pull.  I glued the same amount of ribbons as girls that would be attending the party.  Each girl was able to pull a string in the hopes that it would open the pinata.  But only the true "pull string" worked!  And amazingly the true pull string was the last one to be pulled!  ( I never was one for swinging the bat haphazardly around)

 And there you have it!  A bright pink ruffly girly pinata.  Does it get any better than that?

Did you miss Part One?  CLICK HERE