Valentine's Candy Bouquet

My little girl is gonna flip her wig!

I saw these in the grocery store for way more money then the sum of the parts and thought "I can do that"

Step 1: Materials

So 15 minutes later I'm out of the grocery store with a bag full of candy that I know she loves and am on the way to the craft store.

I picked up a medium sized vase. (Check the tag I found "MADE IN THE USA" right next to "MADE IN CHINA" for the same price.

I grabbed 2 spools of ribbon, pink striped paper drinking straws and a styrofoam cone that was apporpriately sized to the vase.

That's it other than tape, scissors and a couple assorted drill bits I already had at the house.

Step 2: Trim the Styrofoam

Trim the styrofoam even with the neck of the vase.

It will serve to hold all the candy in place.

Step 3: Load Up the Base

I started with a bag of licorice bites. It would have taken 2 bags to fill it completely but I wanted to ring the vase with the peppermint bark.

They wouldn't stay in place on their own so I ran a piece of tape up the back and attached them to the vase.

After its all in, re-insert and cone and kinda wiggle, turn, twist it in until it bottoms out.

Step 4: Prep the Candy

Tape a paper straw to the back of each of the candy boxes.

Keep the straws as long as possible. You can always trim them done later.

The heavier boxes got 2 straws, side-by-side. I tried a single straw on the Good-N-Plenties and it buckled under the weight.

Step 5: Arrange the Bouquet

I used 2 drills bits to pierce the foam. The smaller bit is for the single straws and is the same size as the straws.

The larger bit is for the double straws.

No Drill, just twist the bit by hand back and forth.

I started with the biggest box in the middle, Medium boxes on either side and small stuff around the edges.

I put a couple in the back as well to kinda even everything out.

If you place a piece and it seems too tall, trimm the straw down a bit with scissors.

Step 6: Tie the Bow

No credit taken here. I got the "how-to" from another instructable

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Tie-a-Flori...

I would have taken pictures along the way but my hands were busy.

My bow didn't come out nearly as nice, but it was my first attempt.

I attached the bow to the vase with florists wire and then to hie the wire I ran the pink ribbon around the vase collar.

I know she's gonna love it.

I hope you do, too.