Goodie Goodie Gum Drops

Are these not the cutest topiary trees for the Christmas season, I love to make them and children love to see and eat them. Here is how they are made...

Gum Drop Topiary Tutorial

Product list...
Clay Pot
Acrylic Paints **two colors I used red and white**
Cracking medium
paint brushes
faster plaster
large candy cane **be sure when shopping for them you get the ones that are not cracked or broken, this can be a major task at some stores especially this close to Christmas. **
Foam Balls
tooth picks
Gum Drops
ribbon

Tutorial...
Clean clay pot with soap and water, let dry.
Paint on your light paint color, let dry.
Paint on your cracking medium per directions on bottle.
Paint on your top color, let dry.
**let you pot dry for a few days, clay pots will absorb the moisture of the paint and it takes a couple of days for the pot to completely cure**
Mix up your faster plaster per directions.
Tape a penny over the outside bottom hole of your pot.
Fill your pot 1/3 full of your plaster.
**let you pot cure once again for a couple of days same applies with the plaster as it did with the paint.**
Cut one of your foam balls in half.
Place the cut ball flat side up inside of your pot.
Take your wrapper off of your candy cane and place the cane into the foam.
Take your top foam ball and mark your hole for your cane, carve out with a knife.
Place ball on top of your cane to make sure you get a tight fit then remove the ball.
Break toothpicks in half.
Place one gum drop onto the broken side of the toothpick.
Pace your toothpick into the foam, random placement looks best.
When your ball is full place it on top of your candy cane.
Tie a bow at the bottom of the Ball.
Cover bottom of ball in the pot with extra gum drops.

Put CHRIST back in CHRISTmas in 2008...
Meaning of the Candy cane from {Noel...}

The use of candy canes on Christmas trees made its way to America by the 1800’s, however during this time they were still pure white. They are represented this way on Christmas cards made before 1900, and it is not until the early 20th century that they appear with their familiar red stripes.

Many people have given religious meaning to the shape and form of the candy cane. It is said that its shape is like the letter “J” in Jesus’ name. It is also in the shape of the shepherds’ crook, symbolic of how Jesus, like the “Good Shepherd” watches over his children like little lambs. It is a hard candy, solid like a “rock”, the foundation of the Church. The flavor of peppermint is similar to another member of the mint family, hyssop. In the Old Testament hyssop was used for purification and sacrifice, and this is said to symbolize the purity of Jesus and the sacrifice he made.

Some say the white of the candy cane represents the purity of Jesus and his virgin birth. The bold red stripe represents God’s love. The three fine stripes are said by some to represent the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Others say they represent the blood spilled at the beating Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers.

From its plain early beginnings to its familiar shape and color of today, the candy cane is a symbol of Christmas and a reminder of the meaning of the holiday.