DIY Cotton Candy Garland

Ok guys, I have a confession to make. I'm a cotton candy addict. I loooove cotton candy. I know I shouldn't love it quite so much- it's pure sugar, and I'm a 27 year old woman. But something about that magical and fluffy cloud of candy tastes so good. Yes, I actually still eat it. Most people just admire it or decorate things with it, but I eat it. The only negative thing about cotton candy (besides the inevitable cavities) is the fact that the colored ones turn your mouth all kinds of colors. Then I get to walk around all day after a sporting event with blue lips, while people stare and my fiancé laughs at me. Oh well, c'est la vie. Luckily for you guys, this cotton candy won't turn your mouth any kinds of colors! Well, unless you try to eat it... I can't speak to that. With only a few steps, this garland is the cutest and easiest way to display your love for cotton candy. 

You will need:

Cotton Candy Picks (from Oriental Trading)
Ribbon (Mine was from Michael's on clearance)
Glue gun
Scissors (here)
 

1. Peel the sticks off the cotton candy picks. I recommend starting at the bottom tip of the cone, since it's the most delicate part. 

2. Cut off the tabs on the fluffy part of the cotton candy that keep it open. They're the teardrop shaped parts in the photo above.

3. Glue the honeycomb top open. Hold in place for a few seconds until the glue dries.

4. Once you've glued all your honeycombs open, grab your ribbon. Leave a few inches on the end so that you can hang it up. Then, glue the cotton candy evenly spaced out.

5. Hang it up and enjoy!

And there you have it! A quick and simple banner DIY that'll sweeten up any party. It would also make a really sweet addition to a little girl's room, your desk at work, basically anywhere you'd want to declare your love for cotton candy.

Do you still eat cotton candy, or do you have a different guilty snack you love? Let me know in the comments below!

DIY Circus Animal Drink Stirrers

2017 is off to a wild start, huh? Call me psychic, but I see a lot of drinking in our future. It's best that we get prepared and start crafting the cutest barware, starting right here with these circus animal drink stirrers. These party animals are sure to brighten up your day, no matter what's going on. As a bonus, they're so easy to make that you can create a set for yourself, and a few additional sets to give your friends as gifts. These are easy enough to make on your own, but I had the assistance of my handy fiancé. If you've got a guy (or gal!) in your life, this could be a fun bonding experience and a cool thing to whip out at parties. You'll excitedly proclaim "we made these!" as all your friends ooh and ahh. It'll be magical. Ok, enough talk already. Let's get to crafting, shall we? ;)

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You will need: 

Plastic circus animals (here)
Clear plastic stir sticks (here)
Glossy acrylic paint (similar here)
Drill (here)
11/64 inch drill bit (here)
Slip joint pliers (here)
E6000 glue (here)
Electric tape (here)
 

Step 1: Take your circus animal and place the drill bit against it at desired depth. Put a small piece of tape at the stop point to make sure you don't drill too far.

Step 2: Using your slip joint pliers, hold the circus animal steady.

Step 3: Slowly and carefully drill a hole in the middle of your circus animal until you hit the tape marker. Repeat for all your animals.

Here's a little behind the scenes sneak peek of my fiancé in action. He's so handy and I'm so lucky to have him! All I did was briefly explain what I needed. He led me to the garage (his version of my studio), searched around his workbench and collected a few supplies. Then we did one drink stirrer as a test and bam! It came out perfectly :)

Step 4: Paint your circus animals using glossy acrylic paint. You can also use spray paint (which would be faster and probably better coverage), but I'm in NYC and it's freakin freezing outside haha.

It took me about 2-3 coats of paint to cover them. I did one overall coat, then a thicker coat on each side. Finally, I did touch-up where I covered any missed spots, or anywhere that I accidentally touched.

This reminds me of that scene in The Lion King where all the animals gather at Pride Rock to see Simba for the first time. But the much more colorful version. The circle of life.

Step 5: Assemble your stir stick by putting the smaller side into the hole you drilled. It should be a fairly tight fit and not even need glue! If you prefer them to be in more permanently, put a tiny dab of E600 glue on your stir stick before assembling. Let dry according to directions. 

And now you're ready for a day at the circus! I think these stirrers would make a perfect gift for friends, along with a couple of cute drinking glasses. I'm also trying to stop myself from bringing some to work so that I can have a party with my morning cup of tea ;) So what day you think of these drink stirrers? How do you plan to use them?