Mother's Day Craft's

A Gumdrop Garden

MOM'S EDIBLE FLOWERS FROM FAMILYFUN

This mother's day, your kids can say it with
flowers by planting a row of candy tulips in a
cake and cookie garden.

Here is what you will need:

• a pound cake or other loaf-shaped cake
  (homemade or store-bought),
  
• chocolate frosting,
• ladyfingers,
• chocolate wafer cookies,
• sugar,
• gumdrops
• green toothpicks.

PREPARE THE FLOWER BED:

Ice the top and sides of the pound cake with
chocolate frosting. Then trim the top of each
ladyfinger into a point to resemble a fence
picket. Gently press the pickets against the
frosted sides of the loaf cake.

Seal a handful of chocolate wafer cookies in a
plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
Sprinkle the crumb "soil" on top of the loaf
cake.

PLANT A ROW OF TULIPS:

Sprinkle sugar onto waxed paper. Roll the gumdrops
to a 1/4-inch thickness using a rolling pin on
the waxed paper surface. With kitchen scissors,
cut notches in the tops of the flattened gumdrops
to create tulip shapes (see photo). Insert a
toothpick stem into the base of each blossom.

Make a pair of leaves for each tulip by trimming
flattened green gumdrops into teardrop shapes
(see photo). Spear the base of each leaf with the
toothpick stem and push it halfway up the stem.
Now plant the tulips in the cake. For a fun
finishing touch, sprinkle coconut tinted with
green food coloring around the garden to resemble
grass.

Bath Buddies

This project is rated EASY to do.

What You Need:

• Ivory Snow detergent (or any other soap flakes)
  If you can't find soap flakes, see tips.
  
• Liquid food colouring
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Bowl
• String (if you want soap on a rope)

How To Make It:

In a bowl pour approximately 3 cups of soap
flakes. Add 1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of water with a
few drops of food colouring added to it. With your
hands mix the contents of the bowl until it forms
the consistency of play dough. To shape it, take a
drop or two of vegetable oil and rub it between
the palm of your hands -- now shape anyway you
wish. If you want to make a soap on a rope, cut a
piece of string and tie the ends together. Push
the knotted end gently into the your finished
shape. Let the completed soap stand to set over
night.

Tips:

If you can't find soap flakes, you can make your
own. Get some bars of pure soap and finely grate
them to make soap powder. This powder may not need
as much water to be workable. Start with just 1/3
to 1/2 cup per 3 cups of soap powder. Add more as
needed. Make shaped soap with candy molds. Press
soap dough into lightly greased candy molds. Let
set-up overnight before unmolding.