Easter craft with peeps...my take on the popular peeps topiary

So as I said I'm on an Easter Pinterest hunt and one of the things I kept seeing when I searched for Easter Kids crafts was this Peeps Topiary.  Woman's Day Magazine published the original story/idea and it's super cute. It's been repinned a bunch of times and I totally understand why.  I mean, I'm not a huge fan of eating Peeps, but decorating with them...why, yes, I could do that!

Like I mentioned in my post about the Easter 2-for-1 dessert, I went on a little (okay, BIG) Easter shopping spree at Walmart the other day...oh, and I might just have also happened to swing by AC Moore for a few crafting supplies. Anyway, I had four boxes of peeps, spray paint, and the easter grass that was needed.   I knew I had a little clay planter pot in the garage, but I was still on the hunt for a dow needed as the "stem."  (I got a few old cross stitching rings from my mom.)

I'm in the middle of potty training my 22 month old son, so running around looking for this dow was not my top priority.  However, when I get an idea in my head - look out because it consumes my thoughts...keeps me up at night and drives me basically crazy until I do it!  To say I was being a bit inpatient about getting this thing on my mantle might be an understatement so I went hunting for a stick in my front yard.  Basically that means I stepped out the front door and picked up the first one that looked long and strong enough. But I almost underestimated the power of peeps.


The original directions suggest hot gluing the dow to the wooden cross stitching ring right at the screw first and then hot gluing the peeps (in attached sections of five) around the ring.  Did I mention I'm inpatient? Yeah... Okay so that will explain why I glued the peeps on the ring first - because I had literally just spray painted the stick I found out front.  I gave the spray paint about a good 5 minutes to dry while I was gluing the peeps on and then I attempted to glue it to the ring.

Here's the thing, the ring of peeps is so heavy there's no freaking way a little dow would hold it. My stick is at least 2 times as thick as the dow they suggest using and not nearly as tall and the peeps topiary top was falling over.  As I'm trying to do this on my counter (while my husband and kids nap, therefore offering no help) I am scrounging through my kitchen drawers with one hand.  Ah ha, I find a pair of wooden chopsticks within reach and decide I will use them to add extra support.  (Gotta love leftover Chinese!) They are easy to hide behind my stick and they easily go into the foam piece I have hidden inside the little basket.

About four sticks of hot glue later...my take on the popular peeps topiary is sitting pretty on my mantle.

Finally, I can sleep easy.