Candy Melts – kerricreates

Hot Cocoa Mug (Christmas) Marshmallow Pops

Published on January 5, 2022 by kerricreatesblogLeave a comment

Christmas came and went, and while I had great intentions to add some new holiday posts to my blog, I was too busy enjoying all of the fun activities to get to the blogging part. I guess these little Hot Cocoa Mug Marshmallow Pops can be tucked away on a Pinterest board for next Christmas 🙂

The past couple of years, our church has done a drive-thru Christmas Caroling event. My friend asked me to make cookies to pass out, but festive mallow pops are more fun than baking cookies for me, so I set out to make some really cute and Christmassy pops. These little guys were a bit trickier to make than I expected, but I think they turned out pretty cute.

Here’s what you will need to make your own Hot Cocoa Pops: peppermint candy canes (the ones I used were in between the typical big and small size), Jet Puffed Marshmallows, pretzels (broken up to create handles), candy melts in milk chocolate and bright white, Kraft Mallow Bits, various holiday sprinkles, parchment paper, and a Wilton’s squeeze bottle. #CommissionsEarned

STEP 1: LAY EVERYTHING OUT ON PARCHMENT PAPER SO YOU HAVE AN EASY WORKSPACE

STEP 2: MELT A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE CHOCOLATE CANDY MELTS. DIP A CANDY CANE IN THE CHOCOLATE AND PUSH INTO THE CENTER OF THE MARSHMALLOW. REPEAT

STEP 3: MELT A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE WHITE CANDY MELTS. DIP THE ENDS OF THE BROKEN PRETZEL IN THE WHITE MELTED CANDY AND SECURE TO THE SIDE OF THE MARSHMALLOW. REPEAT.

STEP 4: MELT THE REMAINDER OF THE WHITE CANDY MELTS. DIP EACH MARSHMALLOW, MAKING SURE TO COAT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE TOP OF THE MARSHMALLOW AND COVERING THE PRETZEL HANDLE. YOU MAY NEED TO WIPE OFF SOME OF THE DRIPS FROM THE BOTTOM BEFORE PLACING ON THE PARCHMENT PAPER TO DRY.

STEP 5: MELT THE REMAINDER OF THE MILK CHOCOLATE CANDY MELTS AND TRANSFER TO A SQUEEZE BOTTLE. WORKING QUICKLY, BEFORE THE CANDY MELTS SOLIDIFY, DRIZZLE MILK CHOCOLATE ALONG THE TOP OF EACH POP AND ADD A FEW FESTIVE SPRINKLES AND MALLOW BITS. THIS IS WHERE THE TRICKY PART COMES IN BECAUSE IT’S DIFFICULT TO ADD THE TOPPINGS AFTER THE CHOCOLATE HAS SET, SO YOU HAVE TO WORK FAST.

STEP 6: ENJOY!!!

These little Christmassy Pops are perfect for your holiday party or for adding to your plate of Christmas treats. I used a pretty cake platter in mint green next to my display of mini Christmas trees for some photos and then sent them off to be handed out at the Drive-Thru caroling event. #CommissionsEarned

For more fun Christmas Ideas check out the following blogposts:

Polar Express & Graham Cracker Trains

Turn Dad Into A Snowman

Advent

Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses

Glittery Christmas Tree Silhouettes

DIY Rustic Christmas Tree Banner

Valentine Hearts Cake

Published on February 19, 2018February 19, 2018 by kerricreatesblog1 Comment

Wilton’s Candy Melts are one of my favorite gems to use for fun holiday treats. Last year I used them to make a batch of yummy Valentine Marshmallow Pops. This year I picked up three bags from Michael’s in red, pink, and white to use for Valentine’s Day, and got to work creating these fun and festive swirly heart cake toppers for our family Valentine Cake. I love how they turned out, and my family (kids especially) loved eating the oversized candy hearts! Check out my simple tutorial to learn how to make these cuties using cookie cutters as templates. I’m excited to try them for other holidays too. Imagine green 4 Leaf Clovers for St. Patrick’s Day, pastel eggs for Easter, patriotic colored stars for the 4th of July. The possibilities are endless! You can use them to top a cake like I did, make smaller ones for cupcakes and cookies, or even top a cup of fruit with whipped cream for a healthier version.

For more Valentine Fun, check out these other links:

Valentine Words of Affirmation for Kids

Valentine Craft: Cookie Cutters & Paint

Valentine Paper Garlands

My Little Pony (Rainbow Dash) Marshmallow Pops

Published on October 3, 2017October 23, 2021 by kerricreatesblog2 Comments

This week, the much anticipate My Little Pony movie comes out in theaters. My girl and I have been waiting for this day ever since we saw the preview several months ago. To celebrate, I created these fun My Little Pony Rainbow Dash Marshmallow Pops, which according to my kids, are delicious! Whether you are planning a My Little Pony party or just want to make a fun treat on movie day, these Rainbow Dash pops are sure to be a huge hit!

I’ve included my video tutorial, above, with step by step instructions on how to make these tasty mallow pops, and below you will find the free printable Rainbow Dash template for the candy pony silhouettes. I’ve also added Rainbow Dash’s cutie mark in case you’d like to make some for your own pops. You will need white, blue, yellow, and red candy melts and four Wilton’s squeeze bottles to create the cloud and rainbow lightning bolt cutie marks. Square marshmallows are the perfect size for these pops and the rainbow Airhead Extremes are the perfect addition to represent her rainbow tail. Don’t forget to grab a package of lollipop sticks and you will have all that you need to make your own Rainbow Dash mallow pops. #CommissionsEarned

Rainbow Dash Template PDF

For more My Little Pony fun, check out my DIY My Little Pony Capes tutorial.

Portal Cookie Pops & Birthday Party

Published on March 9, 2017October 25, 2021 by kerricreatesblog3 Comments

My son, Micah, is a huge fan of the video games Portal and Portal 2. So for his 11th birthday, he decided to have a Portal themed party. I wanted to send a special treat for Micah to bring to school on his big day, so I went to work making these super tasty Portal Cookie Pops. He was so thrilled to bring them to share with all of his friends! You can watch my tutorial above if you want to make some of your own Portal Cookie Pops!

portal cookie pop topper template pdf

The party itself didn’t require a whole lot of preparation because Micah wanted to have it at a local “fun center” so that he and his buddies could play laser tag and ride go carts. I did want to add a couple of fun elements though, so I created these labels to make “Propulsion Gel” and “Repulsion Gel” to give to each of the kids.

According to theportalwiki.com , “Propulsion Gel is a bright orange substance that greatly reduces the friction of objects moving across the surface to which it is applied. Propulsion Gel also increases velocity, as objects covered in Propulsion Gel also have their friction reduced, causing them to slide around and be moved more easily. Repulsion Gel is a light blue substance that repels objects, and any player or object that hits a surface coated with Replusion Gel will bounce off.”

We used orange slime that we found in the dollar section at Target for the Propulsion Gel and blue Gatorades for the Repulsion Gel. It’s close to Easter, so we could only find orange slime in “carrot” containers. We transferred the slime into 4 0z extra small ziplock square containers with lids. These were the perfect size! I bought a 12 pack of 12 oz Gatorades, which were just the right amount for Micah’s party. #CommissionsEarned

Here are the printable templates I created for the Propulsion Gel and Repulsion Gel.

propulsion gel template pdf

repulsion gel template pdf

In Portal, there is also a specific cake that is talked about throughout the game. We definitely had to make a Real Portal Cake for Micah’s 11th birthday! Click here for my recent blogpost on How to Make a Real Portal Cake.

I would definitely have to say that Micah’s Portal Birthday Party was a huge success!

How to make a Real Portal Cake

Fall Leaf Cupcakes

Published on November 9, 2016October 29, 2021 by kerricreatesblog1 Comment

FALL!!! It’s my favorite time of year! Leaves are changing color and the weather is perfect! If you are looking for a simple and elegant cupcake to celebrate Fall or to add to your Thanksgiving dessert menu, take a few minutes to watch my tutorial and learn how to make these delicious edible leaf cupcake toppers! You will need a package of chocolate Wilton’s candy melts, a squeeze bottle, gold cupcake holders, chocolate cake mix, and vanilla frosting. #CommissionsEarned

For more fun Fall ideas check out some of my other blogposts:

Thanksgiving Turkey Place Cards

Thanksgiving Cake and Cupcakes

Breakfast Turkey

Thankful Tree

Thanksgiving (Turkey Handprint) Kids Table

Thanksgiving Cake and Cupcakes

Published on June 14, 2016October 29, 2021 by kerricreatesblog2 Comments

These Thanksgiving silhouettes made out of Wilton’s candy melts are the perfect edible toppers for your Thanksgiving cake and cupcakes. Simply print out silhouettes of pilgrims, indians, turkeys, and the Mayflower. Lay wax paper over your silhouettes. Melt your chocolates, place the melted candy in a Wilton’s squeeze bottle, and you are ready to create these delicious toppers. Watch my tutorial to learn how to create these festive toppers for your Thanksgiving feast and find more creative Thanksgiving ideas on my blogposts Thanksgiving (Turkey Handprint) Kids Table and Thanksgiving Turkey Place Cards . #CommissionsEarned

Sundae Cupcakes

Published on June 12, 2016October 23, 2021 by kerricreatesblog1 Comment

My oldest turned 14 this May. Fourteen! How is that even possible!?! He has decided that he is now too old for themed birthday parties. I told him that I was ok with not doing a theme this year as long as I could still make him some fun cupcakes. We decided on Sundae Cupcakes and they were definitely a good choice for a party of teenage boys. For these cupcakes I used Pillsbury Devil’s Food Cake mix, foil cupcake wrappers, vanilla buttercream frosting, Wilton’s light cocoa candy melts, Wilton’s rainbow jimmies sprinkles, and maraschino cherries with stems. I have to say, these were one of the easiest cupcakes to decorate and I love how they turned out! For a couple of tips on how to get the frosting and “hot fudge” just right, try using a large piping tip for the frosting and a squeeze bottle to drizzle the chocolate on top. You will have to work fast with the candy melts so that you can get to all of the cupcakes before the melted chocolate hardens. Be sure to add the sprinkles right after drizzling the layer of melted chocolate or they will not stick.

I also was able to make a variation of these cupcakes for a bake sale at my daughter’s school and I found that cherry sours candies make amazing “cherries” with their vibrant red color. Red cupcake liners are another nice touch. These delicious cupcakes were a huge hit and I will definitely be making them again in the near future. #CommissionsEarned

Pink Dinosaur Party

Published on June 12, 2016November 9, 2021 by kerricreatesblog2 Comments

For my daughter’s 5th birthday, she wanted a pink dinosaur party. Not your common theme…dinosaurs, yes… pink ones, no! Dollar store and spray paint to the rescue! I found 7 good sized plastic dinosaurs at the Dollar Tree and spray painted them bright pink. You can find similar dinosaurs here and then use this spray paint that bonds to plastic. I used card stock in several shades of pink to create most of the other decorations. Did you know that you can sew paper? I discovered this recently, and have been making the cutest and most cost effective decorations even since. I used my Cricut machine to cut circles and flower shapes in the various colors and then sat in front of my sewing machine with little stacks of these cut outs. In no time at all, I had 6 paper garlands to hang as the backdrop for the food table. I also used larger flower shapes cut from my Cricut in shades of pink and patterned scrapbooking paper to create a festive birthday banner for my girl. I found the pink dinosaur by googling “pink dinosaur” images online. Pink ribbon tied into bows held each individual letter together. #CommissionsEarned

Edible cupcake toppers are one of my favorite things to create. You can pretty much make a topper for any theme simply by printing a silhouette of it from the internet. I used Wilton’s candy melts in pink for the dinosaur silhouette toppers and for the pink marshmallow pops as well. Check out my blogpost on My Little Pony (Rainbow Dash) Marshmallow Pops for an edible cupcake topper tutorial.

My daughter wanted to do some dinosaur activities at her party. Her number one request was “pin the horn on the dinosaur.” I used a projector to trace a cute pink dinosaur onto a piece of poster board. I colored it pink and cut out a stack of horns for the kids to pin on. I also set up a water table outside with a bunch of plastic dinosaurs floating inside. Water play is always a big hit with preschoolers. Our picnic table became the craft table. I cut large dinosaur shapes out of card stock and put out glue, sequins, plastic beads, and googly eyes for the kids to decorate. My favorite activity of all was “make the dinosaur hatch.” A couple of days before the party, I filled water balloons with plastic dinosaurs and water. I tied them off and froze them. I brought out these frozen “dinosaur eggs” and handed one to each child. I gave them each a medicine dropper, added food coloring to cups of water and had the kids make their dinosaur hatch. They peeled the balloon off of the “ice egg” (some needed a little help from parents with this part). Then they took the colored water and squirted it over their egg until their little plastic dinos hatched out. #CommissionsEarned

Once again, the dollar store came through for the “thank you for coming” gifts. I was able to buy dinosaur eggs with a mini plastic dinosaur surrounded by pink and blue slime. To make them coordinate with our theme, I covered the back with a rectangle of pink card stock and made a front cover with the little pink dinosaur image and the words, “thank you for coming to my party.” My 5 year old girl was absolutely thrilled with her pink dinosaur party, and so was I. You can find a similar dinosaur egg party favor here.

For more kid friendly birthday party ideas check out some of my other blogposts:

Moana Birthday Party

Dolphin Birthday Party

Wings of Fire Birthday Party

Warriors Birthday Party

Art Themed (Zoom) Birthday Party

Dolphin Birthday Party

Published on June 10, 2016October 29, 2021 by kerricreatesblog3 Comments

My daughter, Karis, fell in love with dolphins after watching the Dolphin Tale movies last year. The day after her 5th birthday party she declared that for her 6th birthday she wanted to have a dolphin party. This was so much fun to plan! With the help of the dollar store and Michael’s, I was able to create all of the under the sea decor for under $20. I used paper lanterns cut in half and ribbon to make 3 jellyfish. Crepe paper in two shades of green worked perfectly as seaweed. White balloons in various sizes and thumb tacked to the wall formed a line of bubbles. The net held several stuffed dolphins that my kids had won years ago at Circus Circus in Reno, NV. The hula hoop and blow up dolphin were the perfect addition. For the dolphin garlands I used card stock in several shades of blue and gray. I cut these dolphins out by hand and then sewed them with a regular needle and thread. These hanging dolphin garlands created a dramatic entry into our underwater experience. I reused some circle and square garlands left over from my son’s birthday party the previous year because they looked a bit like floating bubbles. I love when I get to reuse decorations from past events! I decided to do mini cupcakes and marshmallow pops for dessert, and to go along with our dolphin theme, I created mini dolphins out of Wilton’s bright white candy melts. I used Celebration Sixlets as pearls and Wilton’s white sugar pearl sprinkles as bubbles on the marshmallow pops. I lined my round of styrofoam with a blue and white polka dotted ribbon and pinned on a sparkly blue dolphin. I also glued a blue dolphin to a flat toothpick to place on top of the cupcakes.

Because the party was in June, and because we have a pool, the main event for Karis’ party was swimming. I found 2 huge blow up dolphins for the kids to swim with, and although my daughter was hoping she would get to swim with a real dolphin, she was pretty happy with her two dolphin friends. The kids had a blast and my big 6 year old girl was all smiles! As the party was coming to an end, I brought out a crate of bubbles with a “thank you for coming to my party” note attached to each. I would have to say that Karis’ dolphin swim party was a huge success! #CommissionsEarned