Sweet wreath chew-torial (hee hee!)

I think the festive gumdrop wreath is becoming a Christmas tradition in our house.  Fun fun fun and very sweet, in more ways than one!  I came across this idea on the internet a few years ago (I think from this lady?) but I can't remember where for sure, so here's my own little how to:

1. You will need...

... a polystyrene wreath, cocktail sticks (snapped in half, hence the splinter that's been bugging me all day), ribbon of your choosing and sellotape.  I just put a few strips of sellotape round the baldy wreath where the ribbon will be tied to stop it cutting into the polystyrene.  This festive baby is heavy once it's finished!

Of course, you will also need gum drops:

These are not always the easiest to come by here in the U.K. (what is it with making fruit pastilles etc. fruit shaped these days?) but I will share my insider's info with you...  Morrisons stock American hard gums which are perfect for the job.  I used six packets but Graham and I couldn't resist nibbling a few each and I think the wreath needed them more than our expanding waistlines.  I'd recommend getting seven packets, just so you don't have to try quite so hard to resist munching.

What to do:

Stick the blunt (snapped) end of the cocktail stick into the flat base of the sweet and then stick the sharp end into the polystyrene.  Keep sticking sweets into the front and sides of the wreath until it is pretty much covered.  I should say the gaps don't look this glaring in real life but the flash showed them up.

Eventually you will get...

... a festively sparkling sweet wreath to hang on your front door!  Then you can peek out at visitors like a strange little Christmas elf, as I am demonstrating here...

Last year one of our upstairs neighbours told me our wreath had made her smile every morning, which was nice to hear.  Graham has been eavesdropping this year and has already heard the wreath love spreading among neighbours and visitors.  It's Christmas!  Yay!