Things You'll Need:
- Container
- Candy
- Small coordinating novelty items
- Floral foam
- Floral tape
- Floral picks or thick floral wire
- Glue gun
- Basket wrap cellophane
- Ribbon
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Step 1
Make a candy basket with or without a theme. Though not necessary, a theme adds interest and fun to a basket. Choose a container and candy that match your theme. Find candy and container in blue or pink colors to create a new baby candy basket. Use red, white and blue wrapped candy and container for a patriotic or 4th of July candy basket. Candy wrappers come in many colors. Use them to create a college or team colors basket. Instead of color, use a theme such as all chocolate, gourmet candy, gummy filled basket or nostalgia candy and matching containers. A novelty item such as a flag in the patriotic basket or small football in a college basket adds to the basket's appeal.
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Step 2
Prepare your candy basket container with personalization or theme decoration. Choose from a variety of containers such as traditional baskets, flowerpots, wood boxes and novelty plastic containers found at discount and hobby stores. Decorate container with painted stenciling, hand lettering or gluing on theme objects if further decoration necessary. Insert floral foam block into bottom of container. Cut the foam to fit snuggly. Secure foam with hot glue at the bottom of container.
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Step 3
Prepare candy by attaching it and any novelty theme items to floral picks or thick wire. Attach using floral wire or hot glue. Select a few large items to be the center of the candy basket arrangement. Attach these larger items to slightly longer picks or wires. Attach the remaining candy and novelty items to picks or thick floral wire that is a bit shorter. Wrap each one with pieces of basket cellophane in coordinating colors in the same way florists wrap flowers. Be sure to leave a bit of the pick or wire exposed at the bottom so that it can be inserted into the foam. Do not insert them yet.
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Step 4
Choose some very small candy to attach to short floral wire. Hard candy works well for this. Attach the candy by twisting the wire around the candy wrapper end. Insert the wire on the candy into the foam at the bottom of the container. Insert enough candy to cover all of the foam, leaving just enough space to insert the wires of the larger candy and novelty items.
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Step 5
Arrange the candy basket by inserting the cellophane-wrapped candy on the long picks or thick wire first. Be sure to insert these larger items close together toward the center or center-back of the foam. This creates a focal point for your basket. Insert the remainder of the picks into the foam arranging them in an eye-pleasing manner.
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Step 6
Finish making the candy basket by attaching a bow, if desired. Add any card or note to a floral pick and insert it into the arrangement. For a polished look, wrap the entire basket in basket wrap cellophane. Do this by cutting a large piece of cellophane and sitting the basket in the middle of it. Gather up the edges of the cellophane into a bunch at the top of the basket. Secure with ribbon or tape.
