Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tutorials: Halloween Test Tube Treats

Since I'm in Halloween mode, I thought I'd include one of the easiest and cutest Halloween goodies that I love to put together every year.  They're test tube treats!  There are all sorts of versions of these out there, but the ones that I make are all about ease.  They're quick to throw together and the recipients always seem to enjoy them.  So here you go!

Step One: Buy this kit of Martha Stewart test tubes (the kit will run you about eight bucks for the set of eight test tubes):



You don't have to go with Martha Stewart test tubes, but I like them for two reasons: they come with cork lids and specimen labels and they're big enough to hold a good amount of candy.

Step Two: Use alphabet stamps or hand-write the tube contents on the labels. (Note: if you don't like Martha's labels, you can also create your own.  You can go as fancy or as plain as you'd like).

Step Three: Fill the tubes with candy and wrap a piece of scotch tape around the top where the cork connects to the tube (the corks pop out easily, so tape is a good idea for reinforcement).

Step Four: Get some yarn or ribbon and tie it around the top of the tube (this hides the aforementioned scotch tape). 

Wah-lah!  You're done!



The tube on the left is awaiting its "Lizard Larva" label.  The tube in the middle shows the Martha Stewart labels that the kit comes with (you can stamp/write whatever you want on them) and the tube on the right has a simple label I made myself.

The hardest part of this craft is trying to decide what to put in the test tubes.  So here's a list of candies and their creepy counterpart names that I've used in the past:

Gummy worms: Medusa Hair
Good and Plenty's (white): Troll Teeth 
Mike and Ike's: Dragon Toes
Jelly beans: Lizard Larva
Certs (left in the cylinder packaging) or other mints: Vampire Repellent
Coconut M&M's (white): Spider Eggs
Cinnamon Red Hot's: Slug Hearts
Candy pebbles: Swamp Rocks
Licorice (black): Rat Tails

If you want to make your test tube treats even fancier, the sky's the limit.  They work great as gifts for teachers, bosses, friends or neighbors or you can tie a name onto the yarn portion and use them as place markers/party favors for a dinner party.  Stand them up in a clear vase or put them in a ceramic cauldron and they make an eye-catching centerpiece.  However you decide to use them, these quick cute vials of sugary goodness are always a crowd pleaser!