Whimsical and bright, striped topiary trees put a twist -- literally -- on ordinary holiday decor. Place them in white containers to make the vivid colors pop. For a splash of extra color, line the containers with gumdrops. Use a striped lollipop as the finishing touch on a package.

*Please note, that although fondant is edible, these projects are intended for decorating. The trees use glue and shouldn't be sampled. Because the lollipops have thicker rolls of fondant, which is traditionally rolled out into a very thin layer on cakes, they won't be very tasty. Offer other sweets so children won't be tempted by these decorative confections.

 

• 24-ounce box ready-to-use white fondant
• Knife
• Green, pink, or purple paste food coloring
• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
• 8- to 10-inch-tall plastic-foam cones for trees
• Hard candies
• Gumdrops (optional)
• 8-inch lollipop sticks

1. Cut off one-fourth of the fondant. (Be prepared to work quickly to prevent fondant from drying out.) Knead in a small amount of paste food coloring; shape into an 8-inch-long log. Set aside. Cut remaining white fondant in half. Shape each half into an 8-inch-long log.
2. Cut all three fondant logs in half lengthwise, making six logs. Place a colored log between two white logs and press together to form one log that has a strip of color through the center. Holding ends of the log, gently twist to swirl colors. Repeat with remaining logs.
3. Working with one twisted log at a time, roll fondant on a large, flat surface to create a thin, swirled-looking rope about 36 inches long. Cut the rope in half, and continue to twist and roll each rope piece to 36 inches. After twisting and rolling the fondant, you should end up with four 36-inch ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter.
4. Keep ropes covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

 

1. Using a low-temperature hot-glue gun to avoid melting the plastic foam, apply glue on the bottom 2 inches of a cone.
2. Beginning at the bottom, carefully wrap one fondant rope around the cone. Continue to glue and wrap until the cone is covered, using new ropes as needed.
3. Let stand at least 1 hour to dry.
4. To finish, hot-glue a hard candy to the treetop.
5. Place the tree in a decorative container.
6. If desired, use gumdrops for added color at the base.

NOTE: One 24-ounce box of fondant will make one large topiary tree and one lollipop, or eight lollipops and no tree. Find fondant where cake-decorating supplies are sold.

1. Shape one fondant rope into a triangle or circle, beginning in the center. Or, beginning at the top, make a tree shape by zigzagging the rope, making each row longer than the previous row.
2. Moisten the ends of the rope with water, then gently press to the shape to seal. Insert a lollipop stick several inches into the bottom of the shape.
3. Let stand at least 1 hour to dry.