Lollipop Tree

Total Time Needed:: 1 Hour

Studded with lollipop lights, this tabletop tree is a sweet alternative to a holiday candy dish. Just be sure to keep a package of replacement "bulbs" on hand. For printable cutting instructions, check out lolli.gif.

Materials

Corrugated cardboard that measures 9 inches across the base and 8 inches tall
Craft knife
Lollipops

11-inch wooden skewer
Bottle cork
Glue

Instructions

Cut two triangles from cardboard. (Note: The holes in the corrugated layer should run vertically.) Draw lines across each triangle at 1-inch intervals, then cut along the lines. Discard the top two strips from one triangle.
With a craft knife, cut narrow 1/2 inch deep notches (a parent's job) centered in the bottom edge of all the strips from the complete triangle except for the second strip from the top. Cut a similar notch in the top edge of the bottom strip in the other triangle.
Next, cut out an X-shaped cardboard base on which to assemble the tree. Glue an inverted bottle cork to the center of the base. Once the glue dries, insert the tip of a narrow (1/8-inch diameter) 11-inch wooden skewer far enough into the cork to secure it.
Now assemble the triangles into a tree. First, fit together the two bottom strips so that the notches interlock. Then slide them onto the skewer so that the blunt end passes through the center corrugation holes and they come to rest on the cork. Slide the next largest unnotched strip onto the skewer in like fashion. Add the matching notched strip, lock it onto the previous one, and then swivel the two so that they are at 45-degree angles to the bottom strips.
Add the remaining strips, alternating between unnotched and notched pieces and swiveling each locked pair slightly. Finally, "light up" the tree with lollipops by fitting the sticks into the holes in the "boughs."