Take a Beak: Jelly Bean Projects

Easter is just a few days away, so it’s all about the jellybean! Have fun

Jelly Bean Bracelet: Get the big jelly beans from the Dollar Store-the nasty ones that nobody eats. Find a very sharp and pointy object-T pins work great. Unbending a paper clip doesn’t work all that well because it doesn’t have a pointy end. A sharp needle is also good. You will be working horizontally. Poke holes in enough jelly beans to make a bracelet. It’s best to lie them down on something like a cutting board and hold firmly as you push the needle through. You may have to pass the needle through several times to get a large enough hole. Also, it’s pretty sticky, so have warm water nearby so you can rinse often.

One you have enough jelly beans, use a darning needle with either thread or the stretchy cord and go through all the holes and tie off. If you’re a kid, you probably wont mind the sticky feeling that jellybeans have. To seal them, spray with clear spray paint. To make sure you get in all nooks and crannies, do this before you tie it off.

You can also use the jellybean bracelet as a curtain tie back, or go longer and make a garland. To keep from going crazy, alternate with some Easter charms that you pick up from your local craft store.

Be sure to let people know not to eat the jellybeans if you’ve spray painted them.

Jelly Bean Pictures: Similar to using flower petals, sand or mosaics to create art, draw a design and glue the jellybeans down. While the small ones, like Jelly Belly (lots of knock offs on the tiny bean), are great for this, as they come in so many colors, you can take the big nasty ones and slice them. Use a one-sided razor blade or Exacto Knife for cutting. This will expose their sticky side, but that’s perfect for getting the layered effect. In essence, it’s its own glue.

Watch Artist Make Jelly Bean Art

Masterpieces of Jelly Belly Art: See pictures of the American Gothic, Girl with a Pearl Earring, The Great Wave of Kanagawa, the Mona Lisa and other masterpieces made from Jelly Bellys.

Jelly Bean Tree: Go for a walk and find a branch that looks like it could use a good home. Put it in a vase, flowerpot or some other container. Weight it down with stones, sand or even Plaster of Paris. Cover with Easter Grass. Glue jellybeans of various sizes to the branches. A glue gun works well for this project. If you get tired of gluing jellybeans, take tiny pieces of tissue paper, dab glue and attach. They’ll look like little cherry blossoms if you use pink and white tissue paper.

Jelly Bean Tree Topiary

Jell Bean and Candles: Not only can you glue jellybeans to a large candle, you can take your votive holders and fill all the spaces around a pillar (tapered) candle with jellybeans.

Jelly Bean Carrots: Clear plastic icing bags, filled with small orange jellybeans.

Jelly Bean Shooter: Just like a marshmallow shooter, but uses a balloon. Grainy video but interesting.