Dum Dum Candy Sucker Topiary Tree with Supplies

I was searching online for something to do with suckers or lollipops and I came across a photo of a topiary tree or large flower made out of lots of individual dum dum suckers. I'm not very crafty - the only other craft I've really tried is a money Christmas tree. Here is my supply list so you know what supplies you'll need if you want to try to make it (I had to run back out to get extra suckers), and a few photos to show the steps I took along the way. No biggie!

The final product, this dum-dum lollipop topiary tree stands 22 inches tall. It's rather top heavy because it has almost 3 pounds of suckers on top.

You can use whatever you want, it will probably turn out just fine, but here's what I used if you're curious:

• Clay flower pot (4 1/2 inch diameter)
• Green foam block (the kind used for fake flower arrangements)
• Green Easter grass
• Wooden rod (1/2 inch diameter) 16 inches long (or however tall you want it)
• Double sided ribbon
• Green foam sphere (Hobby Lobby flower arranging section)
• 3 lbs of Dum-Dums (3x 1 lb bags = approximately 70 per bag or around 210 suckers)
• Hot glue gun (to hold the wooden rod tight, not to glue the suckers in)

Quick suggestion, get way more suckers than you think you'll need! The surface area of the sphere is deceptive, and I had to run out to buy more suckers. Get a huge bag just in case. 

Okay here is what I did...

I cut the sides off the green foam block and shoved it down into the flower pot, then I cut a little more out so it didn't stick over the top.

Gathered up more of my supplies, including the foam ball, suckers, Easter grass, and nice double sided ribbon

I started sticking the suckers in very close together, then realized the ball got top heavy, so I set it on top of the pot and kept sticking more in. If you go very close together, you better buy extra suckers. I have a little space between mine because it's fine either way, it still has the overall look.

I anchored the ribbon to the wood with glue, then wrapped the rod and glued it down to keep it tight. I tied a bow around the rod and used a dab of glue to hold it down. I stuck a letter opener into the foam ball and twisted it to make a hole, then jammed the rod into it with some hot glue on the end.

I jammed the rod into the foam block in the pot then glued it to hold it in place. This thing is very top heavy, so I'm a little worried about the base coming loose. I used a very tiny amount of Easter grass just to cover the foam block. The hardest part was keeping it straight up and down while the glue dried. Remember it doesn't have to be perfect!

Any questions? Like I said, I'm not a huge craft guy, but you can leave a comment and I'll answer. I've got to drive this in to work for a work party, and I'm going to bring a bunch of extra suckers in case these fall out. The suckers aren't actually glued in they're just stuck in place.