Macaroni and glue crafting is down the hall, away from the kitchen, because in the kitchen we have been constructing a sugarplum castle.
Sugarplum castle:
Several paper towel rolls
a couple of small to medium styrofoam balls
Several bags of marshmallows (stones)
Small cardboard box - the empty cheap white zin box will do okay
Couple of boxes of confectioners sugar
gum drops
one box ice cream cones (for turrets)
Hershey Kisses (for "flags"/banners in turret tops)
toothpicks (to secure gum drops)
Necco wafers (if desired for window trim and roof shingles)
Blue food coloriing
Mix sugar, water and a drop of food coloring to make ice blue mortar. Proceed one marshmallow at a time to cement marshmallows to paper towel rolls, which should be very close to the corners of the walls. This usually takes about a month to complete, so you would be nearly finished had you been with us in the kitchen the day after Thanksgiving. Be sure to cut some windows in the box and paper towel rolls before you start, as you will undoubtedly decide that you would like to add little cut out angels and kiddies to the windows, as well as some candles (not real of course). When all are marshmallowed up, you may wish to make a gingerbread roof or use cardboard and cement Necco wafers to the roof. At the tops of the paper towel rolls secure the styrofoam balls to one or two of the turrets/towers, and ice cream cones to the rest. Before securing the ice cream cones, cut the points off and secure kisses so that they are showing through, and then place the cones pointed end up on the turrets, with flags showing. Use toothpicks to secure gum drops to the styrofoam balls. You may wish to place all on a tin foil base, to give the effect of a moat, and use some ice cream cones, frosted with some confectioners sugar frosting with green food coloring for trees, which you will of course want to decorate with some sprinkles. Continue decorating around it according to your originality, since we don't do the tv diva decorating thingy.
It is a labor of love by band campers who deliver to orphanages and nursing homes.