Fake Sundaes

These permanent sundaes make cool favors for a summer birthday party -- and they won't melt, no matter how high the mercury climbs.
MATERIALS:
Acrylic paint
Copper wire
Foam packing peanuts
Modeling paste
Plastic dish
Plastic spoon
Styrofoam ball
Tacky glue

Time needed: Weekend Project
Step 1 1. For each one, first protect your work surface, then tint 1 tablespoon of light modeling paste (available at art supply and craft stores) with a small amount of acrylic paint (we used red for strawberry and a mix of yellow and brown for vanilla).

2. Working in a plastic-wrap-lined plastic dish, use a paintbrush to dab the tinted paste onto a 2½-inch Styrofoam ball and several foam packing peanuts, using the paste to fix the peanuts around the ball to resemble a scoop of ice cream. Let the paste dry overnight.

3. Remove the plastic wrap from the dish, then dribble a tablespoon of hot fudge (tacky glue mixed with a dab of brown acrylic paint) over the scoop (the fudge will darken as it dries). Carefully add a dollop of untinted modeling paste for whipped cream, then press a large red bead into the paste for a cherry.

4. For the stem, fold over one end of a 2¼-inch piece of thin copper wire and stick the opposite end through the bead and into the paste. Finally, add a plastic spoon, personalized with puffy paint, if you like.