Making a giant jolly rancher - any tips?
 

End of the year project for my daughters math class (geometry) was to pick something to enlarge. She has to use math to make a it X number of times as big as usual.

Her first choice, a toostie roll was already taken so she picked a Jolly Rancher - different but similar in size.

Little did I realize this included the complicated clear wrapper as well as the desire to make the candy appear translucent.

So - we've thought of making a huge block of melted sugar and adding food coloring but this sounds dangerous and prone to lots of issues.

Another idea was buying a bag of jolly ranchers and melting some down to make a large one. This one has great appeal but I hate buying a 4 pound bag of them to have enough of one color and the store didn't have bags of one flavor.

So now we go to a bag filled with newpaper and taped down, paper mached and painted or

As we discovered at wall mart: plaster of paris. Which we got and I'm now wondering if that was the best choice.

We also bought some clear 1 mil tarp and opaque pens that should color on the plastic (I hope).

Any tips on how to make this project a success would be appreciated. (I like the idea of being crafty but it's just not what I'm best at.)

(she does not have the option of selecting a different item by the way.)

Gawd, who comes up with these projects? One more thing to deal with right at the end of the school year, what a great idea! :rolleyes:


I wish I had something constructive to offer. I definitely like the idea of just making a model of the candy as opposed to trying to melt the real thing. Of course it would be way cool to have it actually BE a giant candy, but what a giant headache.

I hate projects...more work for the parents than the child...I feel for you.

You need to build a giant Jolly Rancher mold and fill it with Jello (with extra gelatin added for firmness), then you can wrap the finished product in celo.

Does it have to weigh as much as a giant jolly rancher?

If not, I'd go to a craft store and get a big sheet of clear plastic. Paint it the color you need. Cut it up and create a cube out of the sheet. Take your cello wrap and put the jolly rancher branding on it, wrap and you're done.

I'm thinking along these lines, too. What about a thin wire frame/colored cello wrap for the Jolly Rancher? Then CP's idea about the outerwrap and branding?

P.S. You deserve a Starbucks after this.

I say just buy a glass brick and paint it with sun-catcher paint, then wrap in cellophane. ;)

DP's idea sounds like a winner!

Call the Jolly Rancher Candy Company and see if they make large ones.

Call the teacher and tell him/her this is an asinine project.