The Peep Project

Is it a Busby Berkley musical starring Easter’s most popular marshmallow treats? No! they’re just celebrating The Peep Project.

It all started in the grocery store, when I noticed the Just Born company had come out with green Marshmallow Peeps-- PRECISELY the same spring green as my dining room.

My heart soared! It was just like the lyrics in that medieval song: “Green Peeps were my one desire... Green Peeps were my only joy...”

Okay, so, that was Greensleeves. But still. You get the picture.

And that picture initially involved decorative Peeps sitting as a centerpiece. But how to preserve them? I mean, we all know certain folks have a taste for stale Peeps (or as I’ve recently heard them described: “cured” or “aged”). But wouldn’t free-range Peeps on the dining room table attract other more... nefarious... creatures?...

So I decided to spray varnish the little sweeties.

Ya know, once you’ve made the decision to spray varnish marshmallow candy, you pretty much are on your way to full-fledged crafting. (Or the booby-hatch.) But crafting. We’ll go with crafting.

And that got me thinking that rather than Peeps in a Bowl, what I REALLY needed was Peep Garland for my dining room.

No, truly.

Here you see three of the green Peeps curing, hanging out for a week and wondering just what the heck is going on. They look a little nervous, don’t they?

They were spray varnished on all sides with approximately 5 coats of a clear polyurethane. Happily, we now know that spray varnish does not cause sugary substances like coated marshmallows to dissolve...

Otherwise it might have turned into the end scene of the “Wizard of Oz.”

Here you see the remaining Peep Squad preparing to be varnished, while two of the green Peep veterans stand by for moral support.

And then came the stringing! I punctured each Peep with a large hatpin (yes, crafting knows no mercy), just below the baseline of the head. This is critical. Because Peep Physics dictate that if there is the slightest inkling of top-heaviness, you will have garland with an entire flock of Peeps upside-down, and imitating Cirque de Soliel performers...

Mooning marshmallows do not say “Easter” to me.

When I strung them, I used two strands of clear plastic necklace thread, available in the craft store. I threaded it through on a large sewing needle, alternating Peeps and beads, along with three chocolate-looking egg ornaments I drilled through for threading. I finished it all off with some extra ribbon for flourish.

Here you see a close-up of the finished garland.


And here you see the doorway between my dining room and entryway, with the garland strung over it.

I had a few Peeps left over from this project. And since a pre-varnished Peep is a terrible thing to waste, I found myself using them, the remaining beads, some cut-up lace ribbon and a hanger to create this hilariously awful wreath...


I find it so aesthetically WRONG, well, naturally it’s hanging up on my kitchen door.

Oh--and before I go today, I will leave you with this: my kitchen shelf has been infiltrated with Beanie Peeps. I got them at Target. They were so cute, and so plush, they flapped their way into my heart and into my Easter decor.


Looking for even more Peep-related craft projects? Click here to take a ride on the Peeps Carousel. Otherwise, take care, dear Peeple-- er, people-- and I’ll see you next week.