Wrapped bouquets ahead on show

Information on making a wrapped bouquet, projects with candy melts, and making a fleece quilt will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday (all times Mountain).

Floral designer Carly Cylinder will show how to not only wrap a bouquet to give to someone, she’ll talk about design principles and how to use various products to create an easy professional look. Her company is Flour LA and Flour LA, Jr., and she lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Nancy Siler is with Wilton Brands in Woodridge, Illinois, and she’s going to show lots of fun projects to make using candy melts. She’ll talk about how to dip store bought cookies, as well as homemade cookies, how to dip and decorate pretzels, rice cereal treats and even spoons!

Sewing instructor, Nancy Lovett says that piecing fleece to make quilts is very bulky. She’s going to show a non-traditional technique that reduces all of the bulk and results in a very beautiful quilt. She’s from Albuquerque.

Information on making no-sew pillows, using new technology for reunions and parties, and writing press releases will be the featured topics on Creative Living noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Kim Deneault is a designer with Raggedy Reverse Applique in Lincolnton, North Carolina. She will show how to make easy no-sew pillows using two pieces of fleece fabric. The edges are tied rather than sewn together, which makes this a good project for any age.

Deborah Durham is a spokesperson for Hewlett-Packard in Los Angeles. She will show how to use computers, scanners, digital cameras and printers to make party decorations for various events.

Patty Waid is an event planner who knows the importance of good publicity when you’re sponsoring an event. She will talk about how to write press releases that will get your event noticed. Her company is Waid & Associates in Albuquerque.

Fun With Candy Melts

There are so many fun things to do with homemade or store bought cookies. For instance, you can add colored sugars to white dipped wafer cookies. Or how about double dipping chocolate chip cookies in different colors of melted candy wafers. Another idea has to do with pretzels. You can add hibiscus icing decorations on dipped pretzels. Rice cereal treats are easy to make and always a favorite - try dipping them in melted candy and then add jumbo stars, nonpareils and even cinnamon drops to each one.

Here’s an unusual idea: Use plastic spoons and dip the spoon part in candy and use an assortment of decorations, such as rainbow chips, nonpareils, sugar pearls and jimmies for decorations. Another favorite is to dip various fruit in the melted chocolate and add piped zebra shapes or drizzle different colors of melted candy on strawberries. Dipped marshmallows are fun to make. Dip each one in the candy melt of your choice, and then thread three or four on long skewers or sticks. They can be displayed in a styrofoam block.

For the ultimate treat, make a pan of candy bark from Cocoa Candy melts, banana chips, pecans, cherries, small marshmallows and rainbow nonpareils. After the candy sets up, you can break it in edible size pieces. (Note: Do not pour it too thick or it is hard to break it when cooled. To make candy bark, melt different colors of Wilton candy melts in the microwave oven. To make a special dessert, spread melted candy on parchment paper-covered 9” square cake board. Sprinkle with pearlized gold sprinkles in one section and white peppermint pearls on the other side. After the candy has hardened, break it into pieces. You can add other embellishments, such as rainbow chips. Serve in dessert dishes for an elegant presentation.

“Creative Living” is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations. Contact her at: [email protected]