Edible Art! Grape + Toothpick Sculptures

This was the kids’ after school snack yesterday.

A grape and toothpick sculpture to make, briefly admire, and then eat. It was the perfect combination of delicious and engaging.

Oh, and healthy.

We started with a bowl full of grapes and a box of toothpicks.

These grape and toothpick sculptures are much the same as the marshmallow and toothpick sculptures and the soap and toothpick sculptures that we’ve tried in the past, but much easier and better.

Grapes are perfect for this activity. Really. Perfect.

And I wish I had thought of the idea myself, but I didn’t. I came
across a passing mention of grape and toothpick sculptures by Rachel of handmade charlotte in the Hand in Hand book and immediately knew we had to try them at the earliest possible opportunity.

Whereas marshmallows were a bit too soft and sticky to work with even
when stale (not to mention the sugar content if your kids eat them while
working) and the soap bits were tricky (a bit too brittle), grapes are
ideal. They hold their shape well, are sturdy, and yet are easily
pierced by the toothpicks.

Maia and I built toothpick sculptures while Daphne mostly just used her toothpicks to transfer grapes to her eager little mouth.

We all had fun. And then we pulled apart our sculptures and ate every last grape.

I suppose we could have let them dry into raisin + toothpick
sculptures, and maybe we’ll try that twist someday, but we were hungry.

So, I’m telling ya. Forget about the marshmallow sculptures. Grapes and toothpicks are where it’s at.

Besides, this version is perfect for summer.

Have you tried building with toothpicks yet?

If not, I highly recommend it!