For oversized chocolate sprinkles, I referenced my original photoshop job and determined that each sprinkle should be 3/8ths of an inch thick and 1 3/4 inches long.

Finally, I was going to get to use my favorite cheap lightweight building material in a costume! Drinking straws!

3/8ths of an inch is pretty wide for a straw, so I tried to collect enough of the extra-wide bore style from Am/Pm and McDonalds. I needed enough sprinkles to cover the surface of three candies, which I figured would require about 35 straws, cut into 1 3/4 inch (5 cm) lengths.

I got the first 12 no problem, but then I ran out of time. I tried to sweet-talk my way past a McDonald's drive thru cashier. This was our conversation:

"Hi, I'd like a large chocolate shake and 25 straws."

"A large chocolate shake and 25 straws?"

"Yes. I'd like a large chocolate shake and 25 straws."

"That will be $4.05 at the first window. Please drive forward."

(Drives forward)

"$4.05. I'm sorry but we can only give you two straws with your drink".

"I can't have 25 straws?" (pulls back his money)

"No."

"Ok. I don't want that"

"You don't want the shake?"

"No."

"Claire! Cancel that shake."

(Drives away)

I went with regular straws. $1.39 for a box of 100.

I cut them into short bits with scissors. Painting them was a mess. I dumped them into a shallow cardboard box and pushed them around with a wet paintbrush. I used a slightly darker brown paint for the sprinkles.

It was sloppy and they tended to stick together.

When they were dry, I dripped some glue onto the appropriate chocolate blocks and packed on a single layer of giant sprinkles. The ends of the straws revealed that the inside of the straws were hollow and white, but for some reason, this did not bother me.

It was finally time to assemble the parts. I prepared to seat each chocolate block into a paper cup, and to attach it to the bottom of the box.

I had wisely equipped most of the chocolate blocks with wire tethers.

First I figured out where each block was supposed to go in the box. Then I poked the two wires through a brown paper circle and then through the box floor.

Twisted wires held the blocks in place.

All the chocolates went into place without much of a problem. They looked awesome!

With halloween coming on a Friday night, the big costume contest was on the previous Saturday at the Zone ball.

The box of See's Candy was terrific, but I felt a little underequipped because my costume had no moving parts or electronics.

Please continue reading page six of the See's Candy Costume.

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