Firecracker Treats in Tube Containers

As we head into the week of Independence Day, I am putting together our plans and I spotted these treat tubes, which I thought would make for a really fun treat for the kids when we head out to the parade this weekend.  I added a little something extra  to make them special (I saw the aluminum lids and I just HAD to add a stamped touch, to personalize them) but you can easily just decorate, fill them with treats, and go – or add a sticker to the top instead!  These firecracker treats make up in just minutes.

I have a few extra supplies, of course, because of the metal stamping, but I’ll list below what’s optional and what you actually need to create your own firecrackers, stamped or not.  I’ll even leave affiliate links for you to make it easy to find what you’re looking for, because, hello Amazon Prime, am I right?  Haha!

• Treat Tubes – these are 1 inch round by 5 inches tall
• Washi Tape
• 20 lb. hemp, or cord of your choice
• Rubber bench block
• Awl
• Hammer
• Small candies (bonus if they’re red, white and blue – and these tubes are great for gumballs)
• 1″ aluminum disc (optional)
• 1/16 inch hole punch
• Metal stamps, steel bench block, permanent marker, and polishing pad (optional)

First, decorate your tubes.  A few washi tape stripes are a great, easy way to do it, but don’t overlook stickers or paint!  Get the kids involved, if you like.  You can let them decorate the outside while you prepare the “wick” lid.

To add the string wick, place the aluminum cap flat side down on your rubber block.  Find the center with your awl, and tap gently on the top, until it pierces the lid.  Make the hole large enough to feed the string through, but as small as you can to accommodate it.  You may get a sharp edge around the hole, and if that happens, you can file it down.  You don’t have to be extremely careful, because it will be covered with the knot, but still – when sharp things are involved it’s typically better safe than sorry.

Feed a few inches of hemp or string through the hole, and tie an overhand knot at the end inside the cap.  This will keep it from pulling out.  On the top, tie another knot as close as you can to the lid, so that there are knots on eisther side of the hole, holding it in place.

I went one step further and stamped a round disc with a special 4th of July message for the kids.  The font I used is one of my favorites, called Lollipop by ImpressArt.  It’s an all-uppercase font that’s skinny, so it’s easy to fit longer messages onto your blanks.  I’m not going to get into stamping today because I’m trying to keep today’s tutorial really short, but if you’d like to learn more, you can check out my beginner’s metal stamping tutorial.  If you’re more the type who likes to print it and bring it to your craft table, I’ve also got a free downloadable ebook for email subscribers on metal stamping, so you can certainly sign up for the mailing list and read all about it that way. :)

After I stamped my message, I used the star stamp included with the Lollipop set, and added some “stardust” by gently tapping with the awl.  I prefer to fill my blanks edge to edge, when it makes sense to do so, and some patriotic stars were just the thing!

I punched a hole in the center of my blank with my Crop-a-dile Power Punch, and just slipped that onto the top of the lid before typing off the top knot to hold the string in place.  I think that even though the treats turned out really basic, the stamped addition to the lids really make it special.  You can add any message you like, that way!

Thanks for joining me today – hope your week is off to a great start!