1. Peeps 2. Glue Gun 3. ???? 4. PROFIT!

April 3, 2009 1:07 PM

I want to affix Peeps (the Easter atrocities) to fabric in order to make a costume. BY TOMORROW. Crafty MeFites, hope me with your glue-gun wisdom!

I am attending an Easter party tomorrow that requires some kind of costume. Everybody knows I hate Peeps more than anything in the world, and lo and behold, the neon critters are on sale. So I decided to make myself into one giant neon Bunny Peep. Tons of googling and clicking leads me to believe that I can hot-glue them directly onto most things, and ribbon is mentioned here in this book.

A friend who is quite crafty has assured me that Peeps + glue gun + fabric = disaster; there must be something between, like a piece of cardboard or other intermediary surface that will adhere to the hot glue while also keeping the fabric from sticking to any backing, myself, etc.

I have already cut open the packages to allow them to harden as much as possible so they don't melt as soon as they touch the glue gun; I'm not sure that spray-varnishing them now would have them ready-to-wear by tomorrow afternoon, since the varnish would have to dry overnight. (I read that one woman allowed them to dry for five days before making them into garlands and wreaths, and 5 days from now is not an option). Also, I don't want to buy more stuff unless I have to; something around the house (painting tape? more fabric? buttons? I'm listening...) would be ideal.

Please don't suggest another costume idea; I already spent time and money getting this ball rolling and won't have time to whip up anything else from scratch, time-wise or financially. I have a lot of neon pink components now in front of me--what I lack is the ingenuity to make it stick. Literally.

Alternatively, would another type of adhesive work better? I am not married to the glue gun; it's mentioned a lot in Peeps craft links, though. Bonus if you have experience making arts and crafts with Peeps--firsthand knowledge is what I'm really looking for here.

posted by Unicorn on the cob to grab bag (18 comments total)

Have you tried yet, or are you afraid to experiment?

Haven't done it, but I'd be most concerned that if you apply hot glue to the peep, the glue might just melt a hole in the marshmallow and be impossible to attach to anything. I'd try applying glue to the fabric first, and pressing the peep into the glue.
posted by jon1270 at 1:19 PM on April 3

I'd stitch them with a couple of big loops through the middle, or even loop over the top of the peeps to tie them on.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:20 PM on April 3 [2 favorites has favorites]

Once I had to hot-glue a bunch of (non-Peep) marshmallows together and to other things (for a kid's costume--he wanted to be the kind of snowman you assemble from large and small marshmallows and toothpicks, not a regular snowman), which is maybe close enough?

Leaving them out to get as hard as possible is a great idea (and hopefully the Peeps you found are already stale-ish), and a cardboard intermediate layer between Peeps and ribbon/fabric is also good, like little circles cut out of a cereal box or something. Try applying the hot glue to the cardboard and then pressing the Peep onto it, instead of putting glue directly onto the Peep (when I tried that with stale marshmallows, they melted). Then glue the cardboard to wherever you want it. Ideally somewhere that won't see too much abrasion or bumping into stuff, because hot glue isn't the greatest at bonding rigid things to soft fabric that's being pulled around, and you maybe don't want to leave a trail of Peeps in your wake.

If all else fails, I guess you could thread dental floss or something through a whole bunch of Peeps to make a kind of Peep garland/boa (or several)?
posted by bewilderbeast at 1:23 PM on April 3

spray glue or fabric tape?
posted by politikitty at 1:28 PM on April 3

You don't want to use glue -- it'll dissolve the sugar. Use five-minute two-part epoxy instead. No need to dry them out; the epoxy will work on them fresh out of the package. I've made Peep magnets this way. They last forever -- or until the mice find them -- though they do discolor over time.
posted by mudpuppie at 1:34 PM on April 3

Try it and see. My worry would also be the peep melting but it probably wouldn't melt all the way through. The fabric should be fine, unless it's really melty fabric - I'm not sure what your friend is worried about; hot glue isn't sticky as soon as it's dry. Just don't hot glue it while you're wearing it, obviously. What about using regular craft glue? Or - and this is how I'd do it, but I'm trashy and low rent - duct tape. Make big loops of duct tape, stick one side onto the fabric and then stick the peeps to the other side. No, it won't look as "professional" but it will be a) faster and b) not melt anything and c) have that extra special je ne sais quoi that duct tape just adds to any costumed event.
posted by mygothlaundry at 1:36 PM on April 3

Seconding mudpuppie, I say white glue or two-part epoxy. Hot glue is great, but it's not for everything.
posted by GuyZero at 1:53 PM on April 3

I'm going to experiment with all of the above in two hours and report back! I will give the failures a proper burial... i.e., not in my mouth. Thanks for the suggestions so far!!!

Peeps magnets, you say, mudpuppie? I must stop by the auto parts store then, I suppose. I can't get that at Michael's or Joann Fabrics, can I?
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 1:55 PM on April 3

Michael's should sell craft magnets. Suitable for sticking to refrigerators, etc.
posted by GuyZero at 2:00 PM on April 3

You can buy a roll of magnet strip on the same aisle in the hardware store where you buy the two-part epoxy! Comes in a roll, like masking tape, but it's magnetic. Cut to desired length.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:07 PM on April 3

Seconding stickycarpet. From having eaten ten peeps in a row a week ago I can tell you that they're the perfect texture to be sewn through -- not too soft, not too hard. They'll be affixed more firmly than hot glue or epoxy will, since Peeps have an outer coating of sugar that will just probably fall off.
posted by suedehead at 2:07 PM on April 3

BTW, my advice is based on empirical evidence. White glue, hot glue, and super glue will all dissolve the sugar, and none of them adhere to marshmallow.
posted by mudpuppie at 2:09 PM on April 3

Whatever you do, please don't varnish them. Because I'd like to come to the party and eat bits of your costume when you aren't looking.
posted by Joh at 2:25 PM on April 3

How about sew/tie them on with pretty ribbon. you could give each a little bow.
posted by ljesse at 2:57 PM on April 3

I'm thinking worst-case scenario, a big leather needle and some clear fishing line will do the trick. I will FIRST try the epoxy method, since it has been scientifically tested by our beloved mudpuppie, and probably hit it with the glue gun once just for the hell of it.

Scientific methods for the win!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 3:06 PM on April 3

Double-stick poster tape.
posted by artdrectr at 4:09 PM on April 3

Okay, pics are up!

Initial layout

Final product. Pink peep shirt!

First attempt was with spray-on adhesive, which worked well in the testing phase (1 peep on a single sock from the laundry), but when we tried doing a strip of them, they fell off. We tried to repair the fallen peeps with duct tape, but alas, they didn't stick very well. So we detached the peeps into individuals and tried the glue-gun method (note: this trial-and-error process lasted until about 10 p.m. Saturday, hence the lateness of this post). The two-part epoxy recommended by mudpuppie was purchased with the intent of trying that, but we felt the fumes and drying time would be an issue, so I will try that method some other time...

The individual peep-with-glue-gun method worked and looked okay, but the cumulative peeps were heavy, so I only put them on the front of my shirt.

I think you could do more with, say, really hardened peeps on a stiffer fabric; however, I was happy with the final result. Thanks for everyone who posted!
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:18 AM on April 6

Oh, one more thing: I tried sewing them and the needle got so sticky and fluffy making one pass through the marshmallow middle that I gave up in disgust and discarded it. I wanted y'all to know I took all suggestions to heart and tried many methods (it took several hours to try everything, and we went through two shirts and about 60 peeps before getting it right)...
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:19 AM on April 6