Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow Decoration

Materials:

• pipe cleaner (chenille stems) one each of red, orange, yellow, green & blue
• One 2 1/2" Styrofoam ball
• One 1 1/2" Styrofoam ball
• Gold string of pearls
• Hot glue gun with glue stick
• White glue (such as Elmer's or tacky glue)
• Black acrylic paint and a paintbrush
• Polyester Fiberfil (stuffing)

1. Cut the 2 1/2" Styrofoam ball in half.  Place the two halves flat side down on your work surface.
2. Line up the five pipe cleaner in the following order: red, orange, yellow, green and blue.
3. Keeping the pipe cleaner in the above order and close together but not overlapping, stick one end of the five pipe cleaner into the center of the rounded side of one of the Styrofoam halves.
4. Bend the pipe cleaner forming an arch.  Be sure to keep the red pipecleaner at the top of the arch.  You will need to trim the loose ends of the pipe cleaner once they are bent so they are somewhat even.  Then, stick this end of the pipe cleaner into the other half Styrofoam ball.  You should now have the pipe cleaner bent to look like a rainbow with each end stuck into half a Styrofoam ball.  Set this aside for the moment.
5. Cut a small piece off of the top of the 1 1/2" Styrofoam ball.  Gently press the bottom of the ball against your work surface to flatten it slightly.
6. On the top, use your thumb to press in the center of the ball making a small indent.
7. Paint the Styrofoam ball black.  This is the pot for the gold.  Let dry completely.
8. Hot glue the side of the pot to the side of one of the other Styrofoam balls as pictured.
9. Using white glue, glue polyester fiberfill (stuffing) to the two Styrofoam ball halves to form clouds.  Do Not glue the Fiberfill to the pot of gold.
10. Cut apart the little balls on the string of pearls to be used as gold.  Using white glue, glue the "gold" into the pot.  To do this, squeeze some glue in to the recessed area in the top of the pot and add the "gold".  Then, add another layer of glue and more "gold" so the pot looks full.

Your Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow is now ready to display for St. Patrick's Day.