Need to surprise a friend with a special treat or a centerpiece for your next summer event? Try this super simple DIY Edible Arrangement! Unfortunately buying these beauties comes with quite the hefty price tag. Doing it yourself is simple, fun, and pretty reasonable in comparison. I got everything I needed for under $50. I don't even know if you can buy one this large with all that chocolate covered fruit on the actual Edible Arrangement website :)
Things you'll need from a local dollar store:
- Bucket
- Long Skewers
- Short Skewers
- 3 blocks of Floral Foam
- Cookie Cutters (optional)
- Tin Foil (if you don't already have it)
Groceries:
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Grapes
- Apples
- Pineapple
- Bananas
- Cantaloupe
- Honeydew Melon
- Watermelon
- Blackberries
- Kale
- White Chocolate
- Milk Chocolate
Directions:
Start with all your chocolate covered options so they have time to chill
- Heat two small pans one with milk choclate chips and one with white cholcate
- Clean your strawberries and place each one on the top of a skewer. I used a colander flipped upside down on a cutting board and made room in my fridge to slide it in. This way you don't get any flat chocolate spots. Dip the strawberries in the milk chocolate first and then dip a spoon in the white chocolate and drizzle it over while twisting your skewer. Don't be nervous. Thin lines or thick lines.... It all looks awesome and professional :)
- Repeat the process with your apples. If you line them on a cookie sheet make sure to use wax paper.
- Dip anything else in chocolate that you fee like :)
- Put all chocolate dipped fruits in the fridge to chill
Next - Prep the Other Fruits:
- Cut 1/2 your melon into wedges and then in halve and put on skewers. Use a scoop to make balls with the other half.
- Repeat the process with your honeydew melon.
- Cut the pineapple into 1/2 slices and use a cookie cutter or knife to make a fun shape.
- Cut the watermelon into 1/2-1" slices and use a cookie cutter or knife to make a fun shape. You can also use some watermelon for ball shapes if you want more.
- Put 8-10 blueberries on skewers
- Put 5 grapes in the long direction on skewers.
- Put 2 blackberries on each skewer.
Assemble the Melon Skewers:
Take the melon shape and insert the skewer up and at a diagonal aiming for the center. Push the skewer through the center of the fruit so 1/2" of the skewer is exposed. Take a ball of another colored melon and stick it on top to cover the pointy part of the skewer! Now you have a melon flower!
Assemble your Base:
- Fit the floral foam into the bucket tightly trying to avoid leaving large gaps. I put the foam in two layers.
- Cover the floral foam with tin foil.
Assemble your Arrangement:
- Start with the larger fruits (i.e. all the melon and pineapple). Use a patterns and go all the way around the base and insert the skewers at an angle. When you get back to where you started repeat the process in a second layer closer to the middle but insert the skewers less so the fruit gets taller. Fill as much space as possible using these fruits so you can use everything else for decoration. *for the fruit on the lower level, you might need to use the short skewers depending on how deep your bucket/vase is.
- Wash and clean your kale leaves and stuff the kale into the bottom of the basket between the skewers to hide all of the floating sticks.
- Next take your blueberry and grape skewers and inserts them in a random order filling the gaps. Make sure not to stick them too far into the floral foam. They look fun when they stick out farther.
- Lastly - take all your chocolate covered fruit out of the fridge and insert it anywhere to finish it off.
- Spin your arrangement around to make sure you didn't miss any big gaps. Play with the skewers to adjust any of the heights that might look off.
- Your Done! - Now you can eat it!.... if your not already full from snacking on everything through the process:)
- Keep the arrangement refrigerated until serving or if you have left overs.
