Craft a Yule Log Cake Candy Container

This chocolate Yule log cake isn't really a cake! It's a candy container made to order for our
family's play room. Above you can see that the painted, plastic lid is on the tray and the
 peppermint candies are falling out from the inside of my candy container on the right.

        When my children were little, we often baked a special Christmas birthday cake for Jesus. Sometimes it would be fashioned into a tree or a yule log. One year, the birthday cake even resembled an entire forest of pines, dusted with powdered sugar.
       Parents and/or Teachers can help their young ones shape a candy container made to look like a chocolate yule log cake with the following supplies. Stuff it with candy treats and scriptures from the Nativity story if you'd like to start a new family tradition similar to our own.

Yule Log Candy Container Supply List:

Run your fingertips across the ends of a toothbrush dipped in
white paint to create a snowy mist of powdered sugar on the
surface of your faux, chocolate yule log cake. 

• recycled cylindrical oatmeal can and potato chip can
• masking tape
• paper mache pulp
• plastic fork, scissors
• nail for poking holes and hammer
• acrylic paints in brown and white
• transparent glitter
• white school glue
• paint brushes
• old, clean toothbrush (no longer in use)
• wooden tooth picks
• markers to color the printable pictures 
• dollar store silver cake platter

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select a large recycled oatmeal can to be the primary yule log shape. Cut a second smaller potato chip can or juice can to cut down and tape to the larger part of the faux log as a cut branch. 
2. Glue and tape the cut branches into place.
3. Cover the entire outside of the faux yule log with masking tape. 
4. Leave the opening and plastic lid for the larger oatmeal can in tact so that the yule log may be used as a box for surprise presents/candy.
5. Mix together the paper mache pulp according to the directions on the package.
6. Apply the paper pulp to every outside surface approximately 1/2 inch in thickness.
7. Drag the prongs of a plastic fork through the covered surface to create a ''ribbed'' rough looking chocolate icing.
   
8. Let the paper pulp application dry. Depending on the weather this could take two days or a week.
9. Cover the entire outside surface of the dried yule log candy container with brown paint and let it dry.
10. Mix a bit of white into the brown paint and brush another layer on the raised surfaces only. Let the log dry.
11. Add the inside swirl of white vanilla cream to the ends of the log where it would normally show after someone would cut the jelly role cake in half. (see photos)
12. Now water down a bit of white paint in a separate dish. 
13. Dip the toothbrush into thick white paint and thin dip it into the watery white paint.
14. Face the tips of the toothbrush away from yourself, pointing to the areas of the faux Yule log cake where you wish to lightly apply white sprinkles of paint. Move your fingers up and down the bristles of the toothbrush in order to wisp on a white mist of light paint. This should look just like the powdered sugar that is normally applied through a sifter onto the surface of a chocolate yule cake to mimic snow. Let the paint dry.
15. Apply a bit of white school glue to the areas of the faux cake that you want to sprinkle the transparent glitter.
16. Let the cake dry completely before gently pressing a nail or the sharp end tip of a pair of scissors through the top of the yule log. These tiny holes will be where you can insert the decorative picks after you have colored them.
17. I've included a sheet of tiny pictures below for children to color, cut out, and glue toothpicks to the backside of in order to decorate the top of their yule log cake, candy container. (see photos)
18. Don't forget to paint the lid of the candy container as well. Paint it to match the other ends of the yule log, with a vanilla swirl in the middle.

Left, select a large recycled oatmeal can to be the primary yule log shape. Center, cover the
 entire outside of the faux yule log with masking tape. Right, drag the prongs of a plastic fork through the
covered surface to create a ''ribbed'' rough looking chocolate icing.

Left, cover the entire outside surface of the dried yule log candy container with brown paint
and let it dry. Center, Add the inside swirl of white vanilla cream to the ends of the log where
 it would normally show after someone would cut the jelly role cake in half.  I also glued on
a real pine cone for detail. Right, the paper mache pulp texture looks like chocolate icing to me!

Left, Move your fingers up and down the bristles of the toothbrush in order to wisp on a
white mist of light paint. This should look just like the powdered sugar. Center, I also painted
 white snow on my faux chocolate pine cone. Right, the glitter gives the log even
more snowy appeal.

left, let the cake dry completely before gently pressing a nail or the sharp end tip of a pair of
scissors through the top of the yule log. These tiny holes will be where you can insert the
decorative picks after you have colored them. Center, The decorative picks are made from
 the printable below and toothpicks. Right, now it's time to fill the Yule log candy container
 up with Christmas candy!

Don't forget to paint the lid of the candy container as well. Paint it to match the other ends of the
yule log, with a vanilla swirl in the middle.

Above is a sheet of Christmas Clip Art for you to decorate a Yule Log Cake with.
Mount the pictures to the tips of wooden toothpicks with school glue. Poke them
through either a faux cake like ours or a real cake top to decorate for the holidays.

More Yule Logs and Christmas Cake Crafts:

• Craft a Cotton Batting, Birch Yule Log Ornament
• Craft a Plum Pudding Ornament from A Hollow Egg
• DIY a Yule Log Centerpiece for the Christmas table...
• Read about the Christmas Yule Log traditions of England