One of my first really popular posts was all about keeping cheap junk out of my house, and even though it’s like fighting the tide, I still try my very best to stick to it.  For us, one of the worst offenders of cheap junk is party goodie bags.  I’m pretty sure the entire crap industry would collapse if moms collectively decided to stop giving goodie bags at birthday parties.

So my goal is to give the kids at my daughter’s birthday party something to take home that their parents won’t have to stealthily throw out after they go to bed.

Enter Rainbow Pretzel Wands!

These treats are perfect for a post-party treat and can be easily customized for any theme.  Just choose the color of your chocolate and toppings to match your decorations.  Best of all, they’re amazingly easy to make!

What you’ll need:

Pretzel Rods
Chocolate for coating
Sprinkles of your choice
Bags and ties

How to make your wands:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl.  Be careful not to let it burn, and keep it stirring throughout.  If you have a powerful microwave, try using the defrost setting instead of cook.  Heat them for 2 minutes, stir, and repeat until chocolate is melted through.

Hold your pretzel rod over the bowl of melted chocolate and spoon chocolate on, coating the bottom 2/3 of the rod.  Let the excess drip back into the bowl, gently tapping the pretzel on the side of the bowl to help it out.

Shake your candy sprinkles over the coated pretzel.  It’s best to do this over an empty bowl to catch the extra so you can use it later.  I find a rectangular Chinese food container to be perfect for this purpose.

Lay the completed pretzels on a piece of parchment paper for at least 30 minutes, then pop them in a clear pretzel bag.

If you notice the chocolate starting to thicken, stick it back in the microwave for a bit to warm it up.  While it warms take a second to pour the excess sprinkles back in the bottle.