Student's Dum Dum Dress Wins Art Award

LAPEER, Mich. - A high school student who made a dress out of candy wrappers has claimed a top award in an art competition. Caroline Bodell, a junior from Lapeer West High School east of Flint, won a Gold Key design award in a regional scholastic art competition with a dress made from Dum Dum Pop lollipop wrappers.

Dum Dums are made by the Spangler Candy Co. in Bryan, Ohio.

Bodell, an artist with an interest in various areas of design, said she completed the independent study assignment during winter break.

"I looked at maps, old sheet music and then I found the Dum Dum wrappers," Bodell said. "I had seen a dress could be made out of duct tape and I thought, why couldn't you make one out of candy wrappers? So, I experimented with the materials and the Dum Dum dress was made."

Later this year, the Dum Dum dress will move on to New York, where it will be judged again. When the competition is over, Spangler Candy will add the dress to its museum.