Fruit Stripe Gum Letter Cake Topper

Many years ago, when Amy and I were working on our first book, Candy Aisle Crafts, we shot a few ideas using Fruit Stripe Gum. We both love the colors (and the stripes)! I remember pining for it as a child! One idea was to use the gum to make letters to top a cake inspired by paper letters in one of my all-time favorite craft books, Creating With Paper. We loved how they came out but then we happened upon these really cool gumpaste letters and thought they looked way too similar so we pulled the idea from the book. Unfortunately I don't see the gumpaste letters for sale anymore but figured that I'd finally share our Fruit Stripe gum letters here.
If you want to try making them, make sure to use fresh gum if possible (not that you can really tell when you buy it)! 

I used clean small sharp scissors like these to cut the gum. As you can see, the gum can be cut into flat letters and simple shapes like hearts and stars.

I cut the gum into these little flags too, to make these gumdrop boat cupcake toppers (which are in our book).

Gently poke a toothpick "flag pole" into the gum flags. You can also use sour belt candy to make the flags! 
Are you a Fruit Stripe Gum fan too?