Michael Gaughan of Minneapolis-based, sibling rock group Brother and Sister is well-known for his custom guitars. He’s got one with four necks that spins circles on his chest and another that doubles as an ant farm. Gaughan was also awarded a Jerome Grant in 2004 to build a guitar/RC helicopter hybrid (the Helicaster), but perhaps his most daunting creation is the candy guitar.

“The idea came from seeing plastic see-through guitars and wishing they were made of rock candy instead,” he says. “I was imagining all the fun I could have with them—eating them, and smashing them, and being sticky sweet.”

Gaughan researched the candy-making process and attempted his first hard-candy guitar in his then-girlfriend’s kitchen. “I made a mold out of aluminum siding, duct tape and tin foil and poured in 40 pounds of boiling hot sugar. It burst open, splashing all over her table, carpet, rug, tile floor, and counter top. Her two dogs and two cats came in to lick it up, and it was dripping off the counter and hardening in their fur. It was the most overwhelming mess I have ever been responsible for.”

Gaughan has since refined his technique, and he and sister Katie, who plays drums, make three or four candy guitars a year for their bigger shows. “I wish I could afford to make one for every show,” he says, adding that he hopes to eventually make a taco drum machine and a pizza turntable.

To see all of Gaughan’s creations, visit www.brother-and-sister.com.