How to suspend a stapler in Jell-o.

Or, The Office Season 4 Premiere Party Stapler Jell-o Mold.
You've seen when Jim puts Dwight's stapler in Jell-o in The Office pilot. Then he does it to Michael's mug. Then later to Andy's calculator. It's a classic. And if you do it wrong, it's going to fall apart. There are a few tricks—some that we learned from cast member blogs, and some we figured out on our own. Here's how we did it successfully.

1. Find a bowl large enough for the stapler. Our was Pyrex, and that worked great. I can't speak for any other kind of bowl.
   
2. Use thread to suspend the stapler away from the edges of the bowl. As you can see in our previous attempt, we made a little hammock for the stapler to lay in, by taping thread to the sides. It worked perfect. I wish I'd taken pictures this time.
3. Mix up the gelatin. We used standard Knox gelatin. Our first try was with Jell-o and it was unsuccessful—this worked much better. For standard gelatin goo you're supposed to use one pouch for one cup of water. For this we used 16 packets, for about 4-6 cups of water. I'd recommend a really heavy concentration like that.
4. Add food coloring. That way it looks like Jell-o. Yellow is recommended because it's easy to see through (and it's authentic to the show).
5. Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl, that already has the stapler suspended in it. The stapler might float a little because it will be full of air. You can pry off the rubber bottom a tiny bit with a knife if you want... it will let a bunch of bubbles out.
6. Refrigerate. Overnight.
7. If you've used a Pyrex bowl, there's a pretty surefire way to get the mold out. Fill the sink with hot water, and then lower the bowl into it (make sure the water doesn't spill into the bowl, onto the gelatin).
8. Flip the bowl over onto a plate, or whatever you're putting the mold out. If it doesn't slide right out, put it in the water for a little longer.
9. Ta-da! Stapler Jell-o mold.

When you're done with it, it's easy to get rid of: Put the mold under hot running water, and the gelatin will melt away. The stapler will be totally salvageable, so you can use it in another mold later. If you want to hang on to it, it will last for a couple of days unrefrigerated—then it will start to sprout other life forms. Then you'll have real Jell-o... mold (chuckle).